Category: Arts Entertainments

British star Kit Harington says it’s tough to play a hero on screen today and that’s why he has consciously sought to play “anti-hero-ish” roles post-Game of Thrones.

The actor rose to international prominence with his portrayal of the upright warrior Jon Snow, one of the pivotal characters in Game of Thrones, the HBO epic fantasy show that concluded in 2019 after eight seasons.

Ever since he wrapped Game of Thrones, Harington said he seems to have lost interest in playing the classic hero. That is seemingly what I’ve been hunting a bit.

If I look at the roles I’ve taken since playing an out-and-out hero in Game of Thrones, I have to admit there seems to be some sort of pushback about playing a hero. I’m not so interested in heroic roles, and if I am, they have to be pretty anti-hero-ish, he told Entertainment Weekly.

The actor got his wish in Rod Blackhurst’s Blood for Dust, a neo-Western crime thriller set in snowy Montana.

In his latest film, Harington plays Ricky, a sociopathic drug-slinging arms dealer sporting a handlebar mustache and gold chain. “He’s sort of a devil-on-the-shoulder character, the antagonist who’s with you all the way through. He’s like a good-time guy in a bad world. He doesn’t want to have to face reality,” he said of the role.

People who successfully play classically heroic roles are “very talented actors”, added Harington. My heart goes out to people playing heroes. They’re f****** hard to play and to make interesting.

It is more fascinating as an actor, I think, to empathise with someone deeply faulted and wrong, to try and find your way into why they are doing these things. (Playing) a guy who is doing all the right things and is driven by being good, it’s harder to do that.

But at the moment, I just find it more interesting looking for the f*****-up people,” he said.

The 35-year-old Irfan, son of Mohammad Akthar from Bhopadi, Sitamarhi, has been accused in 19 theft cases across six states. He was apprehended within 15 hours in Udupi thanks to the coordinated efforts of the Kochi City Police and the Karnataka Police. This is not his first arrest — he was previously detained by Hyderabad police in December 2023 for a similar theft.

Irfan’s ‘Robinhood’ nickname stems from his habit of donating 10-20% of his loot to charitable causes, including constructing roads in villages, sponsoring marriages, and covering medical expenses for the poor. His wife Gulshan is a president of Sitamarhi District Panchayat.

“There are such things said about him online. That does not matter to us. For us, he is a person involved in criminal activities, especially thefts. After being released from the jail, he continues with his thefts. He is a habitual offender,” S Syamsundar, Kochi City Police Commissioner said.

The Commissioner credits his team for nabbing Irfan within 15 hours of the theft.

Made three other attempts before…

According to police, Irfan made attempts in three other houses in Panampilly Nagar but he he succeeded in breaking into Joshiy’s house.

“He came from Bihar driving his car on April 20. He had looked for posh areas in the city and located Panampilly Nagar. He broke into the house by breaking the kitchen window using a screwdriver. He used the same modus operandi in other places as well. Then he got into the bedroom where the diamond and gold ornaments worth Rs 1.2 crores were kept in an almirah safe. We came to know that the safe was not locked. He also took around Rs 10,000 from the house. It took around two hours for him to decamp with the jewellery and money. Joshiy and his family members were asleep in their bedrooms,” Syamsundar said.

Maharashtra-registered car

For police, CCTV cameras turned crucial both in identifying and locating Irfan.

From the CCTV visuals, police found that Irfan came to Panampilly Nagar in a white-coloured Maharashtra-registered Honda Accord car. The car also sported a nameplate proclaiming ‘President District Panchayat’ in Hindi.

The car was parked at a place in Panampilly Nagar. Police followed the trail of Irfan and found that the car entered Karnataka from Kasargod border at 2.30 pm on April 20.

“Soon we coordinated with Karnataka police. We first contacted Raman Gupta, Additional Commissioner with Karnataka police. He alerted district police heads of Mangalore, Udupi and Karwar districts. His car was located at the national highway by around 3.15 pm. He did not stop the vehicle when the police asked him to pull over. Then, following a chase, the accused was arrested. The stolen jewellery and screwdriver used for the theft are also recovered,” Syamsundar said.

After recording the arrest of Irfan, he was brought to Kochi on Monday morning. Later, he was produced at a magistrate court and remanded to judicial custody.

Police will seek the custody of the accused soon.

“His arrest would be recorded in the case related to theft at the house of Bhima Jewellery MD in Thiruvananthapuram. He has to be interrogated in detail when we receive him in custody to unearth more aspects related to theft here. His mobile phone will also be examined to check whether he received any local support for the act,” Syamsundar said.

Earlier today, Disney+ Hotstar announced that it would soon stream the Malayalam blockbuster Manjummel Boys. Writer-director Chidambaram’s film is a based-on-real-life survival thriller about a group of friends from Manjummel, Kochi, who go to the Guna Cave in Kodaikkanal.

The film stars Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Ganapathi, Deepak Parambol, Jean Paul Lal, Balu Varghese, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Arun Kurian, Shebin Benson, Khalid Rahman, Chandu Salimkumar, George Maryan, and Ramachandran Durairaj.

Manjummel Boys holds the record for being the highest-grossing Malayalam film worldwide, according to the makers. Soubin Shahir and Shawn Antony produced the film under their banner Parava Films, alongside Babu Shahir.

It garnered critical and audience appreciation for Sushin Shyam’s music, Shyju Khalid’s cinematography, and Ajayan Chalissery’s production design.

The film’s references to Santhana Bharathi’s Kamal Haasan starrer Gunaa also made a big impact on the audience, especially those in Tamil Nadu, where it still continues its theatrical run.

The makers claimed that it became the first film to gross over 200 crores at the worldwide box office.

Disney+ Hotstar is yet to announce a release date for the film, which came out on February 22 in theatres. The announcement of the OTT release of Manjummel Boys comes shortly after the streamer dropped the other recent Malayalam blockbuster Premalu.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

The film follows Saravana Velu who shies away from studies to pursue Kabaddi. He is caught in the crosshair of a Madurai gangster Muthupandi (Prakash Raj), who courts Dhanalakshmi against her wishes, while he appears for a Kabaddi tournament.

Ghilli is a remake of Okkadu (2003) starring Mahesh Babu and Bhumika. Owing to the huge success of Ghilli, the action film was remade in Kannada as Ajay (2006), in Bengali as Jor (2008) and in Hindi as Tevar (2015).

In addition to Vijay, Trisha and Prakash Raj, the ensemble cast includes Ashish Vidyarthi, Janaki Sabesh, Dhamu and Tanikella Bharani. The technical crew comprises cinematographers S Gopinath and KV Anand, editors B Lenin and VT Vijayan, and music director Vidyasagar.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Cinema is a visual medium after all but Snyder is not just religiously adhering to the ‘show don’t tell’ maxim, he is a fundamentalist believer who refuses to understand the underlying intricacies of his religion and has thoughtlessly surrendered himself to this cinematic style. The quintessential scene of the film, which perfectly surmises its biggest shortcomings, is the one where the rebels share stories from their past. Designed to serve as a montage of flashbacks, the scene has actors delivering earnest performances. However, the way the scene is staged, along with the corporate-meeting-like manner in which everyone starts talking one after the other, makes it feel soulless. The one most affected by the emotionally illiterate cinematic language of this film is Djimon Hounsou. He is so obviously designed to be the leader-who-gives-a rousing-motivational-speech-before-the-battle. Hounsou’s character design is caricaturish to the extent that whenever you see him drawing a deep breath, you know a speech is coming.

Rebel Moon—Part Two: The Scargiver is a tedious retread of an original film that was itself not all that original, to begin with. If only the gorgeous visuals and the brilliant production design had a strong story to back them up, we might have had a memorable, compelling, cinematic experience, basically the exact opposite of whatever we ended up with.

Film : Rebel Moon—Part Two: The Scargiver

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Staz Nair, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona

Streaming on: Netflix

Rating: 1.5/5

Shobana was last seen in Malayalam in Anoop Sathyan’s romantic comedy Varane Avashyamund (2020), alongside Suresh Gopi, Dulquer Salmaan and Kalyani Priyadarshan. 

L 360 is produced by M Renjith under the banner of Rejaputhra Visual Media. Though the project was officially announced last month, details regarding the film’s genre and other team members are not yet known.

Meanwhile, Mohanlal has slew of projects lined up. He recently finished the US schedule of Lucifer‘s second part Empuraan, which is directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran.

Joshiy’s Rambaan, the multilingual period epic Vrushabha and Jeethu Joseph’s Ram are his other upcoming projects. Additionally, his directorial debut Barroz, where he also plays the titular lead, is gearing up for release later this year.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

The film was jointly bankrolled under the banners of Sithara Entertainments and Fortune Four Cinemas, with Suryadevara Naga Vamsi and Sai Soujanya serving as the producers.

Ram Miriyla and Achu Rajamani have composed the songs, while Bheems Ceciroleo composed the background score. Sai Prakash Ummadisingu is the cinematographer of the film, and Navin Nooli helms the editing.

Besides Telugu, Tillu Square will also release in the dubbed versions of Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

At the core of the film is a young woman, Nadira, who kills a police superintendent in a brothel on Delhi’s GB Road and flees the scene. She travels north to a fictional city where she takes shelter in a community of sex workers and assumes the Hindu name Renuka. It’s a very insular community that operates by its own rigid rules. She falls in love with a girl who should have long joined the line of work, but she had an accident as a kid, so everyone in the family and neighbourhood thinks that something has gone wrong with her. She uses that as a cover, as a protection from getting into the family work.

I truly believe that stories are to be shared, and I am opposed to the kind of cultural xenophobia where stories are seen as belonging to a particular culture. I think stories connect us. For that reason, my emphasis is primarily on the universal aspects of the relationships and the dynamics in the story. It might surprise you that in terms of structure, the biggest inspiration for me was ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. The form where an outsider, who is in a tough spot decides to enter an insular community. It is about joining or confronting the system. Also, Renuka, the protagonist, is someone I love, someone I can relate to. I don’t understand men that well. The protagonists in my films will inevitably be women. Even in my personal life most of my friends have been women

Is it because women are easier to get along with?

It’s easier for me to relate to women and to their feelings than men. I’ve never been one of those men who hang out with guys and do guys kind of things. It’s just not me. I’m now preparing a very unusual heist thriller with a female protagonist.

You said that the screenplay took a long time to develop…

The biggest challenge was that I wrote this screenplay in English. Throughout the process of developing the script, I had multiple advisors. The film is in Hindi, and it is set in a fictional city in North India. I intentionally wanted to keep the Hindi more generic and not region-specific because once you get into the vernacular of a region, unless you get it right, it gets very of difficult to deal with the situation. I can’t even remember how many people I tried to work on the dialogue.

I met Anurag Kashyap when I was developing the documentary. We met in Cannes for 10 minutes and he invited me over. On my very first visit to Mumbai, I stayed at his place. So, he has been a tremendous help through the years with contacts and few of the people that were involved with the film came through him.

Where is the cast and crew of the film from? Why was it shot in Nepal?

We made the film on a shoestring budget. The lead cast is Indian but for the secondary parts, I cast some Nepali actors. That was a very difficult task. Hindi was not their first language. Their acting style was not what I wanted. I looked for weeks for non-actors. But they would not show up. Most of the characters are women, and their husbands or their family had to agree. Ultimately, I’m very happy with the secondary cast. But it was a challenge. Our budget was way too low to get a reliable, experienced line producer to shoot the film in India. We used Kathmandu basically as a set.

You have well-known Indian actors in the lead—Mita Vashisht, Tanmay Dhanania, Rohit Kokate…

I had a fantastic, dedicated lead cast. Rohit Kokate was a pleasure. I saw him in the film ‘Lovefucked’ (original title ‘Jaaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil’) on Netflix and cast him based on the complexity of the sociopathic, sadistic character that he plays. In our film he is an aspiring politician.

I’ve known Tanmay for a very long time because of my filmmaker friends in Kolkata. They move in a small group. But the most unusual casting choice, not for me but for someone looking at the project from outside, is Anasuya Sengupta, the actor who plays the protagonist Renuka. The casting went on for more than eight months in Mumbai. Several very well-known Indian female actors from independent cinema were interested. But I kept looking at pictures of this woman on Facebook. She’s an artist and a production designer and I approached her through the Kolkata group of filmmakers. I could see the character in her, and it’s not just the looks, but the attitude. She was incredibly surprised; it took her a month to respond. By then I had already cast Tanmay and didn’t know they were sharing a house in Goa till I saw him partnering in her audition tapes. Mita was great to work with. She made the film extremely interesting in terms of the dynamics.

There is an element of travel in your films…

Every single film that I have made so far is about escape, including this film. That is the overarching theme—escape from circumstances, escape from oneself. My background is in art. I made art for many years, and I had to put that on hold for some time. I miss it terribly, but I had to focus on film. My first feature documentary, Invisible, was about a group of young people addicted to heavy drugs, mostly heroin. Bulgaria was flooded with heroin in the early 2000s. That was also a form of escape. It was not a social documentary but more of an existential view of their lives and giving them a platform to talk about the world that surrounds them. In Ave the characters are on the road, in Light Thereafter a young boy on the spectrum goes in search of his idol. In ‘The Shameless’, there is a woman who is on the run after committing a murder, someone who was trafficked to Sonagachi in Kolkata. She managed to escape, ended up in prison, came out and had to support herself again. In my next one the protagonist tries to escape through robbing an art museum.

So many countries—Bulgaria, France, Switzerland, Taiwan, India, Nepal—seem to have come together to make this film. Is that the way filmmaking will thrive presently and, in the future?

It’s a low budget film. We had to piece together funding from so many different small funding bodies and sources. It ended up being a core production between four different countries. I was quite surprised during Berlinale, where among the films that I saw as well as read about in the catalogue, there were very few in just one single language. It’s because we coexist with people from different cultures. In India, if a film is commercially viable, it can get financed in a matter of days and the investment can be recovered in one single weekend. In Europe, you don’t get equity investment. You must usually go through this lengthy process of applications. And you can’t imagine how many funding bodies looked at a project like this one, directed by a Bulgarian, that takes place in India, has no European elements, is in Hindi, about a love relationship between two women.

Your debut feature Ave was in Critics’ Week in 2011, now The Shameless. What makes Cannes special?

The exposure. When you compare it to the other A list festivals, it has a very consistent track of great selections. In recent times—may be long overdue—more diversity, more women, more directors from different cultures. There’s also the element of festivity that I shy away from. I look forward to seeing people, some of them may have films there, some I know very well. I look forward to the experience of meeting people more than the red carpet. I hate to be in front of the camera.

Is it too early to ask about the plans to screen the film in India?

I know that there is a deal that’s now being finalised with an Indian producer who stepped in the post-production stage. They are taking India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh rights. I don’t know who they are, but I know that they have seen the film and love it.

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it has attached assets worth Rs 98 crore, including a bungalow in Pune and equity shares, of actor Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra as part of a money laundering investigation.

The case pertains to cheating of investor funds through use of Bitcoins.

The attached properties include a residential flat in Juhu (Mumbai) presently in the name of Shetty and residential bungalow in Pune and equity shares in the name of Kundra, the federal agency said in a statement.

A provisional attachment order has been issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach these properties worth Rs 97. 79 crore, it said.

The money laundering case stems from FIRs of the Maharashtra Police and Delhi Police against a company named Variable Tech Pte Ltd, Late Amit Bhardwaj, Ajay Bhardwaj, Vivek Bhardwaj, Simpy Bhardwaj, Mahender Bhardwaj and number of agents, where it was alleged that they had collected huge amounts of funds in the form of Bitcoins (worth Rs 6,600 crore in 2017) from gullible public with the false promises of 10 per cent per month return in the form of Bitcoins.

The promoters cheated the investors and have been concealing the ill-gotten Bitcoins in obscure online wallets, the ED alleged.

Kundra, it claimed, received 285 Bitcoins from the mastermind and promoter of Gain Bitcoin Ponzi “s” Amit Bhardwaj for setting up Bitcoin mining farm in Ukraine.

Kundra is still in possession of 285 Bitcoins which are presently valued at more than Rs 150 crore, the ED said.

KOZHIKODE: In a heart-warming turn of events, the remarkable journey of Abdul Rahim, who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, and his poignant tale of redemption and hope, is set to be immortalised on the silver screen.

Businessman and philanthropist Boby Chemmanur has announced plans to produce a film chronicling Rahim’s journey of hope.

Rahim, a native of Feroke, Kozhikode, spent the past 18 years behind bars in Saudi Arabia after being convicted in a case involving the accidental death of his sponsor’s son.

Despite his intentions to help, a tragic turn of events led to Rahim being sentenced to death. However, his story took a dramatic twist when the family of the deceased announced a staggering ransom of Rs 34 crore for Rahim’s release.

Moved by Rahim’s plight and the collective goodwill of the Malayali community, Boby Chemmanur spearheaded a campaign to raise the necessary funds for his release from jail. Through unwavering solidarity and compassion, the target amount was successfully collected, showcasing the power of humanity in times of adversity.

Actor-director Raghava Lawrence is known for his philanthropy as much as he is known for his films. In his new initiative for the differently-abled people, the actor said he will bring back a traditional Tamil gymnastic sport ‘Mallar Kambam’, in which the athletes perform a range of postures on a vertical pole.

Talking about the sport and the plight of his foundation’s inmates Lawrence says, “‘Mallar Kambam’ is tough even for people with functional limbs. But when I asked my foundation’s members, who were trained dancers, they said that bookings for their dance shows were on a decline and that they wanted to learn a new skill to beat the monotony and to tide over their financial crunch.”

Elaborating about the sport, ‘Mallar Kambam’ coach Adhithyan said the sport came into being after Tamil kings were concerned about soldiers injuring themselves grievously when they wrestle as a part of war training. So a vertical pole carved out of a tree trunk came in as a replacement for training against another person.

Adhithyan, expressing awe over the dedication shown by members of Lawrence’s foundation, says, “I taught them how to perform movements with a hand or a leg tied according to an athlete’s limitations. To my amazement, they showed potential for a demonstration within a few weeks of training.”

Addressing the day-to-day transportation challenges of the differently-abled, the Kanchana actor reveals he would gift them scooters. He then adds, “They are also feeling hard-pressed to make arrangements for paying rent, I have decided to make a film with them in which I too will star as a physically challenged person. The proceeds of the film will go into building residences for them.”

When CE asked if the actor would also direct the film, he says, “I have written this story and will act, but the filming will be done by another director. An official announcement of this project will be made soon.”

As a word of encouragement for his foundation’s members, Lawrence said he will organise ‘Mallar Kambam’ events whenever he finds time and urged the public to feature this sport as a part of their college or wedding functions. When we queried if he would take more initiative to bring this sport to the forefront, he responded, “‘Mallar Kambam’ gains more attention when the physically challenged persons perform it. So my initiative is centred around these performers rather than the sport itself.”

On the work front, Raghava Lawrence will play the lead in two newly announced projects – Hunter and Benz. Bakkiyaraj Kannan of the Sulthan fame will direct Benz, written and produced by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Venkat Mohan, who previously directed Ayogya, will direct Lawrence’s 25th film titled Hunter. The actor-director also said works are going on to revive Muni franchise with Kanchana 4.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

HALYNA HUTCHINS REMEMBERED

Hutchins, who was 42 when she died, grew up on a remote Soviet military base and worked on documentary films in Eastern Europe before studying film in Los Angeles and embarking on a promising movie-making career.

At the sentencing hearing, friends and family members described Hutchins as courageous, tenacious and compassionate.

Courtroom testimonials also included calls for justice and a punishment that would instill greater accountability for safety on film sets.

Ukrainian relatives of Hutchins are seeking damages in her death from Baldwin in connection with the shooting. Attorney Gloria Allred is representing Hutchins’ parents and sister and says that the family supports the criminal prosecution of Baldwin.

“No one has ever come to me to apologize,” Hutchins’ mother Olga Solovey said in a tearful video testimonial shown at the sentencing of Gutierrez-Reed.

The filming of “Rust” moved to Montana after Hutchins’ death under an agreement with her husband, Matthew Hutchins, that made him an executive producer.

BALDWIN INDICTED

Prosecutors dismissed an earlier involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin after being told the gun he was holding might have been modified before the shooting and malfunctioned.

A new analysis of the gun opened the way for prosecutors to reboot the case. A grand jury indicted Baldwin on the same charge in January. The indictment alleges Baldwin caused Hutchins’ death — either by negligence or “total disregard or indifference” for safety.

If he’s convicted, the charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to 18 months.

Defense attorneys for Baldwin are urging the judge to dismiss the grand jury indictment, accusing prosecutors of “unfairly stacking the deck” in grand jury proceedings that diverted attention away from exculpatory evidence and witnesses.

Special prosecutors deny those accusations and accuse Baldwin of “shameless” attempts to escape culpability, highlighting contradictions in Baldwin’s statements to law enforcement, workplace safety regulators and the public in a televised interview.

An FBI expert testified at Gutierrez-Reed’s trial that the revolver used by Baldwin was fully functional with safety features when it arrived at an FBI laboratory. The expert said he had to strike the fully cocked gun with a mallet and break it in order for it to fire without depressing the trigger.

CONVERSATIONS FROM JAIL

Defense attorney Jason Bowles said Gutierrez-Reed will appeal the judge’s judgment and sentence against her.

Bowles said at sentencing that “there were multiple system failures by multiple people. Some of those people have come before the court. … Some have yet to come before the court. At least one individual is going to be tried in July.”

Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted of an evidence tampering charge at trial, but still confronts another felony charge in separate proceedings on allegations she brought a gun into a bar in downtown Santa Fe.

At her sentencing, Gutierrez-Reed teared up as Hutchins’ agent, Craig Mizrahi, spoke about the cinematographer’s creativity and described her as a rising star in Hollywood.

But special prosecutor Kari Morrissey says she reviewed nearly 200 phone calls that Gutierrez-Reed had made from jail over the last month. She said she was hoping there would be a moment when the defendant would take responsibility for Hutchins’ death or express genuine remorse but “that moment has never come

In his note, Mohanlal appreciated how the film doesn’t just limit itself to capturing the hardships of the bygone era, but also preserves a “philosophical smile” drawn from such experiences. He ended the note by thanking all the team members associated with the film.

Varshangalkku Shesham stars Dhyan Sreenivasan and Pranav in the lead roles. Nivin Pauly plays an extended cameo, while the likes of Basil Joseph, Aju Varghese, Neeta Pillai and Kalyani Priyadarshan essay other important roles.

Hitting screens on April 11, the film opened to largely favourable response. Besides stiff competition from the Fahadh Faasil-starrer Aavesham, it is holding strong at the box office.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

MUMBAI: Bollywood actors Priyanka Chopra, Triptii Dimri, and others are showing their appreciation for Imtiaz Ali’s latest film, ‘Amar Singh Chamkila.’

Priyanka took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday to praise the film and its cast. She posted a film poster rating on her feed and congratulated Imtiaz Ali, Diljit, Parineeti (whom she affectionately calls Tisha), and the team, saying it looks impressive.

She wrote, “Congratulations Imtiaz sir, Diljit, Tisha and the team. Looks so good (sic).”

Helmed by Imtiaz Ali, ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ presents the untold true story of Punjab’s original rockstar of the masses, who emerged from the shadows of poverty and rose to the heights of popularity in the 80s due to the sheer power of his music, angering many along the way, which led to his assassination at the young age of 27.

Diljit portrays ‘Chamkila,’ the top-selling artist of his era, who rose from poverty to immense fame in the 1980s through his powerful music. Parineeti essays the role of Amar Singh Chamkila’s wife Amarjot Kaur.

Ahead of the release, Parineeti shared a heartwarming video of herself grooving to their iconic track ‘Pehle Lalkare Naal.’

In the captivating video, Parineeti can be seen in her vanity van, preparing for her day, while being serenaded by the soulful melodies of

Amar Singh Chamkila and Amarjot.

Sharing the video with her fans, Parineeti expressed her reverence for the iconic duo, stating, “Whatta song! Chamkila and Amarjot are the legends the world will never get again.”

‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ is streaming on Netflix from April 12.

On the occasion of Vishu falling on Sunday, the makers of Mammootty’s upcoming film Turbo unveiled a new poster and announced that the film will release worldwide on June 13. The poster features the lead actor sitting atop a jeep, against the backdrop of a carnival.

Produced by Mammootty’s home banner, Mammootty Kampany, Turbo is directed by Vyaskh. The film marks the reunion of Mammootty and Vysakh after Pokkiri Raja and its sequel Madhura Raja. It also sees the actor reuniting with the film’s writer Midhun Manuel Thomas following Abraham Ozler, headlined by Jayaram.

Turbo‘s technical team includes cinematographer Vishnu Sarma, editor Shameer Muhammed and music director Christo Xavier. It will be distributed by Dulquer Salmaan’s production house, Wayfarer Films.

The film also stars Pachuvinte Albhuthavilakkum-fame Anjana Jayaprakash, Kannada actor Raj B Shetty, and Telugu actor Sunil, among others.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Telugu celebrity Ram Charan added a new feather to his cap on Saturday, as he became the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Vels University in Chennai. The actor was accompanied by his wife, Upasana Kamineni, on the occasion.

Ram Charan received the honour at the 14th convocation ceremony of the university. This recognition places him in the esteemed company of previous recipients like Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and filmmaker S Shankar.

On the professional front, Ram Charan is currently busy with two of his upcoming projects: Game Changer and RC 17. While Game Changer marks the RRR actor’s first collaboration with Shankar, RC 17 will have him share screen with Janhvi Kapoor.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood star Emma Stone is in negotiations to star in an untitled film for Universal Pictures.

According to entertainment news outlet Variety, the two-time Oscar winner’s husband, Dave McCary is in discussions for the project as well.

If finalised, McCary will direct the film from a screenplay penned by Patrick Kang and Michael Levin.

Details on the plot are under wraps. Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Dan Levine will produce the film through 21 Laps. Michael H.Weber will also produce.

Stone and McCary, who tied the knot in 2020 and are parents to a daughter, and Ali Herting are in talks to produce through Fruit Tree.

Today, if I am envious of anyone, I would say it’s Malayalam writers and actors — SS Rajamouli.

The director of the mega blockbusters Baahubali and RRR is only half right.

Not just the writers and actors, but the entire Malayalam film industry is on a roll in 2024.

Four films have hit it out of the park in the year already — creating new records at the box office — even as filmmakers experiment with new themes, unexplored topics and terrains, winning critical appreciation all around.

The situation was completely different a couple of years ago.

The Malayalam industry witnessed the release of a spate of films but only a few of them turned out to be hits. Covid-19, the lack of good-quality films and the presence of OTT platforms meant the industry, like any other film industry in India, was struggling.

Then 2024 happened.

The prediction by music composer Sushin Shyam that ‘Manjummel kurachu scene maattum Malayalam industrye‘ (Manjummel Boys will change the tide for Malayalam industry) has come true.

From Manjummel Boys to Premalu, Mammootty’s Bramayugam to now ‘Aadujeevitham‘ (Goat Life), the industry is looking brighter than ever. While Premalu and Aadujeevitham entered the Rs 100-crore club, Manjummel Boys, a film based on a real-life incident, became the first Malayalam film to enter the Rs 200-crore club.

And in this Vishu festival season, the industry is looking forward to Fahad Fasil’s Aavesham, Pranav-Dhyan combo’s Varshangalkku Shesham, Jai Ganesh, Maarivilin Gopurangal etc.

“The acceptance of recent films in Malayalam shows that people will choose to watch films in theatres if there are good films,” says NM Badusha, film producer.

According to Siyad Kokker, film producer and exhibitor, what has helped Malayalam films to be financially successful and achieve box-office success is the change in the mindset of the people.

“Unlike before, the audience is willing to come to theatres to watch films. They have realised that the experience of watching films in theatres and on OTT platforms is different. It is the merit of these films that attracted the public. They are aware of the film, its content and quality from the trailer and promotion videos,” he says.

Badusha adds that not many films are going to OTT and these platforms only take up films they believe can increase their subscriber count.

The films that have worked in the past three months are films that people think are entertaining and can be enjoyed with friends and family members.

“What we have observed after the pandemic and the mushrooming of the OTT platforms is that the audience distinguishes films that can be watched on OTT and films they believe deserve a theatrical watch. Premalu is a funny rom-com that young people want to watch together, Brahmayugam is about the atmospheric and black and white experience and Manjummel Boys is a survival thriller where music plays an important role. We are not going to get the same effect if we watch these movies on OTT,” according to Sowmya Rajendran, a film critic and writer.

She adds that Blessy’s Aadujeevitham has also benefited from the success of these films. “With the popularity of the novel, the landscape and the making of the movie, it deserves a theatrical experience,” Sowmya emphasises.

‘Vineeth Sreenivasan’ and his love for Chennai is a much-celebrated meme material in Malayalam social media circles. After ‘Hridayam’—which beautifully romanticised Chennai—Vineeth refuted rumours that his next is also a Chennai-based narrative. As it turns out, he was being deceptive. His new film, ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’ is set in Chennai of the yore, Madras. While 70s Madras is alien to Vineeth, he was always familiar with the land and its vibrant cinema culture through the stories narrated by his father Sreenivasan, and his industry friends. It was a time when Malayalam cinema was completely based in Madras, with Kodambakkam serving as the hub of all aspirants. Most of today’s industry giants were shaped by the sweat, struggles and setbacks they faced in Kodambakkam. ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’, Vineeth says, is inspired by all these “Madirashi kathakal”. “Right from my childhood, I’ve been hearing numerous stories about their Kodambakkam days. Most of these incidents happened way before I was even born, but they still got me fascinated with the city and the vibe there. The seed for ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’ was sown then.”

There’s a lot of hype around ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’, primarily because of its star-studded cast and some rumoured surprises in it. Ahead of the film’s release on Thursday, we catch up with Vineeth to discuss more about his inspirations and creative choices.

Excerpts

Malayalam cinema has seen many films like ‘Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback’, ‘Thirakkatha’, and ‘Udayananu Tharam’ that showcased the good, bad, and ugly side of the film industry. How different is ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’?

All the films that you mentioned are my absolute favourites. In fact, I even revisited ‘Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback’ before starting ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’. I think our audience loves to watch these films because it’s a world that they are not familiar with. Beyond shooting, they still are not aware of 80 percent of the process that goes behind. So, naturally, there will be a curiosity to watch such films. What makes ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’ interesting is its time span, which traverses from the 1970s to 2023. The story is primarily about two friends, Venu and Murali, who arrive in Kodambakkam in the 70s to make it big in cinema. Through their journey, we get to see the changing dynamics of the film industry over the years. Beyond cinema aficionados, this film, I hope, will connect with anyone who has ever dreamt of achieving something in life.

Friendship is a recurring theme in almost all your films…

Friendship is an emotion I value a lot in life. Naturally, it reflects on all my work. Even after 20 years, if I continue doing films, I’m sure an element of friendship will still be there in my stories.

Your brother Dhyan had earlier said that Vinod of ‘Thattathin Marayathu’ is a reflection of your real personality and Umesh in Oru Vadakkan Selfie is partly him. In that sense, is Venu’s character from ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’ based on your father, Sreenivasan?

That’s a good one, but I can’t precisely say if Venu is entirely based on Achan. Before moving to Kodambakkam and entering cinema, Achan was actively doing plays in our hometown. In the film, Venu also treads a similar path. So, their journeys might be similar, but I haven’t incorporated Achan’s character traits as such.

KOCHI : Today, if I am envious of anyone, I would say it’s Malayalam writers and actors, S S Rajamouli said recently. But, the Telugu filmmaker, who created history when for his blockbuster film RRR won the Oscar for best original song, is only partly right.

It’s not just writers and actors; the entire Malayalam film industry has been on a roll this year. Film after film has been creating new records on the box office even as the industry experiments with new themes, treatment and terrain, winning critical appreciation all around.

The situation was completely different in the last two years. The industry churned out hundreds of films, but hits were few and far in between. For a sector recovering from the Covid-19 slump and lack of good subjects and quality, the presence of OTT platforms rubbed salt into the wounds. The industry, like any other in the country, was struggling.

Then 2024 happened. Music composer Sushin Shyam’s prediction that ‘Manjummel kurachu scene maattum Malayalam industryde’ (Manjummel Boys will be a game changer for Malayalam industry) has come true. Mollywood has changed the ‘scene’ with a string of hits.From Manjummel Boys to Premalu, Mammootty’s Bramayugam to now Aadujeevitham, the industry is shining brighter than ever. While Premalu and Aadujeevitham entered the Rs 100-crore club, Manjummel Boys, based on a real-life incident, has become the first Malayalam film to make the Rs200-crore club.

For the upcoming Vishu season, the industry is betting on Fahadh Faasil’s Aavesham, Pranav-Dhyan combo’s Varshangalkku Shesham, Jai Ganesh, etc. “The acceptance of recent films in Malayalam shows that people will choose to watch good films in theatres,” says N M Badusha, film producer.

According to Siyad Koker, film producer and exhibitor, a change in the mindset of people has helped Malayalam films succeed financially. “Unlike before, audiences are willing to come to theatres. They have realised that there is a difference between watching films in theatres and on OTT platforms. It is a film’s merit that attracts the public. Trailers and promotional videos provide a glimpse of content and quality,” he added.

NEW DELHI: Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light” on Thursday scripted history by becoming the first Indian title in over 40 years to feature in the prestigious Competition section of the Cannes Film Festival, where it will vie for the top prize Palme d’Or.

Iris Knobloch, president of the Cannes Festival, and Thierry Fremaux, General Delegate, announced the official selection line-up for the 2024 edition of the gala at a press conference streamed live from Cannes, France.

Besides Kapadia, British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri’s “Santosh” will also be showcased at the 77th edition of the film gala.

The movie will be screened under the Un Certain Regard section.

Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light” will be presented under the main segment alongside 19 other highly anticipated titles, including films from master directors Francis Ford Coppola (“Megalopolis”) and Yorgos Lanthimos (“Kinds of Kindness”).

“Oh Canada” by Paul Schrader, “Bird” by Andrea Arnold, “The Shrouds” by David Cronenberg, and “Anora” by Sean Baker are also part of the main Competition slate.

Kapadia, an alumna of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), is best known for her acclaimed documentary “A Night of Knowing Nothing”, which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight side-bar where it won the Oeil d’or (Golden Eye) award.

“All We Imagine As Light”, also written by Kapadia, marks her narrative feature debut.

The film is about Prabha, a nurse, who receives an unexpected gift from her long estranged husband that throws her life into disarray.

KOCHI: The victim in the 2017 actress assault case has moved the Kerala High Court urging it to order a fresh investigation into the alleged illegal access of the visuals of the incident contained in a memory card and a pen drive by different persons while these devices were in the custody of the subordinate courts.

In her plea, the victim has claimed that a mere reading of the inquiry report with regard to the illegal access of the devices indicates that the authority carrying out the probe “never conducted a fair, free and complete” investigation as directed by the High Court.

The victim has contended that the report is liable to be quashed and urged that a fresh probe be carried out by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under supervision of the High Court to uphold the majesty of law, maintain the purity of the legal system and protect her right to privacy.

She has alleged that service of the police and other expert agencies were directed to be utilised in the probe, but the same were “deliberately avoided” by the inquiry authority “to hide the material fact that the visuals were copied and transmitted by many persons known and unknown” when the devices were in custody of different courts.

The inquiry authority is the District and Sessions Judge, Ernakulam, who is the trial judge in the assault case. He was also directed by the High Court to look into the alleged access of the two devices.

She has claimed that the two devices were actually in the personal custody of judicial officers and staff and not in the safe custody of any court.

The actress has also alleged that no attempt was even made to trace out the electronic gadgets used to access the visuals in the two devices and that the inquiry authority wrongly accepted the versions of the culprits that their mobile phones were either lost or destroyed without verifying whether they were telling the truth.

She has contended that she was deliberately kept away from the inquiry and was not even allowed to make written submissions on the supply of materials collected in the inquiry.

Jayam Ravi’s last outing at the theatres, Siren, is all set to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on April 19. Also starring Keerthy Suresh in the lead, Siren is written and directed by Anthony K Bhagyaraj. The film hit theatres on February 16 and opened to mixed reviews.

Jayam Ravi features as a prisoner in Siren while Keerthy Sures stars as a police officer. The film also features Anupama Parameswaran, who plays Ravi’s wife. Samuthirakani, Azhagam Perumal, Yogi Babu and Tulasi round out the cast of Siren.

An action-packed emotional drama, Siren is produced by Sujatha Vijaykumar of Home Movie Makers. The technical team of Siren comprises cinematographer Selvakumar SK of Maanagaram fame and editor Ruben. While GV Prakash composed the film’s songs, Sam CS scored the background music.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Jadeshaa K Hampi, the director of ‘Gentleman’ and ‘Guru Shishyaru’ and as the writer of Darshan’s recent blockbuster ‘Kaatera’, is now preparing for his next project with Bheema actor, Vijay Kumar. The action-packed period drama, which is also said to be a family entertainer, is rumoured to feature Rachita Ram as the female lead, opposite Vijay Kumar.

Discussions have been underway with the Kranti actor, who is presently filming ‘Sanju Weds Geetha 2’, and this could become the next venture for the Dimple Queen. Rachita Ram has previously shared the screen with Vijay in Preetham Gubbi’s ‘Johnny Johnny Yes Papa'(2018), and if everything falls into place, this film will be their second collaboration.

The film, tentatively titled ‘VK-29’, was officially announced in January with an intriguing poster. It will see the return of Saarathi producer KV Satya Prakash, who is bankrolling the project along with his son, Suraj. The team is currently gearing up for the film’s muhurath, which is expected to take place soon.

An official announcement is anticipated after the film’s launch or once Rachita Ram finalise on the agreement and join the sets. Interestingly, ‘VK 29’ will also introduce Vijay Kumar’s daughter, Monica, in a significant role, marking her debut. Further details regarding the film’s cast and crew will be disclosed soon.

Darshan’s latest venture, ‘Devil – The Hero’, written and directed by Prakash Veer, kicked off its filming on March 22nd with a few action-packed sequences. The team, which has successfully wrapped up their first schedule, is gearing up for the next phase of shooting. They are scheduled to resume once Darshan recovers from his hand injury, for which he underwent an operation recently.

Meanwhile, excitement brews as the cast is getting finalised, and according to our reliable source, the team of ‘Devil’ has brought on board acclaimed multilingual actor Mahesh Manjrekar. The artist, popular in Hindi and known for his versatile performances across various platforms including reality shows and web series, boasts a filmography in various Indian languages including Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, and Bhojpuri, as well as in International cinema. Mahesh made a brief appearance in a Kannada film, ‘Encounter Dayanayak’ in 2005. Now, after two decades he is all set to make a comeback in Kannada cinema with ‘Devil’.

Director Prakash Veer is known for his meticulous approach to casting and the makers believe that the pairing of Darshan and Mahesh Manjrekar would be fresh and bring a new dimension to the commercial entertainer. However, details about Mahesh’s character remain under wraps. The source adds that the makers are also in the process of zeroing in on the female and supporting cast.

The first look teaser of ‘Devil’, revealed early this year, has already generated considerable buzz among fans who are looking forward to watching it on the big screen when it releases this year. The film is presented by Jai Matha Combines and produced by J Jayanna and Prakash Veer under Vaishno Studios banner. Music composer Ajaneesh Lokanath marks his first collaboration with Darshan, while DOP Sudhakar S Raj will handle the cinematography for ‘Devil’.

NEW YORK: Beyonce’s blockbuster country album “Cowboy Carter” has debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart — the eighth number one album of her storied career.

She also became the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with the 27-track second act in her “Renaissance” trilogy.

“Cowboy Carter,” which dropped on March 29, debuted with 407,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the week ending April 4, according to Billboard and music industry data provider Luminate.

It is the best debut of 2024 so far and also the biggest since Taylor Swift dropped “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” in November 2023, Billboard said.

“Cowboy Carter” is a rowdy, wide-ranging homage to Beyonce’s southern heritage and features a constellation of music stars, from country legends Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson to current hitmakers Miley Cyrus and Post Malone.

Parton introduces the album’s take on “Jolene,” drawing parallels between her own original tale of a lover fearing betrayal with Beyonce’s personalized version, and appears with Nelson as radio hosts of a fictional broadcast.

The album, which has been lauded by critics, was already the “most-streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far” on Spotify.

Nashville’s gatekeepers have long tried to promote a rigid view of country music that is overwhelmingly white and male.

But Beyonce shatters that notion, taking listeners through country’s evolution from African American spirituals and fiddle tunes.

She dropped the album’s first two singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” during the Super Bowl in February and announced the full album’s release date.

She also Paul McCartney’s Beatles song “Blackbiird,” stylized with the double-i spelling to match “Act II.”

Acceptance of independent films has grown stronger in India in the past few years and PVR INOX Pictures’ endeavour is to bring more such titles to audiences here, whether it’s a film like “Past Lives” or their latest acquisition “Civil War”, says Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, executive director, PVR INOX Ltd.

“Civil War”, directed by Alex Garland of “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation” fame, revolves around a team of military-embedded journalists who embark on a risky journey across a dystopian future US to reach Washington DC before rebel factions attack the White House.

Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Nick Offerman, the film will hit Indian screens on April 19.

“Acceptance of independent films is a lot stronger now (in India). We started the motion picture arm of PVR INOX about 24 years ago and we would bring small films like ‘Talented Mr Ripley’ and others but people didn’t know much about it and it was tougher to push. But now there is more acceptance and awareness,” Bijli told PTI.

“Our endeavour always remains to bring independent films to India across all languages. We focus (more) on English because that’s the language most people would like to watch their films in. But we’ve been doing Japanese films, Spanish and other languages as well because we have a large network of screens. We want to be able to show all kinds of films to the Indian audiences,” he said.

The multiplex chain organised a premiere of “Civil War” at PVR Directors Cut, Vasant Kunj on Sunday.

Bijli said they have had great success not only with Korean-English movie “Past Lives” but also with German-Polish-Yiddish film “The Zone of Interest” and “Anatomy of a Fall” (French-English) as well as past hits such as “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and “The Whale”, both American titles.

Crediting social media for making the world smaller, Bijli said they have a social listening programme that helps them identify the kind of independent movies Indian audiences are curious about.

The next step is an earnest attempt at acquisition, something that happened in the case of “Civil War” which received positive reviews from critics upon its world premiere at the South by Southwest film festival last month.

“Everybody already knows about ‘Civil war’ because there’s so much chatter on social media…It makes our life a little easier. We got the script of ‘Civil War’ last year at the American Film Market. We fell in love with it when we read it. We made the deal at the script stage itself because we thought it was Alex Garland, Kirsten Dunst, and it had an incredible story.

“Then, we finally saw the film in Berlin (film festival) this year on IMAX…It’s one of the very few commercial genre films coming out of A24,” he said, adding that they have had a fruitful collaboration with the studio, known for championing independent films.

While big Hollywood titles come to India on their own, Bijli said a lot of their work entails circling major international film festivals and scouting for independent movies that will resonate with audiences in India.

“Independent films by nature are small budget and slightly niche, but they have an audience and some of them break out.

Like ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ went on to win best picture Oscar last year.

“‘The Zone of Interest’ and ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ also won Oscars….Past Lives was nominated for best picture and original screenplay…So these are the little risks you have to take…You need to sort of go and acquire these films which you feel very strongly about and they sometimes become massive hits.

“While Celine Song’s feature directorial debut “Past Lives” did not win an Oscar, both “The Zone of Interest” and “Anatomy of a Fall”, registered wins at the Oscars.

“The Zone of Interest” by Jonathan Glazer won the Oscar for best international feature and best sound and “Anatomy of a Fall” by Justine Triet won in best original screenplay category.

Describing “Civil War” a hard-hitting drama, Bijli said Garland’s film is “one of the big ones” in terms of budget and scale.

“The journey from acquisition to release is a long one. We signed the film a year and half ago, but it is finally ready for release. I’m excited about ‘Civil War because I’ve seen it and I think it’s a very strong film,” he added.

MISSION, Kan.: An actor who appeared in a spinoff of the popular television western “Yellowstone” was found dead after he went missing amid a domestic violence investigation in Kansas, authorities said Friday.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that deputies found the body of 27-year-old Cole Brings Plenty in a wooded area. Crime scene investigators and the medical examiner were at the location, but no details were released about a cause of death.

Two days earlier Brings Plenty was charged in a nearby county with aggravated burglary, domestic battery and criminal restraint. An arrest warrant was issued.

Police in the town of Lawrence said officers responded Sunday to an apartment where a woman was screaming for help, and Brings Plenty had left before they arrived.

He then missed an audition for an upcoming film project that was scheduled for Monday morning over Zoom, his agent, Peter Yanke of Phirgun Mair Worldwide, said this week.

Brings Plenty’s father, Joe, said in a statement Friday that he is grateful for everyone “for their prayers and positive thoughts you sent for Cole.”

“I learned this week how many people knew the goodness in Cole’s heart and loved him,” Joe Brings Plenty Sr. said.

Cole Brings Plenty appeared in two episodes of the first season of “1923,” a Paramount+ series starring Harrison Ford that is a prequel to the Paramount Network hit “Yellowstone.” He also had recent small roles in two other Westerns from INSP TV, “Into the Wild Frontier” and “The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger.”

His uncle Mo Brings Plenty is a star of “Yellowstone” and acts as a cultural adviser for Native American issues on both that show and “1923.” He posted a flyer about his nephew’s disappearance on Instagram, and police said the family reported the younger man missing.

Calling it a “great show” whom “we all love”, the Irish actor urged fans to move on. “Come on now, pull yourself together. Open the curtains and go outside,” he added.

“Fleabag” ended on April 8, 2019 on a tragic note for the star-crossed lovers.

Previously, Scott said he would be more than willing to return as the Hot Priest if Waller-Bridge had anything planned.

Waller-Bridge had earlier said she may return to “Fleabag” after she turns 50 and has more life experiences.

In one of the final scenes in Netflix’s new sports drama, The Beautiful Game, Micheal Ward’s Vinny quotes a famous saying, “We don’t save ourselves, we save each other.” This is an overarching philosophy that ties every bit and piece of the film together, allowing it to soar high on emotions without necessarily relying on groundbreaking storytelling.

The relationship between underdogs and sports dramas has always been built on a bedrock of tried-and-tested templates. The Beautiful Game tries to bring in some new ideas even within the limitations of the format. The choice of sport, for instance, is an International Homeless World Cup. The story is set in motion as coach Mal, a delicate yet ambitious yesteryear footballer, played by an impressive Bill Nighy, brings the level-headed Vinny into a pack of five homeless men, who are set to represent England at the International Homeless Football tournament in Rome.

The novel treatment in The Beautiful Game takes centre stage, featuring political undertones and inclusive portrayals of characters, as the team consists of six men from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. This isn’t quite the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup, where white men majorly represent England. It is instead a competition to be seen in the context of homelessness.

Despite being a sports drama, which awaits the expected triumph of the underdogs in the end, The Beautiful Game doesn’t depend on the chills before the end. Instead, it finds its heart in the breezy exchange of wits, which prevents it from becoming a preachy melodrama.

Amy Adams starrer ‘Nightbitch’ will be released in theatres on December 6. The Searchlight Pictures’ film was initially scheduled to premiere on Hulu, but it will now be released in theatres, reported Variety.

As per the official synopsis, six-time Academy Award nominee Adams plays a woman “thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, who slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a canine.”

According to Variety, Scoot McNairy stars as Adams’ oft-traveling husband. Marielle Heller writes and directs the film adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s acclaimed debut novel.

Heller also directed ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’, which won the Independent Spirit Award for the best first picture and a DGA award for first-time feature film. Heller’s previous directorial achievements include the Oscar-nominated Fred Rogers film ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood’, the Melissa McCarthy-starring comedy ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’, and the filmed production of ‘What the Constitution Means to Me’.

“Rachel Yoder’s book took my breath away,” said Heller when she was announced as director in 2022. “I haven’t felt this way about a book since I read ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’ many years ago. Rachel’s darkly hilarious tale of motherhood and rage made me feel seen. And adapting it with Amy Adams in mind has been the thing that has kept me going through the pandemic.”

Adams was most recently seen in Disney’s 2022 musical ‘Disenchanted’ and will next appear opposite Jenna Ortega in Taika Waititi’s film adaptation of ‘Klara and the Sun’.

‘Nightbitch’ is produced by Heller, Adams, Anne Carey, Sue Naegle, Christina Oh and Stacy O’Neil, reported Variety.

Was there ever a point where you didn’t want to come back for a second Ghostbusters movie?

No. I mean, it’s Ghostbusters! Who wouldn’t want to put on a flight suit, strap on a proton pack, and bust ghosts for a job? And the fact that we got to do it with the original ghostbusters, in New York with the firehouse and everything, made it a total no-brainer.

Did you feel like a kid again, getting to line up alongside the original Ghostbusters?

Absolutely. I grew up obsessed with the franchise.

It was a huge part of my childhood, so to get to work with my heroes was pretty cool. I totally geeked out.

How nervous were you about working with Bill Murray?

I was in awe, and pretty terrified, but Bill is the sweetest guy. He’s a comedy genius and someone I have admired for years.

I had a great time working with him, Ernie, Dan and all the OG ghostbusters.

Do you ever worry about living up to the expectations of those who, like you, are fans of the original movies?

There is always that pressure when you are dealing with something as beloved as Ghostbusters.

I think we did a good job of honouring the legacy with the new and old cast, and fans, as well as people who have never seen a Ghostbusters movie, will love this one. It really has got something for everyone. And of course, Ivan Reitman directed the first movie and his son, Jason, is a writer on Frozen Empire. It’s like it’s all part of the same family.

There is all the crazy action, and ghostbusting stunts, fans would expect in this movie. How much of what we see on screen were you able to do?

I got to do some pretty cool stuff, but the crazy stunts are all down to the professionals. They do a great job in making me look way cooler than I am. I did get to drive the Ecto 1; not for the dangerous stuff, but I did get to drive it. They told me it was actually the car from the first movie. It blew my mind.

The film is set to be released in cinemas on August 15, 2024.

Produced by Mythri Movie Makers and directed by Sukumar, the film also stars Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles.

The film created a buzz at the box office as from dialogues to songs everything about the film was setting trends.

Allu received a National Film Award for his performance in the first part. After the National Film Awards list was announced in August 2023, Allu Arjun took to social media and expressed his gratitude.

“A huge congratulations to all the national award winners across various categories and languages throughout the nation. Your accomplishments are truly commendable. & I would like to express my gratitude for the love and wishes pouring in from all corners of the country. Feeling honored and humbled by it all. Thank you for the love. Humbled,” he wrote.

The first part of Pushpa showcased power tussles set against the backdrop of red sandalwood smuggling. Sukumar directed it.

Australian director Craig Gillespie is in talks to direct the upcoming ‘Supergirl’ film at Warner Bros.’ DC Studios, reported Variety.

The film, titled ‘Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow’ is based on the DC comics run of the same name by Tom King and Bilquis Evely.

It’s set to shoot later this year after James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ wraps filming. ‘House of the Dragon’ breakout Milly Alcock will star in the titular role.

Alcock earned the part following a lengthy casting process in which Gunn and co-CEO Peter Safran flew many actresses, including Meg Donnelly, to Atlanta for onscreen tryouts on the “Superman: Legacy” production.

“Milly was the FIRST person I brought up to Peter for this role, well over a year ago, when I had only read the comics,” Gunn said on social media upon her casting. “I was watching ‘House of the Dragon’ and thought she might have the edge, grace and authenticity we needed,” he added.

According to Variety, Gunn has previously teased that the new take on the superhero will be “much more hardcore” than previous interpretations of the character. “She’s not exactly the Supergirl we’re used to seeing,” he explained in 2023 when presenting the first 10 titles in the new DCU slate.

In the latest edition, Supergirl goes across the cosmos to celebrate her 21st birthday with Krypto the Superdog. Along the way, she meets a young lady named Ruthye and embarks on a violent quest for vengeance.

Gunn and Safran are producing. Chantal Nong, DC EVP, is the executive producer. Ana Nogueira (“The Vampire Diaries”) is penning the script.

Gillespie’s directing credits include “Cruella,” “The Finest Hours,” “Lars and the Real Girl,” and, most recently, “Dumb Money.” He is represented by CAA, Rumble Media and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern, reported Variety.

“Since this was my first attempt at horror, every shot and how it is visually expressed becomes important. Likewise, sound design also becomes important in creating the horror impact. Of course, there are emotions and love among other elements involved,” says Sathish, as he praises the meticulous preparation and collaboration behind the scenes and commends the technical expertise and collective effort of the team. “Thankfully, we had a director with a good technical background. We also had experienced actors come together for the film,” he adds.

Interestingly, from Sathish’s perspective, horror holds a nostalgic charm reminiscent of childhood tales. “Horror is more like a children’s film to me. Our grandmothers often told us ghost stories when we were young. There’s a certain allure to the genre, and there are millions of people out there who are fans of horror films. So, being part of it was also fun,” he says.

Sathish views the title Matinee as a metaphor with deeper meaning, while the film itself leans towards lighthearted fun and pure entertainment, avoiding any overt messages. When questioned about whether horror films have a deeper narrative, Sathish affirms, “Yes, while Matinee is filled with horror and humour, the plot also delves into strong emotions and themes of friendship. The first half of Matinee builds suspense with a search for the source of fear and confusion, while the second half unveils the true story behind it all. The film’s blend of lightheartedness and surprising depth creates a unique and rewarding experience for viewers,” he says.

As an actor, how does one face the challenges posed by a horror film? “I found working in a horror film rather fun, than challenging,” says Sathish, who recognised the importance of expertly navigating the suspenseful moments in horror. “I also understood the significance of immersing oneself in the character, a task that was made easier by teamwork,” he adds.

On the shooting experience, Sathish says that his camaraderie with co-actors like Nagabhushan and Shivaraj Pete added to the enjoyment. “They are all close friends, which made going to the sets a fun experience. When you have friends as co-actors, the work atmosphere becomes better. We felt confident enough to share our ideas freely, with no worries about judgment. We only focused on how we could improve together,” he says.

Looking ahead, Sathish reflects on his future plans. “I feel truly fulfilled as an actor, as I have a few good projects lined up. My confidence has only grown, and it will continue to increase after the release of Ashoka Blade. I have a handful of excellent films planned for the coming years,” he concludes.

LOS ANGELES: TV channel ABC has renewed long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy for its 21st season.

The return of the acclaimed series, which had been in the works for a while, comes as the strikes-impacted 20th season recently returned to the network.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the renewal marks the second season under new showrunner Meg Marinis, who took over at the end of season 19 for Krista Vernoff.

It is created and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes.

“The loyalty and love of Grey’s Anatomy fans has propelled us into a historic 21st season, and I could not be more grateful. Meg Marinis’ storytelling is a gift that continues to keep the show vibrant, compelling and alive, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for next season,” Rhimes said in a statement.

No details about returning cast have been revealed but leading lady Ellen Pompeo, who plays the role of Dr Meredith Grey in the series, is expected to continue her role in recurring capacity after exiting ahead of season 20 as a series regular.

Grey’s Anatomy remains the longest running primetime medical drama in TV history after surpassing ER in 2019.

KOCHI: “Tributes to friend and actor TTE Vinod,” noted actor Mohanlal on Facebook, after he learned about the death of KA Vinod, a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) who was killed after he was pushed off a moving train by a migrant labourer, who was travelling without a ticket on Tuesday.

Vinod, an Ernakulam native, has played small roles in more than 10 Malayalam films, including Mohanlal’s Pulimurugan, Peruchazhi, Ennum Eppozhum, and Oppam. He was an actor and was passionate about films.

Artists, directors and technicians from the industry, after learning about his death, shared their memories with him and wrote on social media platforms. “Shocking news of Mr Vinod’s murder leaves me speechless. He starred in my last movie, ‘Nalla Nilavulla Rathri.’ May his soul rest in peace.” wrote producer and actor Sandra Thomas. “Dear Vinod, the film was a big dream and did a few roles. Now you have left your dreams. Gone too soon,” noted Vinod Guruvaayoor, director.

Vinod made his debut in the Malayalam film industry in 2014, through the Mammotty starring Gangster, directed by Ashiq Abu. He has also acted in Joju Geroge’s Joseph, Manglish, etc.  

He died after an Odisha native, Rajinikantha Ranajith (42), travelling on the Ernakulam – Patna Express pushed him from the running train, causing him to fall off near the Velappaya bridge between Mulankunnathukavu and Wadakkanchery in Thrissur on Tuesday.

“I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men, to also protect and provide.

“I believe in giving women all the tools and the trust that we can do it all without losing our essence, without losing our femininity.

I think that men have a purpose in society and women have another purpose as well.

We complement each other, and that complement should not be lost,” she added.

When the interviewer asked, just because a woman can do it all doesn’t mean she should, Shakira said: “Why not share the load with people who deserve to carry it, who have a duty to carry it as well?”

“Barbie”, written by Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach, made history as the first movie to gross over USD 1 billion directed solely by a woman.

The film also received eight Oscar nominations, winning Best Original Song.

As we step into the new financial year, let’s take a look at the string of movies lined up for release this month. Fans are eagerly awaiting films such as Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Maidaan, Amar Singh Chamkila, and Family Star among others. We also have a couple of South OTT releases as well! If you are a cinephile, then check out our curated list below.

1. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan: The Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff starrer will be full of action with death-defying stunts. It will also see Prithviraj Sukumaran playing the antagonist role. Produced by Pooja Entertainment in association with AAZ, Ali Abbas Zafar’s directorial will hit the big screens on the occasion of Eid, i.e., April 10.

RC Studios recently announced that they will be bankrolling five projects under the banner spearheaded by R Chandru in association with Alankar Pandian of Invenio Origin Company and businessman Seekal Ramachandra Gowda. The titles announced were Father, POK, Sri Ramabana Chirita, Dog, and Kabzaa 2. In addition, the production house is all set to make another significant announcement.

According to our sources, the makers, who are adopting a corporate structure with a well-established lineup, will be collaborating with none other than Shivarajkumar for their sixth project, with an official confirmation set to be made today. This marks yet another multilingual film from the banner.

Father will feature actor Krishna and will be the first project to commence shooting. Additionally, there is a project with Sudeep, the details of which are yet to be revealed soon. Chandru has previously directed Shivarajkumar in the blockbuster hit Mylari, and the Century Star was also seen in a special role in Kabzaa that featured Upendra as the lead.

While the makers announce their collaboration with Shivarajkumar, details regarding the director and other specifics will be revealed as the project progresses. Currently, Shivarajkumar is busy shooting for Bhairathi Ranagal directed by Narthan, and Arjun Janya’s 45. He is also involved in IV Returns and is part of Ramcharan’s upcoming Telugu film, in which he plays a prominent role.

LOS ANGELES: “Game of Thrones” was popular for the sudden deaths of several fan-favourite characters and D B Weiss says he and co-creator David Benioff were thrilled when they got a chance to kill off Joffrey Baratheon and Ramsay Bolton, two of the most hated villains on the series.

During a new episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, the showrunners were asked to name their favourite character deaths.

“With ‘Thrones’, there was so much killing of good guys and we finally got to really kill both Joffrey in season four and Ramsay Bolton in season six. It was fun to go back to the old-fashioned joys of just killing off a really bad guy. It felt like it was balancing the scales a little,” Weiss said.

Joffrey, played by Jack Gleeson, died after drinking poisoned wine, at the hands of Lady Olenna Tyrell and Lord Petyr Baelish.

On the other hand, when Jon Snow (Kit Harington) beats him in a one-on-one fight, Ramsay — essayed by Iwan Rheon — is taken prisoner and eaten by his hungry hounds as Sophie Turner’s Sansa watches.

Benioff said he was particularly happy when Turner nailed the shot where she had to react to Ramsay as he was being devoured by the canines.

“For me, at the end of Battle of Bastards, when Sophie sticks the hounds on the Bastard (Ramsay), she doesn’t walk away. You don’t really see the death. You see some of it in the background, but you don’t really see the death. But what you do see is Sophie or Sansa’s smile,” he recalled.

Benioff said it was a one-shot scene and had to film it seven-eight times until Turner did it perfectly.

“It was just that feeling of that’s so epic. Sophie was so good. When she got that shot, I felt like I can now die happy,” he added.

Weiss and Benioff are currently promoting their new Netflix series, “3 Body Problem”, for which they have collaborated with Alexander Woo.

We can’t quite wrap our heads around this.

For those of us who knew him and worked with him, Chance was always charming and smiling, an enthusiastic force of nature, an incredibly talented performer, and more than anything else, just a very kind, lovely person.

Even writing about him in the past tense doesn’t make sense.We are so sorry for Chance’s family, and we are grieving the loss of our friend and colleague.

Hug your loved ones tonight,” the producers of the series shared in a statement.

NEW DELHI: Survival drama “The Goat Life”, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, has collected over Rs 50 crore in worldwide gross collections, the makers announced on Sunday.

The Malayalam film follows the real-life story of Najeeb (Sukumaran), a Malayali immigrant labourer who finds himself forced into slavery as a goatherd in the secluded farm of Saudi Arabia.

Directed by Blessy, the movie is based on the 2008 bestselling novel “Aadujeevitham” by Benyamin.

It hit the screens on Friday. Sukumaran, who is also distributing “The Goat Life” in Malayalam through Prithviraj Productions, posted the box office update on his official X page.

“#Aadujeevitham #TheGoatLifeInCinema @DirectorBlessy @benyamin_bh @arrahman @Amala_ams @Haitianhero @rikaby @resulp @iamkrgokul @HombaleFilms @AAFilmsIndia @PrithvirajProd @RedGiantMovies_ @MythriOfficial @Magic_Frames @ListinStephen,” the actor shared a poster stating the film had made Rs 50 crore in worldwide gross collections.

“Thank you all for your love and support,” it also read.

American film director and writer David Robert Mitchell’s mysterious new feature film has finally got a release date and a title. It features Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, reported Variety.

Warner Bros. and Bad Robot’s film is titled ‘Flowervale Street’ and will be released on May 16, 2025, in Imax. Mitchell will direct the script he wrote for the film, which he’ll also produce alongside J.J. Abrams, Hannah Minghella, Matt Jackson and Tommy Harper.

Although the movie’s plot is still unknown, it has previously been called a thriller. Maisy Stella and Christian Convery complete the main cast, as Variety previously reported.

Tamil Actor Daniel Balaji, 48, known for his roles in Amudhan in Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu, Thambi in Vada Chennai, passed away due to a massive cardiac arrest on Friday night.

The actor, renowned for his diverse talents and captivating on-screen charisma, was hospitalized in Chennai’s Kottivakam due to chest pain, when he tragically passed away.

His body will be laid to rest at his residence in Purasaiwalkam on Saturday.

The news of his passing has reverberated through the Tamil film industry and among his fans, causing shock and sorrow.

Daniel Balaji started his career in television, with his initial on-screen portrayal as Daniel in Chitthi earning him widespread recognition and establishing his identity. Apart from being an actor, Balaji was believed to be a devout person and was reportedly building a temple in Avadi.

Further details are awaited.

The statue features Allu Arjun’s iconic ‘Jhukega Nahi Sala’ pose from the blockbuster film ‘Pushpa: The Rise’. The actor, who celebrates his birthday on April 8, attended the event in Dubai along with his family.

Allu Arjun took to his Instagram account to share the special moment. He posted a picture posing with his wax statue. He also expressed his gratitude on Instagram stories, calling it a ‘milestone moment.’

Meanwhile, on the workfront, Allu Arjun, who played the titular gangster in ‘Pushpa: The Rise,’ will now reprise the role in the sequel, ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule.’ The film is set to be released in cinemas on August 15, 2024. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers & directed by Sukumar, the film also stars Fahadh Faasil and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles.

Allu also received a National Film Award for his performance in the film.After the National Film Awards list was announced in August, Allu Arjun took to social media and expressed his gratitude.

“A huge congratulations to all the national award winners across various categories and languages throughout the nation. Your accomplishments are truly commendable. & I would like to express my gratitude for the love and wishes pouring in from all corners of the country. Feeling honored and humbled by it all. Thank you for the love. Humbled,” he wrote.

“When it comes to comedies, there’s a lot of hard work you have to put in. There is nothing that can save you, be it the camera movement, background score or dingy lighting. You go out there to perform and you are naked in front of the camera. If you have that timing, your joke lands, if you don’t, it will run flat.”

Along with that, he says it is important for the co-actors to have the same kind of energy for it to really register as funny. “It takes a lot of homework to understand the meter in which the lines are written. Moreover, your co-actors also need to be on the same page,” the actor says. “It’s a symphony at the end of the day, so everyone has to be really sure what notes they are playing. Otherwise, that symphony can very well be a cacophony in a matter of time. That’s why I take comedy very seriously.”

There are other challenges that come during the filming process as well. Reflecting on the experience of working on Madgaon Express, he adds, “When you are filming a comedy, it’s not always just one shot. Even if you give a great first take, there are always different angles to capture the same thing. So, to recreate that every time from different angles is a challenge.”

However, according to Divyenndu first-time director Kunal Kemmu made the shooting process easier and without any hassles. “He was just so well prepared for the film that it was a really good feeling,” he says. “For a first-time director, he had absolutely no jitters, he knew what he wanted, and to do that in a comedy is not easy,” he signs off.

Reports of the duo getting married were doing rounds on social media on Wednesday but there was no confirmation from either of the actors or their representatives. When Aditi skipped the date announcement event of her upcoming Netflix series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar”, Sachin Kumbhar, the host for the evening, said she had gotten married.

“Aditi is one of the important parts of ‘Heeramandi’ and she is not here today, and there’s a reason because she got married today. So, we will congratulate her from here. It’s special for her as the universe is conspiring to bring it all together. All special events are happening this evening,” he had said.

MUMBAI: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” will be released in Indian theatres on June 7, Sony Pictures Entertainment India has announced.

The studio debuted the first trailer of the much-awaited buddy cop movie on its social media handles on Tuesday evening.

In India, the movie will be released in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu in 2D and IMAX formats, Sony Pictures Entertainment India said in a press release.

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” is the fourth chapter of Smith and Lawrence’s “Bad Boys” franchise.

It sees the two actors reprising their roles of Detective Lieutenant Michael Eugene “Mike” Lowrey and Detective Lieutenant Marcus Miles Burnett.

Filmmaker duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who made the franchise’s previous entry, 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life”, have also directed the fourth part.

“Bad Boys” started as a 1995 Michael Bay film about two Miami cops busting drug trafficking operations. Bay had also directed the 2003 sequel”Bad Boys 2″.

“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” will also feature Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Nuñez, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Jacob Scipio, Melanie Liburd, Tasha Smith ??with Tiffany Haddish and Joe Pantoliano. 

HYDERABAD : A vibrant personality with a refreshing vibe, actress Ritu Varma has slowly made her way into the hearts of cinema lovers. Known for her work in Telugu and Tamil films like Pelli Choopulu, Tuck Jagadish, Oke Oka Jeevitham and more, she has left no stone unturned to prove herself in the film industry. We met her recently at the inauguration of Starla Jewels and talked about her lifestyle preferences, her routine, the stunning outfit and the jewellery piece she was wearing.

Garbed in a black floral saree with a stunning neckpiece, she talked about her love for diamonds. “This is their first store in Hyderabad and they chose me to inaugurate it. Just like many other girls, I am a huge fan of jewellery, but in a minimal way, which is my personal style. What’s special about this store is that they have a large collection of lab-grown diamonds. Lab-grown diamonds are controlled in a lab environment. They are different from mined diamonds and have major environmental benefits. The cost is comparatively quite affordable and I think everyone should come here and check out their collection. I am wearing this stunning set from their collection and I love it,” she said.

As the actress mentioned minimal jewellery, we asked her to elaborate more on how she executes her style. “I love earrings, I usually wear statement earrings most of the time. I love rings (and these days I am into rings quite a lot) but when there is a special occasion like a wedding, I love wearing sarees and pairing some jewellery with the outfits that I choose,” she said.

Describing her style statement further, the actress said that she likes to be simple and minimalistic and be in something classy and timeless. When asked how comfort relates to her style, she responded by saying, “I think when you are comfortable, you feel confident and that is the simplest definition for me.”

LOS ANGELES: Streaming service Netflix has announced that production has started on the fifth and final season of Penn Badgley-starrer series ‘You’.

The streamer shared the news on its social media handles along with a photo of Badgley, who is seen crossing a street in New York City.

“Back to where it all began. The 5th and final season of ‘YOU’ is now in production,” Netflix posted on Instagram.

‘You’, a psychological thriller series, is based on the books by Caroline Kepnes and follows Joe Goldberg, a bookstore manager and serial killer who falls in love and develops an extreme obsession.

The first season of the show, which debuted in 2018, was set in New York City, before shifting to Los Angeles for the sophomore chapter (2019) and then to San Francisco’s suburb of Madre Linda for season three (2021).

The show’s fourth season, which was set in London and split into two parts, premiered on Netflix in 2023.

Hitha Chandrashekar, a familiar face in the film and advertisements world, has recently made a significant leap with her role in Yuva. She plays a prominent character in the film, which marks the debut of Yuvarajkumar. “While I was the director’s first choice for this role, I never questioned why he chose me,” says Hitha, as she reflects upon why she took the pivotal character.

“Throughout my 7-year career and eight films, I’ve taken things slowly, ensuring that each role offers challenges, excitement, and the opportunity to learn and grow,” says Hitha, who experienced something distinct by playing a sister’s role for the first time. “Moreover, unlike my previous projects (1/4 kg Preethi, Onthara Bannagalu, Thurthu Nirgamana, Premier Padmini), which were mostly small-budget films with new directors, Yuva is my first film with a big production value, backed by Hombale Films, with noted director Santhosh Ananddram at the helm.

Initially, I had doubts about not playing the lead, but after discussions with the director and the team, and a thorough narration of the story, I realised that even in a supporting role, I could bring substance to the character.”

Hitha points out that her role has a subtle message that audiences will take back with them. “Overall, Yuva is a family-centric film, making the role I play relatable to anyone with a younger brother who doesn’t always follow the rules. Despite the small differences, there’s always a strong bond between siblings, and these nuances are beautifully captured in the film.”

Hitha recalls doing a look test with Yuvarajkumar and Sudharani, (who plays Yuva’s mother) and feeling like they formed a believable family on screen. “Yuvarajkumar, who plays Yuva, and I don’t have much of an age gap, which helped me understand and portray the role more authentically,” she explains.

On how it felt to play a role in a commercial entertainer for the first time, Hitha shares, “I experienced the intensity of a stunt sequence firsthand, which was new to me. Other than that, the experience was similar, but on a grander scale. We had a fantastic time on set, and the treatment of the film was exceptional.”

Certain actors possess a unique potential to breathe life into the roles they take up. One such notable artiste is Kishore, who not only carries films on his shoulders but also adds an essence that enriches the overall narrative, even if he only plays a supporting role.

Known for his multilingual versatility, Kishore effortlessly transcends into diverse roles, from protagonist to antagonist and other prominent characters. He acknowledges the importance of selecting roles that resonate with him personally, recognising the pivotal characters that shape his career path. The actor explains, “Many roles are offered, but it is up to me to recognise what fits me best and choose them. It is tricky, sometimes. Once we start making our own contributions to a character, filmmakers find it easier to effectively convey certain themes through specific actors. They look to us actors as the face of the character they’ve written, making their storytelling process seamless. Finally, in storytelling, we become tools through which directors develop the narrative. How each tool is utilised depends on their vision,” says the actor.

While many may recall his impactful performance as a forest officer in Kantara, Kishore is set to captivate audiences yet again with a significant role in Yuva, backed by Vijay Kiragandur’s Hombale Films. Starring Yuvarajkumar, the film, directed by Santhosh Ananddram, hits theatres this week.

Kishore is all set to be seen as a wrestling coach in Yuva. “Wrestling as a sport is not so popular in India, and one of the reasons I picked this script was to understand the dynamics of this sport,” he explains.

“In the process, I had the opportunity to work with Yuvarajkumar, and I admired his commitment to the character. He has learned a lot during his short stint, particularly in the episodes, where he shares screen with me, and when he deals with the sports scenes. Despite the fictitious nature of the film, he has put in a tremendous amount of hard work. I always appreciate actors who are committed. The more authentic the lead actor, the more appealing it will be to the audience, and Yuvarajkumar has truly immersed himself in the character. Perhaps, this portrayal by the lead actor might even inspire some to take up wrestling seriously,” he says.

In a much-anticipated move, Vijay Kiragandur’s Hombale Films is set to distribute the highly awaited film ‘Aadujeevitham’ – The Goat Life, in Karnataka. The announcement was made by the production house recently. Starring noted actors, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and Amala Paul, and directed by Blessy, ‘Aadujeevitham’ has music composed by veteran music composer, AR Rahman. Scheduled for release on March 28th, the film is already generating significant curiosity among audiences.

According to a statement from Hombale Films, ‘Aadujeevitham’ is a film that promises to captivate hearts and minds with its compelling narrative and stellar performances. This sentiment reflects the anticipation surrounding the film, which has garnered attention for its intriguing storyline and talented cast.

The statement further reads that Hombale Films has established a fruitful understanding with Prithviraj Productions, who has previously distributed successful films such as KGF: Chapters 1 & 2, Kantara and Salaar in Kerala. This collaboration highlights the commitment of both production houses to foster strong relationships within the film industry.

“This reciprocal arrangement not only strengthens ties within the industry but also ensures that audiences across regions can enjoy a diverse range of quality cinema. The partnership signifies a strategic alignment aimed at delivering compelling content to audiences and expanding the reach of both production houses,” the official statement reads.

There have been times people have approached her for a film, saying “You are playing the role of a mother to ‘x’ actor”, a character brief that puzzles the actor, who comes from theatre.

“I’m like, ‘What kind of offer is this?’ There has to be something substantial,” she added.

What has changed for the better is that her characters are no longer nameless.

“When I was doing ‘Chhapaak’, my character had no name but in the script her name was Rama, this is what a woman director (Meghna Gulzar) does. In ‘A Suitable Boy’ (by Mira Nair), my character’s name was not there deliberately, she was addressed as Mrs Mahesh. In ‘12th Fail’, I remember my character’s name Pushpa was written on my hand. When you have a name for your character, you get that confidence. In ‘All India Rank’, my character’s name is Manju. Now, my characters have started having names. This is a big change that has happened,” Geeta said.

The Wardha-born actor said most of her directors like Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra, Anand, and Balwinder Singh Janjua have reached out to work with her again.

Mehra collaborated with Geeta on “Delhi 6”, which was her second film. She was then cast in “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” and “Mirzya”. Janjua is teaming up with the actor on the upcoming film “Sab First Class”.

“Whenever I work with a director, they often repeat me. Fortunately, I got to work with some great directors like Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra, Mira Nair, Meghna Gulzar, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Varun Grover. I don’t believe in luck but I’m glad I got to be part of great films. Irrespective of whether the role was small or big, it had a proper graph,” she said.

With her work standing out in different films, people have also started recognising her. Geeta, however, said she doesn’t know how to take compliments.

“I get into a corner, get frightened, and feel the pressure. I remember meeting a man recently at an airport, who asked me for a selfie, and I said, ‘Okay’. He made me walk till two gates and said, ‘I want you to have a picture with my wife’. These things are better than the compliments,” she recalled.

Geeta, who has taught acting to students in Haryana schools and colleges, said she feels a certain responsibility to portray different shades of women on screen.

“Acting is an opportunity for me to live the life of a new person every time, to get into the skin of their personality. Acting is a kind of an art, which definitely has some purpose. If I get to represent the life of everyone around us, it would be great.

“I’ve played the role of a sports coach, a wife of a politician, a poor woman, among many others. Through these characters, I got to live different lives on screen. There are thousands of such characters that should be represented. I hope directors offer me those roles and think that I can play those parts well,” she said.

We recently reported that SS Rajamouli was in Japan this week to attend a special screening of his 2022 film RRR, which continues to enjoy massive theatrical success in the island nation. On Friday, the RRR filmmaker shared with his fans details of yet another accomplishment for his Academy Award-winning film.

Takarazuka, a 110-year-old musical company in Japan, has adapted RRR into a stage musical. Taking to his X page, Rajamouli posted,

“Its an honour that our RRR has been adapted as a musical by the 110 year old Takarazuka Company. Thank you, Japanese audience, for embracing the Broadway play of RRR just like the film itself. Overwhelmed by your response. Can’t appreciate all the girls enough for your energy, talent, and meticulousness in the show. Arigato Gozaimasu (sic).”

RRR, which first released theatrically in March 2022, hit theatres in Japan only in October that year. However, the Ram Charan-NTR Jr-starrer received great response from Japanese film-goers and continues to be screened in many theatres even 17 months after its release.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

If I do nothing, I’ll never be able to face those men,” says Ranjit in the Oscar-nominated documentary To Kill a Tiger, directed by Nisha Pahuja. The film, which details the disturbing story of 13-year-old Kiran (name changed), a gang-rape survivor in Jharkhand’s Bero district, and her father Ranjit, speaks of their relentless pursuit of justice—and there’s so much more than what meets the eye. Kiran, now a major in the documentary, consents to showing her face, so she can stand in support of girls like her.

Nisha, who has made this film over a span of three years, charts out the lives of the marginalised farmer and his daughter, and their trials and tribulations through court proceedings, police cases and activist meetings, to bring the assaulters to justice.

Cinematographer Mrinal Desai turns the camera to show the stigma surrounding rape survivors in a village—the girl is constantly shamed, and her family ostracised. Marriage to the offenders is openly suggested as a solution despite the existence of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) laws, and the documentary shows how women too are upholders of patriarchy.

To Kill a Tiger is as much Ranjit’s story as it is Kiran’s. The man carries a mountain of guilt of not being able to be a protector figure. Even when hopes are bleak and savings run dry, he pushes on. Beneath the quiet person, lies a vulnerable heart that hopes to bring back happiness to the lives of his children.

When he was brought to the court here, Elvish was taken for interrogation by a team from the Gurugram Police.

He was questioned for three hours in connection with the assault case.

“After interrogation, we produced him in the court seeking his 14 days’ judicial custody. But the court granted him bail. We will issue notices to other accused to join the investigation,” said Sector 53 Police Station SHO Inspector Rajender Kumar.

Advocate Yadav said Elvish was granted bail on the grounds that he and the complainant YouTuber had reached a compromise.

On March 8, Elvish Yadav was caught in a video beating content creator Sagar Thakur in a mall shop in Gurugram.

On Thakur’s complaint, an FIR was registered against Elvish Yadav and others at Sector 53 Police Station.

NEW DELHI: “Perfect Days”, the Oscar-nominated film by renowned writer-director Wim Wenders, will stream exclusively on MUBI in India from April 12.

The film, a meditative drama about finding beauty in everyday life, features Koji Yakusho as Hirayama, a contemplative middle-aged man who lives a life of modesty and serenity, spending his days balancing his job as a dutiful caretaker of Tokyo’s numerous public toilets while nurturing his passion for music, literature and photography.

As one follows him on his structured daily routine, a series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal a hidden past that lies behind his otherwise content and harmonious life.

The film was nominated for best international film at the 96th Academy Awards where it lost out to “Zone of Interest”.

Yakusho won the best actor award at the 2023 Cannes film festival for his role in the film.

Wenders, a German filmmaker and writer, is known for films such as “Paris, Texas”, “Wings of Desire”,”The American Friend” and “Faraway, So Close!”

“Peaky Blinders” also features Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby, Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby, and Joe Cole as John Shelby, the gang’s senior members.

Late actor Helen McCrory starred in the show as Elizabeth “Polly” Gray for five seasons before she died of breast cancer in 2021.

The show, which started on BBC Two in 2013, moved to BBC One, and eventually became a worldwide phenomenon after it became available on Netflix.

Murphy’s popularity also soared, owing to his portrayal of the charismatic Tommy Shelby in the series.

He recently won an Oscar for his performance in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer”.

Highly anticipated survival adventure and desert drama The Goat Life-Aadujeevitham is all set to hit the screens on March 28. Directed by Blessy, the film is an adaptation of the Malayalam best-selling novel Aadujeevitham, penned by acclaimed writer Benyamin. The novel, based on real-life events was a bestseller in Kerala. It has been translated into many languages, including Tamil, and has gained a broad readership.

With the movie to witness a grand release in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada in addition to Malayalam, it is expected to do big in Tamil Nadu for many reasons.

The state has always accorded a warm reception to movies adapted from novels for the simple reason that it kindles the curiosity of people, especially the ‘readers,’ who would be eager to see how different the celluloid version is from the imageries reading has created in their mind’s eye.

Maniratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan, released in two parts, garnered widespread reception for the same. Critically acclaimed and commercially successful, Vetrimaran’s Asuran (2019), based on Sahitya Akademi-winning Tamil writer Poomani’s Vekkai novel, Bala’s 2013 mega-hit Paradesi, a screen adaptation of Eriyum Panikadu, the Tamil translation of the 1969 novel Red Tea by Paul Harris Daniel are a few to name.

The teaser of Vidya Balan and Ileana D’Cruz starrer Do Aur Do Pyaar was released by the makers on Thursday. The film also stars Pratik Gandhi and Sendhil Ramamurthy in pivotal roles and is directed by Shirsha Guha Thakurta. It is written by Suprotim Sengupta and Eisha Chopra who have also worked on the dialogues with Amrita Bagchi.

The teaser begins with an exchange between Vidya and Pratik about her being a vegan. They seem to be married to each other. Later, she is seen with the character of Sendhil as they plan to get away to Cuba on a vacation. Meanwhile, Ileana and Pratik go on a movie date. Sharing the teaser, the makers wrote in caption, “This summer, feel the heat with love that’s surprising, confusing and consuming.”

The film is based on the 2017 American comedy-drama film The Lovers, which revolves around a couple, Mary and Michael, who are seeing other people and are on the brink of breaking off their marriage. However, things take a funny turn after they rekindle their relationship.

Do Aur Do Pyaar is produced by Sameer Nair, Deepak Segal, Tanuj Garg, Atul Kasbekar and Swati Iyer Chawla. It will be released in theatres on April 19.

In September 2022, after they had moved into a London flat together while he was filming the Marvel series “Loki,” Majors became angry at Jabbari for inviting her friend over to their new home, the suit says.

“Majors picked Grace up in the air and threw her against the hood of her car,” the suit says. “Grace began shouting for help. Majors then forcefully grabbed Grace, placing her in a headlock and put his hand over her mouth to prevent someone from hearing her cries for help.”

Majors then brought Jabbari into their flat and put his hands around her neck, saying he wanted to kill her, the suit alleges. He then started hitting her head against the marble floor “while strangling her until she felt she could no longer breathe,” the suit says.

Jabbari said she did not seek medical attention after that incident, at Majors’ urging and his concerns about his career, the suit says. Majors also threatened to kill himself, the legal filing alleges.

Despite the alleged abuse, Jabbari stayed with Majors, the suit says. “Like many victims of domestic violence, Grace believed Defendant Majors would change and stop abusing her,” it says.

In December 2022, they moved into an apartment in New York. The abuse continued there, leading to the assault case against Majors, the suit says.

In that case, Jabbari accused Majors of hitting her in the head with his open hand, twisting her arm behind her back and squeezing her middle finger until it fractured.

Majors’ lawyers alleged she flew into a jealous rage after reading a text message — from another woman — on his phone. They said Jabbari had spread a “fantasy” to take down the actor, who was only trying to regain his phone and get away safely.

The lawsuit also accuses Majors of defamation and malicious prosecution for allegedly lying in media interviews that he never abused Jabbari and filing a criminal complaint against her for the incident that led to his arrest, claiming he was the victim.

“Majors went on to behave as many domestic abusers do by attempting to blame his victim,” the lawsuit says.

Jabbari was briefly put under arrest at a New York City police station based on Majors’ claims, but prosecutors dropped all charges the next day.

The lawsuit says Jabbari is seeking at least $75,000 in damages and other costs.

Last October, we reported that the web series Suzhal: The Vortex would have a second season and that it would star Gouri Kishan as well. Earlier today, Amazon Prime Video India confirmed the release of Suzhal Season 2 while announcing its cast and crew. Apart from Gouri, the new season of Suzhal features actors such as Kathir, Aishwarya Rajesh, Lal, Saravanan, Manjima Mohan, Monisha Blessy, Samyuktha Vishwanathan.

While the first season of Suzhal is a thriller revolving around events that transpire over the festival ‘Mayana Kollai’, the Ashtakaali Festival in Kaalipattanam serves as the backdrop of the goings-on in the second season of the series.

Atika Chohan, known for writing films such as “Chhapaak”, “Guilty” and “Agra”, is coming up with “Husky”, an eat-the-rich drama, revolving around privileged couple’s pet husky, Jordon.

“Peach No 15” by Ayappa KM, is a darkly funny thriller series about Indra, a conscientious workaholic woman, caught in the middle of a massive clusterf*** of corporate gluttony that will fracture her morality to the core.

“The Bookkeeper’s Wife”, by Bauddhayan Mukherji, revolves around a deceased Bookkeeper’s wife who uncovers secrets that leave her questioning whether she knew the man she thought she knew.

Bhaskar Hazarika, known for “Aamis”, is directing “#JACK”, whose logline reads: “An unmarked grave. A missing groom. And a cop who won’t give up.”

Rindani is directing “LalitA”, a feature on police constable Lalit Salve who was mistakenly assigned the female sex at birth and took on the journey to reclaim his identity.

“Chhaal” by Don Palathara (“Family”) is based on folk writer Vijaydan Detha’s story.

Mustafa, who made “Katiyabaaz”, is making his fiction debut with “Laali”, a story about how an upscale Delhi neighbourhood is rattled when a domestic worker insists on digging their patch of green to retrieve the body of her murdered child.

Gurvinder Singh is set to showcase “The Trials”, a historcial thriller web series.

“Set in 1930 Lahore, as Durga Devi and her husband prepare a bomb that will set their comrade Bhagat Singh free, we see the story of the trials, tests and tribulations of these heroic revolutionaries as they take direct action against British rule,” read the synopsis of the show.

Another series in the fold is Kimsi Singh’s “Schooled Abroad”, which follows the life of five students from different parts of India with diverse backgrounds and cultures in Canada.

Chandra’s coming-of-age debut feature “19” is also part of the CIFF market.

It revolves around three friends navigating the last years of their teens.

“Miss Kumari” by Jain is a whimsical romance between a sales lady at an emporium and a baker from Lakshadweep.

“I.T.A.” by Vandana Kataria, who worked as production designer on Dibakar Banerjee’s films including “Shanghai”, is in the horror genre.

It is a modern retelling of Henry James’ classic “The Turn of the Screw”.

“Dhundh Saleti” or “The Whispering Fog” marks the directorial debut of Kaur and Roy.

The drama is set in the terror-stricken Punjab of the late 1980s where Roop Sandhu, a radio programmer and a single mother, struggles to balance her personal and professional life.

“Tigdi aka 3-SUM” is Kewalya’s debut film, billed as an “un chick flick” which explores themes of sexuality, stigma and freedom.

“To Hell With Love”, a romance drama by Bangladeshi filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki (“Doob: No Bed of Roses”, “No Land’s Man”), is also part of the line-up.

Nihaarika Naegi’s “Feral” is an elevated horror film set in 1950s India, where a sadomasochist English Madame has raised two indigenous community sisters to be her servants on a withering colonial estate.

“But the arrival of Madame’s latest lover – a singer/shaman scholar – changes the alchemy of the estate, as the sisters slowly transgress – reclaiming their wild, mystical selves,” the festival said.

On the eve of their battle the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made, as per the official description of the second chapter.

It features Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, and Anthony Hopkins as the voice of ‘Jimmy’. Also stars Staz Nair, Fra Fee, Cleopatra Coleman, Stuart Martin, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Alfonso Herrera, Cary Elwes, Rhian Rees, Elise Duffy, Sky Yang, Charlotte Maggi, Ray Fisher.

‘Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver’ is written by Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Shay Hatten and produced by Deborah Snyder, Eric Newman, Zack Snyder, and Wesley Coller.

‘Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver’ will be streaming on Netflix from April 19.

NEW DELHIL Action film “Yodha”, fronted by Sidharth Malhotra, has earned Rs 17.51 crore in domestic net box office collections in the opening weekend.

According to Dharma Productions, the film raised Rs 4.25 crore on day one, Rs 6.01 crore on day two and Rs 7.25 crore on day three.

The production banner shared the box office figures on its official X page on Monday.

“Conquering the box office battlefield,” Dharma Productions said in the post, stating the movie had amassed Rs 17.51 crore in net box office collections across India.

“Yodha”, which released on Friday, is directed by debutant duo Pushkar Ojha and Sagar Ambre.

Mentor Disciple Films has also backed the movie.

Also starring Raashii Khanna and Disha Patani, the film is produced by Hiroo Johar, Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta and Shashank Khaitan.

It was originally supposed to be released last July.

‘Drug-fuelled wealth’

Decades of instability have created “a class of people who have profited from the chaos,” Hikmat said, pointing in particular at newly wealthy drug dealers.

“Young people fall victim to this dark path.”

Iraq, traditionally mainly a transit country for drugs, has faced an explosion in narcotics use in recent years, mainly of the amphetamine-like stimulant captagon and crystal meth.

The first series of “Wahiba’s World”, released in 1997, told the story of Wahiba, a nurse who makes every effort to help her neighbours amid the crippling international sanctions that plunged many Iraqis into poverty and crime.

Seventeen minutes into the broadcast of the first episode, authorities banned the programme, fearing it could incite people against the regime.

A year later, the show received a regional prize and authorities allowed it to be aired, but only at midday, considered a dead time slot.

This year, the show began airing on the first day of Ramadan during prime time on the Iraqi local private channel UTV.

Several actors had died during the long hiatus, but many others reprised their roles. In the revival, Wahiba plays a supporting part to her granddaughter and namesake, a psychiatrist, as the main character.

In a busy industrial area in Baghdad’s centre, in the same garage where scenes from the first series were shot, director Hikmat filmed a segment in which drug lord Alaa threatens to behead a member of his gang.

Actor Zuhair Rashid, who portrays the drug dealer Alaa, said the programme showed the grim reality of “drug-fuelled wealth, its consequences and tragic endings”.

As the crowd erupted in joy after watching the two musicians perform together on a 360-degree circular revolving stage, Dosanjh in Punjabi said, “A loud round of applause for Sheeran”.

Sheeran, on his part, said “Mumbai, make some noise for Diljit.”

“Got to bring out @diljitdosanjh tonight in Mumbai and sing in Punjabi for the first time. I’ve had such an incredible time in India, more to come!” the British artiste shared in an Instagram post.

Sheeran also teamed up with Malik for their 2022 single “2Step”.

After their performance, Malik said, “Ed, there’s something that unites us all Indians, I taught you this a few days back. Would you like to do it with me?”, and the two of them did Shah Rukh Khan’s signature open-arm pose on stage.

Throughout the concert, Sheeran interacted with the audience and got them singing along.

“Mumbai sing along,” he said, and the crowd reciprocated.

The show began around 5.00 pm with Indian singer Prateek Kuhad and English musician Calum Scott serving as the opening act before Sheeran took to the stage at 7.30 pm.

Dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt, with ‘Mumbai’ embossed both in front and on the back, the artiste expressed gratitude to the audience who attended his Mumbai concert for the second time.

“Anyone who has to come see me play again, thank you for coming. If anybody is seeing me live for the first time, I want to explain that everything here tonight is live,” Sheeran said.

A few minutes later, he said, this was “the best show ever” in his tour and that he was having the most fun.

Towards the end, Sheeran returned to the stage, wearing a kurta that read ‘Mumbai’ in Hindi, and sang hits such as “Shape of You” and “Bad Habits”.

“Mumbai, I love the ‘Shape of You’. I’ll never forget tonight. Please go home safe,” Sheeran said.

He simply waved at the crowd before making an exit.

Bollywood celebrities such as actors Madhuri Dixit Nene, Priyamani, and filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan attended the concert.

Days ahead of the concert, the singer met a host of Bollywood celebrities, including Shah Rukh Khan.

Farah Khan also organised a star-studded part in Sheeran’s honour which was also attended by Aryan Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Dixit Nene, Malaika Arora, Rajkummar Rao, Patralekhaa, Huma Qureshi, and Arshad Warsi.

On the day of his arrival in India, the singer visited a Mumbai school where he played his all-time favourite track “Shape of You” for children.

He later met Ayushmann Khurrana, who treated him to the Punjabi desert pinni, prepared by the actor’s mother.

Videos of Sheeran shaking a leg with Malik on the superhit track “Butta Bomma” from Allu Arjun’s 2020 film “Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo” also went viral on social media recently.

During his time in Mumbai, Sheeran was spotted playing cricket with Indian batter Shubman Gill and comic Tanmay Bhat.

BookMyShow was the co-promoter of Sheeran’s India tour along with AEG Presents.

NOIDA: YouTuber Elvish Yadav was arrested on Sunday by Noida Police in connection with a probe into the suspected use of snake venom as a recreational drug at a party here, officials said.

Yadav was among six people named in an FIR lodged at Sector 49 police station here on November 3 last year.

The five other accused were arrested but are currently out on bail, the officials said.

The case was lodged under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and for criminal conspiracy under section 120B of the Indian Penal Code, they said.

The case was later shifted from Sector 49 to Sector 20 police station for investigation.

“The accused has been arrested by a team of Sector 20 police station which was investigating the case,” Additional DCP (Noida) Manish Mishra told PTI.

Yadav, a winner of reality show Bigg Boss OTT, has refuted the charges of involvement in the case and has been questioned by the police in the past.

A sub-inspector, who was also the incharge of the local Sector 49 police station where the FIR was registered, was shunted.

The case was lodged on the complaint of an official of animal rights group People For Animals (PFA).

Five people were arrested from a banquet hall in Sector 51 on November 3 and nine snakes, including five cobras, rescued from their possession while 20 ml of suspected snake venom was also seized.

However, police said Yadav was not present at the party hall and they were probing his role in the whole case of snake venom use as a recreational drug.

PFA chairperson and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi has accused Yadav of involvement in illegally selling snake venom and sought his immediate arrest.

On November 4, Yadav was briefly stopped for questioning by police in Rajasthan’s Kota while he was travelling with his friends in a car but was let off soon.

Rajesh Khanna philosophised fate when he said, ‘Zingadi aur maut upar wale ke haath hai (life and death are in God’s hands) in his 1971 hit Anand. For most, the dialogue took on a life of its own when the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020. But not Marathi director Ananth Mahadevan. Rather than resigning to fate, he decided to question it. His recently released film, Aata Vel Zaali (It’s Time To Go), is an outcome of those ruminations.

It features veteran actors Dilip Prabhavalkar and Rohini Hattangady as a couple who move court to have the liberty to exit their lives when they want. The arguments and debates that follow probe the nuances of passive versus active euthanasia.

“During Covid, we thought that the world was coming to an end. Everybody started trying to read the meaning of what it meant to be alive and why we deserved such a terrible end. For example, a professor in Kerala was a healthy person who wanted a dignified exit and had applied for legalising active euthanasia. The court turned it down and in sheer frustration, he committed suicide. Similarly, an elderly couple living in a chawl in Girgaum, Maharashtra too had written to the President to legalise active euthanasia too,” says Mahadevan, adding, “I summarised these and other case studies into this one couple, the Leles. Everybody plans for the ‘tomorrow’ in life. But, nobody has the guts to plan for the tomorrow after tomorrow. That is what we are looking at closely in the film.”

Euthanasia isn’t a new subject in films. The play Whose Life is It Anyway?, which was later made into a motion picture in 1981, spoke about this, as did the Hindi film Guzaarish (2010). Even in Ek Naari Do Roop (1972), the scheming young wife of a wealthy man urges her boyfriend to kill her quadriplegic husband, terming it mercy killing. The key question is whether one is in control of making the decision to quit the world or is it thrust upon them. In Aata Vel Zaali, active euthanasia is pitched as an extension of one’s right to dignity. Old age can be messy.

Actor Josh Brolin’s sci-fi Western series, Outer Range, will return with its second season on Prime Video on May 16. The first images of the upcoming season were also released by the makers.

The series, created by Brian Watkins, features Brolin as Royal Abbott, a Wyoming rancher fighting for his land and family who discovers an unfathomable mystery at the edge of Wyoming’s wilderness – a dark void.

The mystery surrounding the void on the west pasture of the ranch deepens in season 2, as Royal and his wife Cecelia (Lili Taylor) struggle to keep their family together in the aftermath of their granddaughter’s disappearance. The stakes are higher for the Abbotts, who now face threats on multiple fronts.

Brolin, who currently stars in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, will be making his directorial debut with the second season of Outer Range, Prime Video said in a press release.

In addition to Brolin and Taylor, Imogen Poots, Tamara Podemski, Lewis Pullman, Tom Pelphrey, Noah Reid, Shaun Sipos, Isabel Arraiza, Olive Abercrombie and Will Patton also star in the upcoming season. As Deadline revealed in April, Christian James, Megan West, Daniel Abeles, Kimberly Guerrero and Monette Moio will recur in their roles this season as well.

“Outer Range’s plethora of subplots threaten to get sucked into a wormhole of ponderousness, but at least this sci-fi Western is anything but plain,” reads the Rotten Tomatoes website’s consensus on season 1 of the series.

Season 2 comes from showrunner and executive producer Charles Murray, with all seven episodes dropping on the same day.

A bench of the top court, headed by Justice Abhay S Oka passed the order, after hearing Jayaprada’s appeal.

Jayaprada was found guilty by Egmore court in Tamil Nadu of the commission of offence U/s. 85 (a), 85 (i) (b) of the Employees State Insurance Act for failing to comply with the statutory obligations of payment of contributions due to the Employees State Insurance Corporation in the exercise of Powers conferred under Section 45-A.

Jayaprada was sentenced to six months imprisonment by a Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore for failing to comply with the statutory obligations of payment of contributions due to the ESIC.

The Madras HC has also refused to grant her any relief and refused to set aside the sentence.

South Korea’s “Squid Game” actor O Yeong-su has been found guilty of sexual misconduct, a local court said Friday, after he was charged with assaulting a woman in 2017.

The 79-year-old in 2022 became the first South Korean to win a Golden Globe Award for best supporting actor in a series for his performance as a seemingly vulnerable old man in the mega-hit Netflix dystopian thriller.

The actor was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Court told AFP.

He has been also ordered to complete 40 hours of classes on sexual violence, the court added.

The victim’s own records of the assault and her claims are “consistent … and appear to be statements that cannot be made without actually experiencing them,” judge Jeong Yeon-ju said, according to the court.

O was indicted in 2022 without detention on charges of sexually assaulting a woman, who has not been identified, on two occasions.

The incidents took place when O was staying in a rural area for a theatre performance in 2017, on a walking path and in front of the victim’s residence, respectively, according to the Suwon District Court.

“Squid Game,” a series that depicts a dark world where marginalised individuals are forced to compete in deadly versions of traditional children’s games, quickly gained immense popularity on Netflix.

Within less than four weeks of its release in 2021, it attracted a staggering 111 million viewers.

The show’s success has amplified South Korea’s increasingly outsized influence on global popular culture, following global fame won by the likes of K-pop band BTS and the Oscar-winning film “Parasite”.

Multiple figures in South Korea’s film industry — including late filmmaker Kim Ki-duk and actor Cho Jae-hyun — have faced sexual assault allegations.

“I watched Manjummel Boys and it has disturbed me. The mentality of the Malayalee youth who visit tourist places is the same as shown in the film and they reach not just tourist spots, but forests too. They are concerned only about drinking and vomiting, screaming and violating rules,” Jeyamohan had written.

Film critics and experts, however, said it is not right to analyse a movie morally.

CS Venkiteswaran, a film critic, said that Manjummel Boys is a feel-good movie that was enjoyed by everyone.

“It’s a feel good movie on the one and at the same time dangerously male chauvinist. However, we don’t have to approach films from a moralistic viewpoint and it is better to avoid such controversies,” he said.

Filmmaker B Unnikrishnan, in a Facebook post, said if the dance, drinking, laughs and hugs of the Manjummel Boys disturbed Jeyamohan, he has only himself to blame.

“Your comments about the film Manjummel Boys do not deserve any mercy. You described the characters in the film as drunken beggars. You are saying that such people need to be hated,” Unnikrishnan noted.

Manjummel Boys, also a tribute to actor Kamal Hassan by its makers and set in the very caves in which his Guna was shot, is a runaway hit in Tamil Nadu too.

“The film is much accepted in Tamil Nadu as it is more relatable to the Tamil audience. As both Malayalam and Tamil languages are used in the film, there is no language barrier. The choice of the Guna caves in Kodaikanal and the inclusion of the music makes the film more likeable for the Tamil audience,” said Venkiteswaran.

Writer VS Anilkumar said Jeyamohan’s comparison of the characters in the film as well as the Malayalee tourists to ‘beggars’ was casteist.

“The words that he has used to address Malayalees, porukki, were used to address people from lower castes and poor economic backgrounds. These are the products of the ‘upper caste mentality’,” Anilkumar noted on his Facebook page.

He also said that educated people in modern society do not use such casteist words or statements these days and alleged that Jeyamohan was part of the ‘Savarna Hindutva’ ideology.

Manjummel Boys has become the highest worldwide grosser from the Malayalam film industry, claim the makers. It is the first Malayalam film to achieve this milestone without a dubbed version in any other language.

The previous highest grosser from Malayalam was 2018: Everyone is a Hero, a multi-starrer film based on true events surrounding the 2018 Kerala floods. The multi-starrer film reportedly dethroned the seven-year-old record set by actor Mohanlal’s Pulimurugan (2016).

Earlier, the makers of Manjummel Boys had also claimed it to be the fastest Malayalam film to gross Rs 100 crores globally. As per the trade experts, the film is now aiming to become the first Malayalam film to gross Rs 200 crores globally.

In addition to its tremendous success in Kerala, the film is enjoying an extraordinary run in Tamil Nadu, outperforming many Tamil films. According to trade experts, Manjummel Boys has now become the highest-grossing Malayalam film in Tamil Nadu as well as Karnataka.

Directed by Chidambaram, the film hit screens on February 22 and opened to favourable responses from both critics and viewers alike. Based on real-life events, the film, a survival thriller, stars Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese, Ganapathi S Poduval, Lal Jr, Deepak Parambol, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Jean Paul Lal, Arun Kurian, Khalid Rahman, Chandu Salimkumar, and Vishnu Reghu in major roles.

Its technical crew comprises cinematographer Shyju Khalid, composer Sushin Shyam, editor Vivek Harshan, and production designer Ajayan Chalissery. It is jointly produced by Soubin Shahir, Babu Shahir, and Shawn Antony.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

MUMBAI: Vikrant Massey-starrer “12th Fail” and Sudip Sharma’s crime series “Kohrra” bagged top honours at the sixth edition of the Critics’ Choice Awards.

The 2024 award ceremony were held on Tuesday here, recognising the best in feature films, short films, and web series across languages and platforms from India.

In the films category, “12th Fail”, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, won the best feature film award, with Massey taking home the trophy for best actor.

The movie is based on Anurag Pathak’s best-selling novel about the incredible journey of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and IRS officer Shraddha Joshi.

Actor Shefali Shah was adjudged as the winner of best actress award for her performance in drama movie “The Three of Us”.

The movie registered another win for best cinematography for director Avinash Arun Dhaware.

Tamil drama “Koozhangal”, which was India’s official entry for Oscars 2022, won the best director trophy for P S Vinothraj.

Actors Jaideep Ahlawat and Deepti Naval were announced as the winners for best supporting actor and actress, respectively, for their performances in the movies “Jaane Jaan” and “Goldfish”.

Manoj Bajpayee-starrer “Joram” won two awards — best writing for Devashish Makhija and best editing for Abhro Banerjee.

“Kohrra”, starring Suvinder Vicky and Barun Sobti, bagged the best series award.

The show also won awards for best actor for Vicky and best writing for Gunjit Chopra, Diggi Sisodia and Sharma.

Vikramaditya Motwane won the best director award for period drama series “Jubilee”, which also won Sidhant Gupta the trophy for best supporting actor.

Rajshri Despande was announced as the best actress award winner for the series “Trial By Fire”, while Amruta Subhash took home the trophy for best supporting actress for “Lust Stories S2: The Mirror”.

The winners for the short film segment were also announced at the ceremony.

Reema Maya’s “Nocturnal Burger” won three awards — best short film, best director and best actress for Millo Sunka.

“Giddh”, starring Sanjay Mishra, won the best actor and best writing for Ashok Sankhla and Manish Saini.

The best cinematography honour went to Jigmet Wangchuk for “Last Days of Summer”.

Meanwhile, Ajitpal Singh’s “Fire in the Mountains”, which had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, was honoured with the Gender Sensitivity Award.

Whereas, veteran music director Usha Khanna was felicitated with the Extraordinary Contribution to Cinema Award at the ceremony, organised by Film Critics Guild and Group M Motion Entertainment, in collaboration with Vistas Media Capital.

MUMBAI: Actors Dhruv Vikram and Anupama Parameswaran will feature in Tamil director Mari Selvaraj’s upcoming sports drama movie.

The untitled film is the first project to come out of the multi-film partnership between production banners Applause Entertainment and Neelam Studios, headed by filmmaker Pa Ranjith.

The movie is a tale of guts, grit and glory in the life of a young man where the whole world was a Goliath to his David, as per the official synopsis.

“A story of a man who defied the lines on his hand to achieve what no one thought possible, to choose sport over a gun, peace over violence and life over death,” as per the official plotline.

Dhruv Vikram, son of Tamil superstar Vikram, will play the lead role with Parameswaran of “Premam” fame taking on the female lead part.

Pankaj Tripathi’s recently-released film Main Atal Hoon, which features the actor in the lead role as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will be hitting OTT platform Zee 5 soon. The makers announced that the biopic will be out on March 14.

The film is written by Utkarsh Naithani and directed by Ravi Jadhav, known for National Award-winning films such as Natarang and Balgandharva.

The film, which hit in theatres on January 19, 2024, received mixed reviews upon release.

Our CE review of the film read, “The film proceeds like a power-point presentation, each event in the former PM’s life merely a bullet point. RSS, Jana Sangh, Emergency, Pokhran test, Kargil War, we flip through chapters of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s life, not engaging with any, lest we try to read between the lines.”

Recalling working in the film, Pankaj said, “It was a real honour for me to get to portray one of the most illustrious leaders of our country who laid the foundation for our country’s success. While I was aware of Atal Ji and his remarkable political journey, this film introduced me to many more inspiring qualities and facets of his life which have now left an indelible mark on my life.

“Portraying Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has truly been one of the highlights of my career and for that, I am grateful. Now that the film is marking its world digital debut, I urge all Indians across the world to watch the remarkable story of this simple man and take back many lessons”.

The film, written by Rishi Virmani and Ravi Jadhav, is backed by Vinod Bhanushali, Sandeep Singh, Sam Khan and Kamlesh Bhanushali.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Aattam is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The makers took to their social media handles to announce the same on Monday. The film stars Zarin Shihab and Vinay Fort in the lead along with Kalabhavan Shajon in a prominent role.

Aattam, written and directed by Anand Ekarshi, is a chamber drama akin to 12 Angry Men, which explores gender politics and human hypocrisies. Upon its theatrical release in January, the film met with a highly positive reception from critics and audience. It was also reported that actor Mammootty invited the director and the whole cast to his house after liking the film.

An excerpt from the CE review of the film reads, “It wouldn’t be a stretch to call Aattam Malayalam cinema’s answer to Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men. Like the 1957 classic that spawned many stimulating debates, it is a thoughtful examination of one’s internal biases and external circumstances standing in the way of truth-seeking.”

Aattam is produced by Joy Movie Productions. While Anurudh Aneesh has cranked the camera, Mahesh Bhuvanend has handled the editing.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

On the night of the 96th Academy Awards, celebrities Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell, Mark Ruffalo, Ava DuVernay, Mahershala Ali and Ramy Youssef showed up on the red carpet wearing red pins.

Several fans wondered what the badges donned by these stars meant after pictures went viral.

The pins were launched by Artists4Ceasefire, an artist collective that penned an open letter to US President Joe Biden calling for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, emphasising the human toll of the conflict.

The design shows a red glossy circle with a hand and a black heart. There are more than 380 signatories to the letter which include Cate Blanchett, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Hasan Minhaj and Bradley Cooper.

“We urge your administration, Congress, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages. Half of Gaza’s two million residents are children, and more than two-thirds are refugees and their descendants being forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them”, the letter read.

‘Poor Things’ actor Ramy Youssef explained to US media that these pins are part of a creatives-led initiative to demand peace in Gaza.

LOS ANGELES: Wrestler-turned-actor John Cena stunned fans as he appeared at the Oscars 2024 in his bold avatar.

Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the second year in a row, the 96th Academy Awards. Big names like Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, and Robert Downey Jr. are among the actors nominated.

John Cena joined Jimmy Kimmel on the Oscars stage and appeared naked while presenting the award for best costume design to ‘Poor Things’.

Kimmel asked the Oscars audience after remembering the infamous moment. “I said, can you imagine if a nude man ran across the stage today? Wouldn’t that be crazy?”

Kimmel was clearly setting up a bit, that’s when a shirtless John Cena popped his head out from the corner of the stage.

Cena told Kimmel, “I changed my mind. I don’t want to do the streaker bit. I just don’t feel right about it. It’s an elegant event, you know, you should feel shame right now for suggesting such a tasteless joke.”

As per Variety, Kimmel said the bit was supposed to be funny, to which Cena hilariously responded, “The male body is not a joke.”

The audience roared with laughter. Cena has a connection to this year’s Oscars with his cameo in ‘Barbie,’ which is nominated for eight Academy Awards, as per Variety.

Then, he announced the Best Costume Design award.

Today, the headquarters of Tirelli Costumes in Rome’s Prati neighborhood features mannequins wearing some of the atelier’s most famous creations: A delicate pink flowered outfit Tom Hulce wore as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Milos Forman’s “Amadeus” (which netted an Oscar for costume designer Theodor Pistek); the rich red velvet bustle and feathered number Michelle Pfeiffer’s countess wore in “The Age of Innocence” (which gave designer Gabriella Pescucci her Oscar).

After the 1984 “Amadeus” design Oscar, Tirelli could have gone more international “because the market was immediately interested,” Trapetti said. But Tirelli, who died in 1990, was not convinced.

Trappetti remembered him saying: “I’m not going to America. If America wants, America will come looking for me.”

It has.

In 60 years, the tailor’s shop has created more than 300,000 costumes that are now stored in a warehouse in Formello, near Rome, where double-height racks of clothes stretch out across 7,000 square meters (more than 75,000 square feet). Costume designers come for inspiration, historical information — and hand-cut, hand-sewn creations from the team of Tirelli seamstresses.

“You can’t make those costumes in a factory. In a factory you can make films with robots, futuristic or fantasy. But these things have to be made by hand,” Trappetti said.

MUMBAI: Supernatural thriller “Shaitaan” has added Rs 19.18 crore to its net box office collections (NBOC), taking up its total earnings to Rs 34.39 crore, the makers said on Sunday.

The film is directed by Vikas Bahl and stars Ajay Devgn, Jyotika, and R Madhavan.

Presented by Jio Studios, Devgn Films and Panorama Studios, “Shaitaan” is produced by Devgn, Jyoti Deshpande, Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak.

“‘Shaitaan’s roar gets louder as Jio Studios, Devgn Films & Panorama Studios’ supernatural thriller jumped a healthy 26% on Saturday, earning a staggering Rs 19.18 crore on Day 2.Fri – Rs 15.21 crore, Sat – Rs 19.18 crore and total – Rs 34.39 crores NBOC (India)” the makers said in a press note.

Following an unprecedented surge in demand, midnight shows were added in Mumbai, they further said.

“Shaitaan” is the Hindi remake of the 2023 Gujarati horror film “Vash”, written and directed by Krishnadev Yagnik.

The new Ariana Grande era — marked by her seventh studio album and first in nearly four years, “eternal sunshine,” began with a question — “Yes, And?”

The single — named after a general rule of thumb in improvisational comedy — marked a new musical pivot for the performer. Sure, she was working with one of the greatest pop producers of all time again — the mysterious Swedish powerhouse Max Martin — but now, she was filtering her earworm hooks through ‘90s house music. The bridge has echoes of “Vogue” (not unlike Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” ) and its lyrics recall a kind of Lady Gaga “Born This Way” empowerment (an example: “Boy, come on, put your lipstick on/No one can tell you nothin’”) while also offering a public defense to tabloid representation (“Don’t comment on my body, do not reply.”) It’s a great song, but it doesn’t include Grande’s signature runs; there’s no larger-than-life vocal moment, what her listeners have come to know her for. In some ways, it makes “Yes, And?” a bit of a red herring on “eternal sunshine.”

Belt she does throughout the release — her idiosyncratic vocal tone stretches across the funky, finger-snapping, shimmery disco of “Bye.” There’s her breathy falsetto on “Don’t Wanna Break Up” (sung with “I’m too much to you/ So I really gotta do the thing I don’t wanna do,” a reminder that this is her first album since her divorce from real estate agent Dalton Gomez ), the pop “Supernatural,” and the wobbly ’00s R&B pop of “True Story” like a long lost Destiny’s Child cut. In the latter, her weapons are once again raised: “I’ll play whatever part you need me to,” she sings. ”And, I’ll be good in it, too.”

There’s a kind of Y2K revivalism here done in distinct Grande fashion — and at least partially inspired by her girl group-inspired track “Fantasize,” which leaked on TikTok last summer. That’s evident on a reimagination of “The Boy Is Mine,” inspired by the Brandy and Monica classic, with a dramatic tempo change.

For a record completed in around three-and-a-half months — notably after she finished filming “Wicked,” as she told her fans long ago was the plan — there’s marked innovation and evolution here. “Imperfect for you,” is another slight genre shift, with its distorted synths sounds like an out-of-tune guitar atop a blues-y trap beat. And there’s the big, Robyn-esque euro-pop production of “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” which explodes into a string crescendo, electronic sounds effortlessly blending into organic ones.

There’s also quite a bit of love on this album, for someone navigating life after marriage; the tragic loss of another partner, the rapper Mac Miller, who died of an accidental overdose; and the terrorist attack on her show in Manchester, England in 2017. Instead of leaning into a kind of overt optimism like on past releases — “Thank U, Next,” anyone? — Grande allows herself to feel it all, even when she wishes she couldn’t.

“Thank You For Coming” may not have done well at the ticket window, but Chadha praised Kapoor for taking a chance on a bold narrative revolving around women’s sexuality.

She is also looking forward to the producer’s next film “Crew”, a heist comedy featuring Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon as air hostesses.

“I think representation shifts, but then there are people like Ekta Kapoor, making a film called ‘Crew’, then we have had films like ‘Thank You for Coming’ that were high on sexuality.

You are not able to discuss these things openly, it’s stifling certainly for both men and women. It is not about how the film did eventually,” Chadha added.

And 2024 has got a promising start with “Laapataa Ladies”, directed by Kiran Rao.

A story of two brides Phool (Nitanshi Goel) and Pushpa (Pratibha Ranta) who accidentally get swapped on a train, the film opened to glowing reviews upon its release on March 1.

It has raised around Rs 8 crore worldwide in gross box office collection, a decent figure for a low-budget film.

Writer Sneha Desai, who penned the screenplay and dialogues of “Laapataa Ladies”, said the makers wanted the audience to introspect about social conditioning through the characters of Phool and Pushpa.

“We wanted people to unlearn societal conditioning and learn that things always change for the better. If you have the gumption to take that first step, you are just one step away from the life that you want to live,” Desai said.

“Characters like Phool and Pushpa, who are victims of their situation of their upbringing, or the strata in which they live, if they can have the audacity to dream and aspire for a life, all of us are way too privileged to be complaining.

So, going for your dreams is what we wanted (to talk about)” the screenwriter added.

Coming up this year are ‘Crew’, ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ starring Sara Ali Khan, Kangana Ranaut’s “Emergency”, “Stree 2” with Shradha Kapoor, and “Jigra” featuring Alia Bhatt.

The hope is that they will forward the woman agenda.

Walt Disney unveiled the official trailer for the much-appreciated 2015 animated film, Inside Out, on Thursday. The sequel, titled Inside Out 2, is slated to hit theatres on June 14. 

The trailer starts by reminding us of emotions such as Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger in Riley’s mind. Just when they think they’ve got it all together, Anxiety makes an entrance along with Embarrassment, Envy and Ennui.

While they begin to wreak havoc in the mind of a teenage Riley, they eventually bottle up the original emotions, making them repressed feelings. How the emotions learn to co-exist in Riley’s mind and help her lead a mentally healthy life forms the film’s crux. 

Pete Doctor, known for making Pixar classics like Monsters Inc and Up, had directed the original Inside Out. Kelsey Mann is directing the sequel.

Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, and Liza Lapira play Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust respectively. Anxiety is voiced by Maya Hawke, Envy by Ayo Edebiri, Ennui by Adèle Exarchopoulos and Embarrassment by Paul Walter Hauser. Kensington Tallman replaces Kaitlyn Dias to voice Riley, while Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan return to voice her parents.

The supporting voice cast of Inside Out 2 also includes Sarayu Blue, Flea, Ron Funches, Dave Goelz, James Austin Johnson, Bobby Moynihan, Frank Oz, Paula Pell, Paula Poundstone, John Ratzenberger, Kendall Coyne Schofield, June Squibb, Kirk Thatcher and Yong Yea.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

The trailer of Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan was released by the makers on Thursday. Ajay’s character in the film is based on football coach Syed Abdul Rahim, who led the Indian football team to victory at the Asian Games in 1951 and 1962. The film is directed by Amit Ravindernath Sharma and also stars Priyamani and Gajraj Rao in pivotal roles.

The trailer opens with Ajay’s voiceover as he speaks about the condition of the Indian football team. He enters an empty football stadium, his eyes filled with determination. He says later, “Trust me, this is just the beginning of the golden era of Indian football.”

After this, he gathers to create a team that will compete with the world. Priyamani plays the role of his wife. The character played by Gajrao Rao questions his decision to include players from the slum in the team. The trailer features some visuals from the football field during the match and it ends with a defining moment where Ajay is speaking to the team in the dressing room.

Sharing the trailer, Ajay wrote in the caption, “A team that carved its legacy with every step! A man who devoted his life to football. And one #Maidaan where the whole world witnessed it all. Bringing the Golden Era of Indian Football to life!” (sic)

Maidaan is produced by Zee Studios, Boney Kapoor, Arunava Joy Sengupta & Akash Chawla. A.R. Rahman has composed the music for the film with lyrics by Manoj Muntashir Shukla. It is set to clash with Akshay Kumar-Tiger Shroff starrer Bade Miyan Chote Miyan at the theatres on Eid in April this year.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Acclaimed director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has now launched his own music label, Bhansali Music.

Music has played an integral role in the director’s films. From the grandeur of ‘Deewani Mastani‘ to the haunting melodies of Black, Bhansali’s compositions resonate with depth and passion, weaving themselves into the fabric of his films.

His partnerships with accomplished composers like Ismail Darbar, Monty Sharma, and even himself have given birth to some of the most iconic and melodious tracks in Hindi cinema.

On the occasion of Janhvi Kapoor’s 27th birthday on Wednesday, it was announced that the actor will be featuring alongside Ram Charan in the tentatively titled, pan-India film RC 16. 

The film’s production company Mythri Movie Makers put up a post on X and welcomed the actress on board on X (formerly called Twitter). They also wished her on her birthday.

“Welcoming the celestial beauty on board for #RC16. Happy Birthday to the mesmerising #JanhviKapoor #RamCharanRevolts Global Star @AlwaysRamCharan @BuchiBabuSana @arrahman @RathnaveluDop @artkolla @vriddhicinemas @SukumarWritings,” they captioned the post.

The film will be directed by Buchi Babu Sana, who made his debut with Uppena, is presented by Mythri Movie Makers and produced under the banner of Vriddhi Cinemas and Sukumar Writings. The music is given by A.R. Rahman.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

CHENNAI : Urvashi is one of the rare female actors in Indian cinema to play titular characters in her 50s. Breaking stereotypes surrounding age and gender in the film industry with each film, the actor who last played the lead in Appatha, directed by Priyadarshan, is back to playing the titular role in J Baby, directed by Suresh Mari and produced by Neelam Productions. Though she is naturally delighted by her success streak, she mentions that it has added a lot of responsibility to her. “When I play a lead character I am shouldering the hopes and hard work of the entire team. So the responsibility is heavier than a supporting role. But I am thankful that God is blessing me with such quality work even after so many years.”

After proving herself time and again in vulnerable and naive characters, Urvashi once again plays a role cut from a similar cloth in J Baby. Interestingly, it is this omnipresent vulnerability in roles that unites Urvashi with Dinesh, who plays the other protagonist and Urvashi’s son in the film. “I have never gone searching for these roles. They somehow ended up in my hands. I try to ensure that each character is different, despite all of them being naive youngsters,” shares Dinesh.

Urvashi, on the other hand, wholeheartedly accepts that she is destined to play these roles. “I am not sure if I chose these roles or if they chose me. I guess it is a mix of both. I didn’t want to play grim, dark characters for the sake of it and end up feeling unnatural. I play different versions of myself through all these characters. I believe this adds a layer of realism to the roles, making it easy for the audience to connect with them,” she says.

The veteran feels her role in J Baby, despite carrying similarities to her previous works, is close to her heart, because of the live setting and the people surrounding it. “J Baby is a real person and I am playing her in the film. It is her biopic. I felt her soul influencing my actions and saw my mannerisms change. Unlike the usual shooting spot, where we return to the caravan after a shot, we were all mingling with the people of the area as they treated us as their own.”

Manjummel Boys has crossed 10 crores from Tamil Nadu box office, making it the first ever Malayalam film to achieve the feat. The makers have officially announced it on their social media handles along with thanking the Tamil Nadu audience for their love.

The film, which is also a tribute to the 1991-released Tamil film, Guna, is entering its third week in theatres and has been still running to packed houses across the world. Recently, the cast and crew of Manjummel Boys met Kamal Haasan and Guna’s director Santhana Bharathi in Chennai. The film is about to have a Telugu-dubbed version soon.

Manjummel Boys is written and directed by Jan.E.Man-fame Chidambaram. The film, which is based on real life events stars Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese, Ganapathi S Poduval, Lal Jr, Deepak Parambol, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Jean Paul Lal, Arun Kurian, Khalid Rahman, Chandu Salimkumar and Vishnu Raghu among others.

The film is jointly produced by Soubin Shahir, Babu Shahir, and Shawn Antony. Its technical crew comprises cinematographer Shyju Khalid, composer Sushin Shyam, editor Vivek Harshan, and production designer Ajayan Chalissery.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Recently, we reported that Jeethu Joseph’s Malayalam film Drishyam is getting remade in English. Incidentally, it is the first in the language to have an English remake. In a recent interview with OnManorama, Jeethu gave his reaction to it.

Sharing his happiness at the news, Jeethu said, “As a filmmaker, I am extremely excited and happy that a film I created is being remade in Hollywood. The film deals with a universal subject. It is a story of family love and security, more than a crime thriller, which is why it has so much appeal among people of different languages.”

However, there has also been much discourse about the film’s originality, as some internet users and a part of the media have associated the news with its Hindi version, starring Ajay Devgn, Tabu, and Shriya Saran. Who better than the Malayalam original’s writer-director himself to set the story straight? Jeethu said that it is not sensible to have such a discourse about the film as its makers sold its remake rights to a different production company.

“Some of the Hindi films, which were remade in Malayalam and other languages, were more popular than the original. That said and done, those who have watched and loved the movie know the original film starring Mohanlal was directed by me,” said Jeethu.

The first film in Malayalam to gross 50 crores, Drishyam was remade in many languages, with A-listers from those other industries playing the original’s characters played by Mohanlal and Meena.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

ABIQUIU: An entire town filled with nuclear laboratories, built from scratch in the remote mountains of New Mexico, with every single person involved sworn to secrecy?

It is not just the plot of “Oppenheimer,” but also the story of how Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-nominated movie about the invention of the atomic bomb was made.

“This is the most I’ve ever spoken about it,” said David Manzanares, field producer for Ghost Ranch, as he took AFP on a recent tour of the location for the movie’s Los Alamos scenes.

“It definitely took on the air of secrecy,” he recalled.

A few miles from the nearest paved road, through gates marked “RESTRICTED AREA,” many of the wooden homes, offices, security checkpoints and even a chapel built for the film remain standing.

The buildings line a dusty street that is bookended by stunning purple-hued mountains.

The real Los Alamos — an hour’s drive away — is now a modern town that remains home to a giant, top-secret government lab charged with safeguarding the US nuclear stockpile. Its historic buildings were used for several interior scenes.

But Nolan selected this far corner of the southwestern US state to double as the town for exterior scenes, constructing a 1940s-era replica of its main street.

The British filmmaker famously insists on using authentic, practical sets to inspire his actors.

The movie’s atomic bomb test was shot with minimal computer effects, and real Los Alamos scientists were hired as extras.

This meant the replica of the town had to be built at full-scale, offering Nolan the possibility of filming from every angle at a moment’s notice.

But until a month after the film premiered last July, Manzanares and his Ghost Ranch team were not even allowed to acknowledge that the movie had been shot there.

“There was no conversation, there was no posting” allowed, he said.

“That’s just the way business is conducted on a Christopher Nolan shoot.”

The official trailer of the Telugu version of Premalu, a blockbuster Malayalam language romantic comedy, was unveiled on Saturday. The Telugu dialogues of the film have been penned by Aditya Hasan, the creator of the ETV Win Original series 90s.

The film, distributed by SS Karthikeya, will be hitting theatres on March 8. The trailer was unveiled at VNR VJIET College in Hyderabad. 

Premalu stars Mamitha Baiju and Naslen in lead roles. The film’s leads are Malayalis who move to Hyderabad for a job and GATE coaching respectively. Naslen’s character Sachin meets Mamitha’s Reenu at a wedding and falls in love with her. How he wins her affection forms the rest of the story. 

Premalu, upon its release in Malayalam, has been a success on both commercial and critical fronts. 

Premalu also stars Sangeetha Prathap, Althaf Salim, Shyam Mohan M, Akhila Bhargavan, Meenakshi Raveendran and Shameer Khan in key roles. The film is written and directed by Girish AD and produced by the banners Bhavana Studios and Fahadh Faasil and Friends.

Vishnu Vijay is the music composer of the film, with cinematography by Ajmal Sabu and editing by Akash Joseph Varghese.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Singer and music composer Pradeep Kumar’s production house, Poorva Productions, unveiled the trailer of their upcoming film, Nalla Perai Vaanga Vendum Pillaigale (NPVVP), on Saturday. The film is written and directed by Prasath Ramar, who has previously helmed Siddharth’s Enakkul Oruvan (2015). 

The trailer of NPVVP introduces us to youngsters from the towns of Tamil Nadu. We see a boy and a girl, newly in love, having different outlooks towards their relationship. The film tries to give us a picture of how the Youth from non-urban areas are also moving towards modernity and maybe even immoral behaviours.

There is a scene where Javier Bardem’s Stilgar makes an appeal to his community to accept Paul as the messiah foretold in their prophecies. Meanwhile, Chani and her supporters argue against this notion, explaining how these prophecies are designed to manipulate and control them. Both the groups stand surprised as Paul intervenes and agrees with Chani. The scene is then immediately cut to Javier discussing with fellow believers how only a messiah could be this humble.

With this scene, elevated by economic dialogue and efficient editing, not only the absurdity of blind faith is explained but also how a close-knit community like the Fremen, are willing to lay down their lives for an outsider like Paul. Even in scenes where you are sure to know the outcome—like in the final confrontation between Paul Atreides and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen—Denis pushes the rhythm and pacing just below the breaking point so you are always on the edge. Like how a roller coaster still thrills you even when you see the drop coming, the filmmaker keeps you hooked, even when the story takes a predictable turn.

A large part of why the film’s emotional beats work so well could be credited to the performances. Austin Butler leaves a lasting impression even when you realise, in retrospect, that Feyd-Rautha is a conventional psychopath we have seen countless times on screen before. Zendaya’s performance as Chani elevates her as the moral core of the film, the defiant voice of reason, who stands unswayed by the overwhelming tide of events.

Timothee Chalamet’s portrayal of Paul Atreides has powerful range, making us smoothly sail past questions like why the Fremen both revere and fear Paul, why Chani struggles between her love for Paul and her sense of morality, why a psychologically strong Bene Gesserit with thousands of years of memories is shaken to the core when Paul shouts ‘silence!’. Chalamet makes us understand Paul so intrinsically that we never question the authenticity of such a larger-than-life character. However, Rebecca Ferguson seems to have the most fun, playing an unhinged, psychologically complex character like Lady Jessica.

Ferguson’s Jessica could have easily become the witch archetype that she is accused of by the characters in the story. However, with a layered yet restrained performance, Ferguson keeps Jessica grounded and does not give into the extremities of the character by making her a mentally unstable manipulator. What we instead get is a political mastermind and a morally grey religious figure.

The foremost triumph of Dune: Part 2 is the orchestral precision with which Denis Villeneuve concocts total immersion. From Hans Zimmer’s delightfully overwhelming score to carefully crafted sound design, production design that effectively captures the expansive world-building, Greig Fraser’s powerful visuals that drench you with every angle of sunlight, and evocative performances.

These cinematic machinations work in tandem with the intricate network of themes inherent in Dune, in a seamless flow, to give us the story of how someone can be both a hero and a villain, how a messiah both emerges and is manufactured, how the Atreides and Harkonnens are the one and the same, and how determinism and free will are somehow interlinked.

Breaking conventions of the hero’s myth, Dune: Part 2 shows you the illusion of dichotomy, which is perhaps put succinctly in the final dialogue between Jessica and Gaius Helen Mohiam. Jessica says, “You have chosen the wrong side” and the reverend mother replies, “You think there are sides?”

Film: Dune: Part 2

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem

Rating: 4/5

In 2017, I&B ministry had banned the exhibition of three documentaries – “In the Shade of Fallen Chinar” “March, March, March” and the “Unbearable Being of Lightness” at the 10th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK).

The Kerala HC heard the writ petition filed by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, the organiser of the festival.

While “Unbearable Being of Lightness” talks about the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad, “March, March March” is about the protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University and “In the shade of Fallen Chinar” is a short documentary giving a glimpse into the lives of a group of young Kashmiri artists.

Ramachandra told PTI, of the three films, the court did not take a stand on the one on Kashmiri students.

“But the other two films were allowed to be screened,” he recalled.

Incidentally, in 2019 too, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy filed a writ petition against the banning of Anand Patwardhan’s “Vivek/Reason” by the I&B ministry, again at (IDSFFK), stating that screening of the film could cause law and order problems.

But the Kerala High Court held the Centre’s claim cannot be upheld and that the screening was permissible according to the guidelines framed by the ministry.

Haravoo also said, a few years ago, when the Central government brought the rule that documentaries submitted for National awards must be certified, several filmmakers, including Patwardhan, protested and finally stopped submitting for the award.

The web-series, Dabba Cartel was announced, which is a tale of five women who lead a drug trade in Mumbai’s Dabba delivery system. It stars Shabana Azmi, Nimisha, Jyotika, and Gajraj Rao in pivotal roles.

Khakee: The Bengal Chapter was also announced which is created by Neeraj Pandey and produced by Shital Bhatia. Along with that, a new investigative thriller, Mandala Murders, starring Vaani Kapoor and Vaibhav Raj Gupta, was announced by the streaming giant. The first look of the season 2 of Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein was also shared and it takes the story from where the first season ended. Lastly, Mismatched returns for the third season and moves the story three years ahead after the happenings of season 2. It stars Prajakta Koli and Rohit Saraf in the lead.

Further, the streamer also announced documentaries including, Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous, based on the life of rapper and musician Honey Singh; To Kill A Tiger, which is written and directed by Nisha Pahuja and is also nominated for the Academy Awards this year; The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan, which features cricket legends sharing some memorable moments on field. Along with that, Fabulous Live vs Bollywood Wives will be streaming on the platform soon. Apart from this, the comedy show, The Great Indian Kapil Show is also set to debut on Netflix on March 30.

BEST PICTURE

Nominees: “American Fiction”; “Anatomy of a Fall”; “Barbie”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Past Lives”; “Poor Things”; “The Zone of Interest.”

BAHR: It will be “ Oppenheimer.” It’s not just because it’s won alltheothermajorawards: This is a recognition that’s a long time coming for Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, who have been nominated for best picture twice before, for “Inception” and “Dunkirk,” but whose influence and impact on the industry and even the Oscars has extended far beyond a simple nomination tally (including leading a charge to save film). But perhaps it was worth the wait to get this moment with a film like “ Oppenheimer.”

COYLE: It’s “Oppenheimer” all the way, and the only question is how many awards it ultimately walks away with. (I’ll say eight.) But let’s hear it for one of the best best-picture fields in recent memory. There’s not really a clunker in the mix this year. The nominees run from epic to indie, blockbuster to arthouse. You’ve got more comedy than usual, too, including “Barbie” and her wicked twin, “Poor Things.”

BEST ACTRESS

Nominees: Annette Bening, “Nyad”; Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall”; Carey Mulligan, “Maestro”; Emma Stone, “Poor Things.”

COYLE: On a night that should be kinda predictable, this is going to a nail-biter. Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) are seemingly in a dead heat, with odds-makers splitting them evenly. I’m going to give the edge to Gladstone, who’s coming off a big win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and has history riding on her potential victory. She would be the first Native American to win an Oscar, a prospect that “Saturday Night Live” joked has her fellow nominees saying, “Please don’t let us win.” Stone, though, is absurdly good in “Poor Things” and her chances can’t be dismissed. She won at the BAFTAs and international Oscar voters are increasingly tilting close races.

BAHR: You know it’s a tough year when the other three very accomplished and utterly committed performances aren’t even in the conversation. I want Gladstone to win, but something is telling me that Stone is going to be the one up that stage (and no, it’s not Searchlight or her publicists whispering in my ear).

BEST ACTOR

Nominees: Bradley Cooper, “Maestro”; Colman Domingo, “Rustin”; Paul Giamatti, “The Holdovers”; Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”; Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction.”

BAHR: This is going to be one of the bigger hold your breath moments on Oscars night as we wait to hear if best actor goes to Paul Giamatti or Cillian Murphy. Neither have won this award before and both gave undeniably great and memorable performances, both of which involved copious drinking and different kinds of regret, but only one of which gave the actor the chance to melodically slur “Monet, Manet, Picasso” and then, well, fart. I do think that Murphy, who has not won any Oscars, caught the wave, however, and will get the trophy for his singularly internal portrayal of an impossibly complex giant.

COYLE: As much as we’d all like to see a knock-down, drag-it-out fight between Murphy and Giamatti — two famously nice guys and much-admired character actors getting a leading-man moment — that tete-a-tete just never materialized. Murphy won at both the SAGs and the BAFTAs, and I think the “Oppenheimer” headwinds are just too strong for Giamatti to pull it off.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Nominees: Emily Blunt, “Oppenheimer”; Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”; America Ferrera, “Barbie”; Jodie Foster, “Nyad”; Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers.”

COYLE: This race has been a lock for months, making Randolph all but certain to cruise to her first Academy Award. Out of the three pitch-perfect performances in Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers” (the others being Giamatti and newcomer Dominic Sessa), the sensitivity of Randolph’s grieving mother has made her an Oscar shoo-in.

BAHR: Indeed, and let’s hope that whoever is reading the winner card gets the pronunciation of her name correctly (unlike some others this season). Psst…it’s DAY-Vine.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Nominees: Sterling K. Brown, “American Fiction”; Robert De Niro, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; Robert Downey Jr. “Oppenheimer”; Ryan Gosling, “Barbie”; Mark Ruffalo, “Poor Things.”

BAHR: It’s just going to be an “Oppenheimer” night and we can all assume that Robert Downey Jr. will be the one bounding up to the stage to accept. The last time he was nominated was in 2008, for “Tropic Thunder,” and his win will not just be for playing the vindictive Lewis Strauss but, kind of like Jamie Lee Curtis last year, an overdue acknowledgement of his lifetime in entertainment. Plus, he gives good speech and I’m sure he’s saving the best for last.

COYLE: Honestly, what a strong group of nominees. Downey will win his first Oscar, which no one would say he doesn’t deserve (though I would have handed it to him for “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”). De Niro, almost half a century after winning this award for a little movie called “The Godfather, Part II,” is back again, doing his best work in years. Brown, who gives “American Fiction” such a jolt, is as good as anyone working today. Ruffalo, great in everything, should someday soon get the “overdue Oscar” treatment Downey is receiving this year. And Gosling might be our best comic actor. He’s going to lose but only because his Ken is TOO good.

Writer-director Chidambaram’s Manjummel Boys is entering its second week in theatres in Kerala and is about to have a Telugu-dubbed version soon. In the meantime, prominent figures from within and beyond Malayalam cinema are showing their appreciation for the film.

Earlier, actor Udhayanidhi Stalin heaped praise on it, and the latest to acknowledge it is actor Kamal Haasan. The film is a based-on-real-life survival thriller that revolves around a group of youngsters who get stuck in the cave from the Kamal Haasan-starrer Guna.

The cave in Kodaikanal was once known as Devil’s Kitche, but it has been named after Guna ever since the film’s release because a major part of it was shot there.

Premalu revolves around a bunch of young Malayali men and women who have moved to Hyderabad in search of opportunities, friendships, and a better life. Naslen and Mamitha Baiju play the protagonists in Premalu, while the supporting cast comprises actors like Althaf Salim, Shyam Mohan M, Akhila Bhargavan, Sangeeth Prathap, and Meenakshi Raveendran, among others.

Premalu is directed by Girish AD, who has also co-authored the script along with Kiran Josey. Girish’s previous works include Thanneer Mathan Dinangal (2019) and Super Sharanya (2022), the latter of which also featured Naslen K Gafoor and Mamitha.

Earlier this month, the Mammootty-starrer Bramayugam too had a Telugu dub release in theatres, a week after its original Malayalam release.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Earlier, we reported that Film Exhibitors’ United Organisation of Kerala decided to ban Malayalam films from releasing at theatres in Kerala from February 22 onwards. Now, FEOUK has taken back its decision.

In his address to the media, FEOUK chairperson and actor Dileep said that the issues that led to the decision would be resolved through mutual dialogue.

The ban came about when FEOUK found film producers to be in violation of certain norms set by the association, including the maintenance of a 42-day window before a film’s release at theatres and on OTT platforms.

The Kerala Film Producers Association also demanded that high-end projectors be installed at theatres in Kerala, but theatre owners found it challenging to meet this due to the increasing rates of projectors.

However, Kerala Film Producers Association has not yet willingly participated in any discourse with the exhibitors’ union to resolve their differences, while choosing to support the release of films at premium theatres.

Meanwhile, Malayalam cinema continues to have a profitable period, with the successful box-office run of recent releases such as Premalu, Bramayugam, Manjummel Boys, and Anweshippin Kandethum.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

The initial video from a police lapel camera shows a crestfallen Gutierrez-Reed shortly after the fatal shooting.

“Welcome to the worst day of my of my life,” the armorer told the detective after the shooting, but before she knew of Hutchins’ death. “I can’t believe Alec Baldwin was holding the gun.”

Prosecutors highlighted inconsistencies in the videotaped statements by Gutierrez-Reed, debunking her claim to have inspected all rounds in Baldwin’s gun prior to the shooting by shaking them for a telltale rattle. That shake can identify inert dummy rounds where gunpowder has been replaced by BBs, but investigators say at least one round contained no BBs and was marked as a dummy by a hole in the side.

Hancock testified that she investigated Kenney initially as the potential source of live ammunition, which is expressly prohibited on movie sets, but found out that he never went to the set of “Rust” and that a search of his property in Albuquerque turned up live rounds that didn’t resemble live rounds later discovered on the set of “Rust,” including the round that killed Hutchins.

Meanwhile, Gutierrez-Reed told investigators in November 2021 that she retrieved loose ammunition from a bag left over from work on a prior film, checked that they were dummy rounds and brought the rounds in two boxes to the “Rust” set. She said that ammunition first sat in her car for two weeks.

Questioned about any possible sabotage by cast or crew members, Gutierrez-Reed dismissed the idea and said no one there was “that malicious.” Six members of the film crew walked off the job the night before the fatal shooting in a dispute involving working conditions.

Gutierrez-Reed also previously told investigators including Hancock that Baldwin talked on his phone during a firearms training session for “Rust,” indicating he may have been distracted.

Defense attorneys did not yet have the opportunity to cross-examine Hancock on Tuesday.

Prosecutors argue that Gutierrez-Reed is to blame for bringing live ammunition on set and that she treated basic safety protocols for weapons as optional. They say six live rounds found on the “Rust” set bear identical characteristics — and don’t match live rounds seized from the movie’s supplier in Albuquerque.

Sajid Nadiadwala has produced films like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Heyy Babyy, Housefull, Anjaana Anjaani, 83, Heropanti, Satyaprem Ki Katha among others. He has also directed the film Kick starring Salman Khan and turned writer for films like Heropanti 2, Housefull 2, Housefull and the Marathi film Lai Bhaari. He will soon be releasing Chandu Champion and Housefull 5.

Rajinikanth was last seen as Moideen Bhai in his extended cameo appearance in Lal Salaam, directed by Aishwarya Rajinikanth. The film starred Vishnu Vishal and Vikranth in lead roles.

Up next, he has Vettaiyan with director TJ Gnanavel of Jai Bhim fame. The shoot for the film is currently going on at a brisk pace. He will soon begin his next project with director Lokesh Kanagaraj which is tentatively known as Thalaivar 171.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

Late Punjabi singer Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu alias Sidhu Moosewala’s parents are expecting their second child. Family sources confirmed that Charan Kaur, mother of Moosewala, is expecting a baby soon. The parents have reportedly adopted In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technique and the child is expected to arrive in March.

While the late singer’s parents haven’t made an official statement yet, Chamkaur Singh Sidhu, uncle of Moosewala confirmed the development when he was contacted by the media. As per family sources, Kaur had not moved out of the house for the last few months and is under the observation of the medical team.

Sidhu Moose Wala was the only son of his parents. After his murder, both his mother Charan Kuar and father Balkaur Singh were left alone.

According to reports, his mother is 58 and his father is 60.

Moosewala, who had unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections from Mansa in 2022 on a Congress ticket, was killed in the same year on May 29. He was shot dead by assailants in his car in Jawaharke village of Mansa district.

After his death, several of his songs were released and have received love and admiration. Thus, his musical legacy lives on despite his untimely demise. The singer was known for his outspoken statements.

The Sidhu Moosewala murder case involves 31 accused, including gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Goldy Brar, with 25 already taken into custody.

In 2017, Moosewala made his debut in the music industry with his first song ‘G Wagon’ and rapidly rose to fame with a series of popular albums. He was best known for his songs like ‘So High’, ‘The Last Ride’, ‘Just Listen’ and ‘295’ among many other hits.

(With inputs from Online Desk)

Pankaj Udhas, legendary Indian ghazal singer, passed away on February 26th, 2024 at the age of 72. Known as “the voice that touched a million hearts,” Udhas was one of the most popular ghazal artists in India and abroad.

Udhas was born on May 17th, 1951 in Jetpur, Gujarat. He was initiated into music at a young age by his father, Manubhai Udhas, who was also a renowned singer.

After graduating college, Pankaj moved to Mumbai to pursue a career in playback singing for Bollywood films. However, his uniquely soulful voice found its true calling in ghazal singing.

In 1980, his first album, “Aahat” established Udhas as a rising star in the ghazal scene. Over the next few decades, he would enthrall audiences globally with albums like “Mehfil”, “Mukarar”, and “Aafreen”, winning countless accolades. Songs like “Chitthi Aayee Hai” and “Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaaye” became ghazal anthems for a generation.

Despite his success, Udhas remained humble and gracious towards his fans and colleagues. He considered music a spiritual calling rather than just a profession. His positive nature, warmth and dedication towards promoting the ghazal genre won him admiration far beyond music circles.

The first film is of course special. With each film, I realised there was going to be no repetition of the old space, Kumar wasn’t going to repeat himself, so I would be called upon to be a different me each time.

To be an actor in Kumar’s or Mani’s films..you had to have an understanding of the spectrum of all the arts to be able to enter their worlds. Mani, for instance, told me I should get some ideas about thumri and kathak for Siddheswari. In the film, I may not have danced kathak much, but I needed to move as if my body knew its rhythm.

To be able to portray Tejo in Kasba [the daughter-in-law of a small-town entrepreneur married to his mentally challenged son], who actually runs the business, Kumar made me walk almost two hours [every day] for a week in his drawing room untill I cracked the walk of a female panther. He said: Think of her as a leisurely tigress, be someone who is alert, and is waiting for her chance…or he said: Think of Marc Chagall and his paintings where the figures float…. That walk ultimately influenced everything, the way I moved, the way I sat, the way I said my dialogues. Kumar’s frames were so elegant. So, as an actor, even if you feel you haven’t done anything, the frames have done a lot.

A few days after actor and former MLA Karunas registered a complaint at the Chennai Commissioner’s office against ex-AIADMK leader AV Raju for derogatory statements against him and fellow actor Trisha, he has once again written a letter, urging them to take appropriate action against several YouTube channels for spreading false information on him.

In his letter, he mentioned the names of Thamizha Pandian and Bayilvan Ranganathan and said they had spread malicious and disgusting news about him, Trisha and other actors in different interviews and on social media sites.

“They are spreading false news in private press interviews and social media for publicity, which is not true. This has been shared by various parties in the press and social media and is now viral, followed by many YouTube channels,” he said.

He further added, “They are tarnishing my name and reputation in the community by spreading false information about me without any proof. I am in pain because of this. So I humbly request you to take legal action against the above-mentioned persons and several YouTube channels and issue an order to remove the video content on the above-mentioned social platforms.”
 
Earlier, Trisha filed a defamation case against politician AV Raju after his derogatory statements against her. On her X handle, she reacted to his remarks and said, “It’s disgusting to repeatedly see low lives and despicable human beings who will stoop down to any level to gain attention.” The Nadigar Sangam a.k.a The South Indian Artistes Association had also strongly condemned the politician for his statements and said they would support all legal proceedings. 

(This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

She made her acting debut in 2014 with “Fugly”, a few films later she garnered acclaim for her performance in the Netflix anthology film “Lust Stories” (2018).

She attained commercial success with movies like “Kabir Singh”, “Good Newwz”, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2”, “Jugjugg Jeeyo”, “Shershaah”, and “Satyaprem Ki Katha”, among others.

She said she has learnt to not take rejections personally, and seek external validation, but she takes in constructive criticism.

“When I debuted and came into the industry, back then I thought you just have to get your first film and then you get films to do. But that’s not the case, that’s not the case even after (achieving) commercial success, it’s always film to film, Friday to Friday that’s how our business is, there’s no guarantee or there’s nothing permanent here,” Advani said.

“After my first film, there were a lot of good reviews about me but because we didn’t have commercial success, it was, in a way, a setback. I was not getting those offers, nobody knew who I was back then. But I had that belief in myself. So, I just kept working and you don’t know which door opens where,” she added.

Ace cinematographer Santosh Sivan becomes the first Indian to be conferred with Cannes’ Pierre Angénieux tribute.

In 2013, Cannes started conferring the cinematographers with an award named after Pierre Angénieux, a pioneer of modern zoom lenses. Santosh will be honoured with the tributory award on May 24, the penultimate day of the 77th edition of the festival.

On May 23, Cannes will also arrange a masterclass with the cinematographer. With the recognition, Santosh joins a prestigious list of past recipients of the award, which includes the likes of Edward Lachman, Agnes Godard, Barry Ackroyd, and Roger Deakins.

We tried reaching out to Santosh to get his response to the honour. 

Replying from the sets of Rajkumar Santoshi’s next film with Sunny Deol, titled Lahore 47, he said he is “delighted by this international recognition.” His notable works include Thalapathi, Roja, Yodha, Kaalapani, Iruvar, Dil Se, Vanaprastham, and Asoka. Internationally, he has worked in films such as Bride and Prejudice and The Mistress of Spices.

(The story originally appeared in Cinema Express)

Dubbed as an “action spectacle”, “Saripodhaa Sanivaaram” is written and directed by Vivek Athreya.

The film, which also features SJ Suryah, Priyanka Arul Mohan and Sai Kumar P, will be released in theatres on August 29 in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam.

“Saripodhaa Sanivaaram” marks Nani and Athreya’s second collaboration after “Ante Sundaraniki” in 2022. The movie is produced by DVV Danayya through DVV Entertainment.

At the heart of Ranam is a psychological disorder, which the filmmaker argues and makes a case for being more of a fetish or a habit. Based on a controversial judgement that the abovementioned “disorder” is not a crime, director Sherief mixes worlds of redemption, revenge and taking justice unto one’s hands to present an interesting mix of a film, that makes us leave theatres with the perplexing question of what is indeed right or wrong.

As the disorder is the proof of the pudding, the reveal naturally comes pre-climax, until which several modus operandis are teased at. There are missing dead bodies, burnt body parts in boxes, and embalmed dead bodies without organs, to name a few. While the loose ends are eventually tied up quite neatly, some of these diversions are left unexplained. For example, Vaibhav asks what purpose could a criminal have with the organs of dead people. Well, this question poses a great red herring, as we wonder what the crime could be about. However, the explanation of the crime does not directly have an answer to this question, leaving us to make assumptions.

When it comes to perpetrators, there are not one but two red herrings, and so when the third potential perp is hinted at, you know it is them after all. In spite, Ranam gets all the more engaging at this point, as you’re curious to know the reasons for the crime. With a convoluted non-linear screenplay that fits well into the puzzle eventually, Ranam argues in favour of the popular Athichudi ‘Aranai Maravel’ which is restated as ‘Aram Thavarel’ in this film. It talks about why it is important to take up any opportunity to do a good deed, even if it goes against the judiciary or another crime itself. To put it simply, the film’s message can be summarised with one dialogue from the film itself, “Inga elaa unmaiyum adhukaana nyayatha thedikum. Indha unmaikum nyayathukkum nadula namma yaar?”

Another fascinating aspect of the film is its three female leads. Saras Menon’s character is more of a cameo, but it is important to cross all T’s and dot all I’s at the end of Ranam. Nandita Shwetha only makes an appearance in the second half, but her character Kalki, ends up as the soul of the film. For Tanya Hope, her character Indhuja, a police officer, is unlike her previous characters. She is bold and determined, but that’s just about it. While it was definitely a breath of fresh air to see a woman at the helm of things, I wish I got to know more about Indhuja or why she allows Siva to solve her case, as she only gives orders. But again, that story would probably be a film of itself.

Moritz, Pavun Shetty, Phil Sgriccia, Michaela Starr, Paul Grellong, David Reed, Meredith Glynn, Judalina Neira, Ken F. Levin, and Jason Netter also serve as executive producers.

“The Boys” is produced by Sony Pictures Television, Amazon MGM Studios with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures.

“The Boys “stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T.Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti.

Season four will add Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

The official statement issued by the former couple announcing their separation read, “We have mutually & amicably decided to part ways. Through this shift in our lives, the best interests and welfare of our two children is and will be of utmost importance to us. We would appreciate that our privacy is respected throughout. Thank you, Esha Deol & Bharat Takhtani .”

However, the reason behind their separation is still unknown.

Esha Deol and Bharat Takhtani got married in a low-key ceremony at the ISKCON temple in Mumbai on June 29, 2012. Radhya was born to the pair in 2017 and the couple welcomed their second daughter, Miraya in 2019.

The daughter of veteran actors Dharmendra and Hema Malini has featured in several big films like ‘Dhoom’, ‘Dus’, and ‘No Entry’.

She made her acting comeback last year, with the thriller series ‘Rudra: The Edge of Darkness’ alongside actor Ajay Devgn which premiered exclusively on the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar.

She will also be seen in an upcoming series ‘Invisible Woman’ alongside veteran actor Suniel Shetty, which is backed by the film arm of Saregama India — Yoodlee Films. Rajesh M Selva of ‘Thoongaa Vanam’ and ‘Kadaram Kondan’ fame is helming the project.

Actor Trisha has filed a defamation case against former AIADMK leader AV Raju. The legal action comes in response to derogatory statements made by Raju against Trisha. She announced the legal move through her social media channels on Thursday.

Trisha earlier took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to slam the politician in a post. “It’s disgusting to repeatedly see low lives and despicable human beings who will stoop down to any level to gain attention. Rest assured, necessary and severe action will be taken. Anything that needs to be said and done henceforth will be from my legal department” she shared in a statement.

Raju’s remarks about the actor, made during a recent press conference, were inappropriate. The video swiftly gained viral traction, drawing significant backlash from the online community.

AIADMK expelled AV Raju on February 17, citing a violation of party rules.

In her notice, the actor has sought an undisclosed compensation amount for the damage to her personal reputation and the mental distress caused. She has also demanded that he cease making any other ” slanderous/libelous/defamatory statements” against her and take necessary actions to remove all news stories related to the incident.

She has also demanded him to issue an unconditional apology in a reputed English daily and a reputed Tamil daily with a circulation of more than 5 lakh copies per day. Additionally, she has sought the publication of YouTube videos and electronic media interviews to broadcast his unconditional apology.

This is the second time Trisha is calling out a derogatory comment. Previously, in November last year, Trisha called out Mansoor Ali Khan for making crass remarks against her, after the release of Leo.

LOS ANGELES: Actor Emma Stone is in talks to collaborate with Yorgos Lanthimos once again after “Poor Things” and “The Favourite”.

There are reports that Stone, who is also part of Lanthimos’ anthology film “Kinds of Kindness”, is circling the director’s upcoming remake of Korean hit “Save the Green Planet”.

Stone will be in a supporting role and the shooting for the film is set to begin in summer and will take place across U.K and New York, reported entertainment news outlet Variety.

“Save the Green Planet” is a science fiction comedy film which follows a story of a young boy who gets convinced about the alien invasion and suspects the head of the chemical production to be the master mind.

He ends up kidnapping him.

Lanthimos’ last film “Poor Things”, which featured Stone in the lead, is nominated in various categories at the Oscars including the best picture, director and actor.

Actor Vikrant Massey took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and apologized for a tweet from 2018, now deleted, expressing anger over the gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua. In his apology, Massey clarified that he never intended to ‘hurt, malign, or disrespect’ the Hindu community.

In 2018, the actor posted an editorial cartoon on his X account (then Twitter), depicting Goddess Sita telling Lord Ram, “I’m so glad I was kidnapped by Ravan and not by your bhakts!” The 12th Fail actor commented, “Half-baked potatoes and half-baked nationalists will only cause pain in the gut. #KathuaCase #Unnao #Shame.”

NEW DELHI: Star India batter Virat Kohli on Tuesday announced that he and his actress wife Anushka Sharma were blessed with a baby boy on February 15.

Kohli and Anushka are already proud parents of a three-year-old daughter Vamika.

“With abundant happiness and our hearts full of love, we are pleased to inform everyone that on 15th February, we welcomed our baby boy Akaay & Vamika’s little brother into this world!,” Kohli informed in an instagram post.

“We seek your blessings and good wishes in this beautiful time in our lives. We request you to kindly respect our privacy at this time,” he added.

Farhan Akhtar made a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan starrer Don–written by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar– in 2005, with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead. It followed the same story but gave it a modern twist. The film was followed by a sequel, Don 2, in 2011 which also starred Priyanka Chopra and Boman Irani in pivotal roles.

Dhanush made his directorial debut with Pa Paandi in 2017, which starred Rajkiran, Revathi, along with himself in a cameo role.

It may be noted that Dhanush is also directing another film titled Nilavuku En Mel Ennadi Kobam, in which he won’t be starring in. The romantic drama has a young star cast including names like Pavish, Anikha Surendran, Priya Prakash Varrier, and Mathew Thomas. The film is being produced under his banner Wunderbar Films.

On the acting front, Dhanush was last seen in Captain Miller, which was directed by Arun Matheswaran and released in theatres on January 12 this year, ahead of Pongal.

(This story originally appeared in Cinema express)

“It’s such a rewarding validation of the thing that we set out to do,” said Mike Ireland, the co-president of Paramount Motion Picture Group. “The audience is the ultimate arbiter of every movie and everything you put into the world. And to have them respond in that way? It’s just fantastic.”

The film focuses in on a specific period in Bob Marley’s life, from 1976 to 1978. During that time of political turmoil in Jamaica, the reggae legend survived an assassination attempt, produced his seminal album “Exodus” in an 18-month exile in London, was diagnosed with cancer and returned to Jamaica to reunite with his family and stage the famous “One Love” concert.

“I’m a movie guy,” multi-Grammy winner Ziggy Marley said. “My selfish goal was to have a movie that had entertainment and action. I said to them, ‘I don’t want a boring movie.’ And this period of time was the most active and entertaining.”

The story and script were derived from stories from Ziggy Marley and the legend’s widow, Rita Marley, played in the film by Lashana Lynch, and others who knew him well. They shot on location in the U.K. and Jamaica, where they worked with locals in front of and behind the camera, where many had personal or at least second-hand ties to Bob Marley.

For Green, one of the biggest challenges of a film like “One Love” was getting the patois language right and making it feel real without watering it down. They were, he said, essentially making a foreign language movie but without subtitles. It’s just one of the crucial ways that their largely Jamaican cast and crew added texture and legitimacy to everything.

“We cast, I would say, 98% Jamaicans,” Green said. “We have real musicians as well. It creates that authentic feeling. It doesn’t feel like you’re watching actors trying to play music. You have real music by real musicians.”

The studio and production companies leaned heavily on the local government and film commission for help filming in Trench Town and re-creating Bob Marley’s home exactly as it was.

“You have to get the people of Jamaica’s blessings first for something like this, you know?” Ziggy Marley said. “We couldn’t do it without Jamaica.”

And all hope they helped to contribute to Jamaica’s filmmaking infrastructure. It’s hardly a surprise that the film now holds the record for Jamaica’s biggest opening day ever, surpassing “Black Panther.”

NEW DELHI: Veteran actor and thespian Naseeruddin Shah expressed his disappointment in Hindi cinema and said there was hope for it to get better only if films were made without the intention of earning money.

Speaking at ‘Meer Ki Dilli, Shahjahanabad: The Evolving City’ here on Saturday, Shah said Hindi filmmakers have been making the same kind of films for the last 100 years.

“It really disappoints me that we take pride in saying Hindi cinema is 100 years old but we have been making the same films. I have stopped watching Hindi films, I don’t like them at all,” the 73-year-old said.

Shah added that Indians all over the world go to watch Hindi films because it is their connection with their home but soon everyone will be fed up.

“Hindustani food is loved everywhere because it has substance. What substance do Hindi films have? Yes, they are being watched everywhere…They say, ‘how exotic, how Indian, how colourful’. Soon they will be bored of it because there is no substance,” the “Masoom” actor said.

Resistance ‘superheroes’

“From Hilde, With Love,” starring Liv Lisa Fries of international hit series “Babylon Berlin”, also debuted at the festival over the weekend.

It tells the true story of Hilde Coppi, a member of the “Red Orchestra” anti-Nazi resistance group, who gave birth to a son in prison while awaiting her execution for “high treason” in 1942.

Director Andreas Dresen grew up in communist East Germany, a region where the far-right AfD is poised to make strong gains in key state elections later this year.

He said that in school resistance members were often portrayed as larger-than-life “superheroes”, meaning many felt incapable of having similar courage to stand up to authority.

Fries, whose vivid portrayal impressed critics, said Coppi joined the Red Orchestra in trying to sabotage the Nazi war effort out of a basic sense of right and wrong.

“It was not only decency but also a sense of solidarity — solidarity is always worth standing up for,” she said.

Dresen stripped the movie of historical images familiar from Nazi movies such as “waving swastika flags and thumping jackboots”.

“Political terror is part of our present and unfortunately not as far away as we would like,” he said.

“I really wish this film weren’t so topical.”

“From Hilde, With Love” is one of 20 films in competition for the festival’s Golden Bear top prize Saturday.

JAMNAGAR: Filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi, who is set to come out with his next directorial venture ‘Lahore 1947’, featuring Sunny Deol and Preity Zinta in lead roles, was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment by a Jamnagar court in a cheque bouncing case.

The complainant, Ashok Lal, a prominent industrialist and shipping magnate from Jamnagar, claimed that he received 10 cheques of Rs 10 lakh each from the filmmaker, totalling Rs 1 crore, which subsequently bounced.

Piyush Bhojani, the advocate for the businessman in the case, confirmed the sentencing. According to the advocate, Lal contributed Rs 1 crore to Rajkumar Santoshi’s film.

Repaying the magnate, Santoshi allegedly sent him 10 cheques of Rs 10 lakh each. Once the checks were deposited in the bank within the stipulated time frame, they bounced, the businessman alleged, adding that he first tried to establish contact with the filmmaker over this matter.

Directed by Koratala Siva the film has music by Anirudh Ravichander.
Actors Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor are also a part of ‘Devara’. Earlier this year, the makers released the much-awaited teaser for the film.

The video opens with a Jr. NTR fighting scene. He is seen dressed as a village man who is fighting with goons.

Jointly produced by Yuvasudha Arts and NTR Arts, the film has music composed by Anirudh Ravichander. Cinematographer Rathnavelu and editor Sreekar Prasad are part of the technical team.

‘Devara’ is all set to be released in two parts and the same was announced by the makers last year. The film set against coastal lands is helmed by Koratala Siva.

On “This Is Me….Now,” Jennifer Lopez’s first solo album in a decade, the singer takes back her rightful place on the throne of pop music.

In 2002, Jennifer Lopez dropped “This Is Me… Then,” her third studio album that married her glossy-eyed romanticism with R&B-pop rhythms. She also announced an engagement to the actor Ben Affleck, who she met while filming the movie “Gigli” in 2001. The pair broke up a few years later.

Fast forward 20 years and “Bennifer” — as they were dubbed by the ’00s press — has returned, and so has her sublime pop. In 2022, they married, and now in 2024, the “This Is Me” series continues — articulating nostalgia and a loving feeling she knows best. It is the soundtrack to a new J.Lo Renaissance — one where she got her happy ending and has made the art to let listeners into her dreamy love story.

The opening track, “This Is Me… Now,” is quintessential J.Lo, with romantic instrumentation of flutes and harps. “Had a lot to learn, had a lot to grow, had to find my way,” sings Lopez on a track reminiscent of a track that might’ve been on her 2002 R&B dance-pop album — with a new, refined wisdom.

The trailer of the film Birthmark, starring Shabeer Kallarakkal and Mirnaa in the lead roles, was released by the makers on Thursday. The film is directed by Vikram Shreedharan, who also co-wrote the script with  Sriram Sivaraman. The duo is also producing the film under the Sapiens Entertainment banner.  

In Birthmark, Shabeer plays the character Danny while Mirnaa plays Jenny. The trailer shows that the film is set in an isolated location where Danny and Jenny come for childbirth. However, the trailer suggests that Danny is not interested in having a child and is instead plotting an abortion without Jenny’s knowledge.

Meanwhile, Jenny seems uncertain about the place and unaware of Danny’s intentions. Close-up shots, eerie background scores, and subtle expressions of the characters promise a thrilling experience. 

The technical crew consists of cinematographer Udhay Thangavel, with music composed by Vishal Chandrashekhar. Ramu Thangaraj has handled the art direction and Iniyavan Pandiyan is the editor. The film also stars PR Varalakshmi, Indirajith, Porkodi, and Deepthie. 

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

“Girls Will Be Girls” is an Indo-French co-production, a collaboration between Chadha and Fazal’s joint venture Pushing Buttons Studios, and Blink Digital, Crawling Angel Films and Dolce Vita Films.

The movie had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last month where it picked up two awards — the Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic, and the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting for Panagrahi.

“We are elated and honoured to have our debut production, ‘Girls Will Be Girls,’ selected for the prestigious SXSW Film Festival. This journey from concept to screen has been immensely rewarding, and the film’s recognition at Sundance only fuelled our excitement,” Fazal and Chadha said in a joint statement.

“Collaborating with an exceptional team led by director Shuchi Talati, we aimed to deliver a coming-of-age story that resonates universally. The selection in the Festival Favourites section at SXSW validates our collective efforts and affirms the film’s impact. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the audience, critics, and the festivals for embracing ‘Girls Will Be Girls’ with such warmth,” they added. 

Arjun Das, who was last seen in Aneethi last year, directed by Vasanthabalan, is awaiting the release of Por, helmed by Bejoy Nambiar. He will be starring alongside Kalidas Jayaram in the film which is a Tamil-Hindi bilingual.

The Hindi version is titled Dange and stars  Harshvardhan Rane and Ehan Bhatt in the lead roles, with Nikita Dutta, and TJ Bhanu in supporting roles. TJ Bhanu will also appear in the Tamil version alongside Sanchana Natarajan. 

Meanwhile, director Ahammed Khabeer’s Kerala Crime Files is getting a second season. This season marks the production debut of Ahammed’s latest venture, Monkey Business.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

LOS ANGELES: Pearl Jam ‘s forthcoming album is called “Dark Matter,” its first single of the same title has been released, and the band will start a world tour in May.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers revealed the new details on the project and their 2024 plans on Tuesday.

“Dark Matter,” their 12th studio album and first since 2020’s “Gigaton,” will be released April 19 on Monkeywrench and Republic records. A tour is scheduled to begin May 4 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Singer Eddie Vedder, 59, lead guitarist Mike McCready, 57, and bassist Jeff Ament, 60, played the record for the first time on Jan. 31 for invited guests at the Troubadour club in West Hollywood. “No hyperbole, I think this is our best work,” Vedder said from the stage as he introduced the album.

The band spawned from the Seattle scene of three decades ago shows no signs of softening with age on the album, which leans toward their rocking side even more than “Megaton” did, with drummer Matt Cameron’s pounding at the forefront.

The record, produced by Andrew Watt at Rick Rubin ‘s Shangri-La studio in Malibu, has been ready and awaiting release for about a year.

Sanjana Doss, an upcoming talent, doesn’t mind waiting for a breakthrough moment to be recognised and appreciated for her work. The actor, who made her acting debut with Manasmita, is now eagerly anticipating her first commercial venture, Aruna’s KTM co-starring Deekshith Shetty. The film is scheduled for release on Feb 16. On how significant this sophomore film is, Sajana says, “Be it KTM or any other project, I don’t have any expectations at least for now. Attachment to something arises when we expect too much. If people like it, I will be content. Though it is early in my career, I have realised that a career in cinema is not an easy path.”

While she cannot reveal the full form of the title KTM, Sanjana Doss opens up about her role. “Personally, I haven’t seen such a multifaceted character like the one I play in KTM in recent films. My role cannot be summed up in one sentence. She is an extremely complex and sensitive individual, though not everyone sees her sensitive side. To the outside world, she appears carefree, living in the moment, and unaffected by things, but she is fiery,” Sanjana explains about her character.

She also has a few words about her co-actor, Deekshith Shetty. “Initially, I was hesitant to work with an actor who has varied acting experience such as in theatre, Television and films, as this was just my second film. It usually takes time to get comfortable with a co-actor, especially while performing romantic scenes. We had several rehearsals and Deekshith’s professionalism made things easier.” The shooting schedule took time, but Sanjana Doss explains that Deekshith, who plays multiple shades, needed time to get into character. “The film has an ensemble cast, and it was a task to match all of their schedules. Having said that, I didn’t face any schedule hassles because the team was very organized,” she says.

Sanjana, on the sidelines, also reflects on her approach towards the industry. “Initially, I was starry-eyed, but I knew it would be a tumultuous task. We can’t predict what will happen in this industry. I don’t want to wait for someone to roll out the red carpet for me. I am working as hard as possible. I assist directors, go to Mumbai when required, write my own scripts, and even continue to dance and sing. At this stage, it becomes valuable to stay in tune with your craft rather than waiting for the right project to arrive. In between all of this, I await opportunities,” she says.

The actor is in talks for a few projects, which she will reveal once the official announcement is made. “I have finished filming for an English web series, and a Malayalam film, AT (Welcome to the Dark Side),” she concludes.

Sarfira is a uniquely Indian story of grit, determination and jugaad, of an underdog challenging the socio-economic fabric of a system entrenched in class, caste and power dynamics.

Written by Sudha and Shalini Ushadevi, with dialogues by Pooja Tolani, and a G.V. Prakash Kumar musical, Sarfira is produced by Aruna Bhatia (Cape of Good Films), South superstars Suriya and Jyotika (2D Entertainment) and Vikram Malhotra.

South actor Suriya played the lead role in ‘Soorarai Pottru’, he will also be seen in a guest appearance role in ‘Sarfira’.

Apart from this, also be seen in the action thriller film ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ alongside Tiger Shroff which is all set to hit the theatres on the occasion of Eid 2024.

He will also be reuniting with Riteish Deshmukh for the fifth instalment of his hit comedy franchise ‘Housefull’.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail recently completed a 100-day run at theatres across the country. The film released on October 27 and has been getting a lot of love for its endearing storytelling and performances. The film starred Vikrant Massey, Medha Shankar, Anant V Joshi and Anshumaan Pushkar in the lead roles.

An event was held to commemorate the film’s victory at the box office where director Vidhu Vinod Chopra said, “I had a dream that one day if I die, I would love to die in front of the CDs and DVDs of all my films.”

During the event, a special screening of the film was hosted by the makers where Chopra revealed that he had penned 139 different drafts of the screenplay before getting into the final version. All the earlier drafts were rewritten to come up with the final version.

He also spoke about the necessity to think about the intention behind making any film. He said, “The one thing that matters is the intention, for which you’re making a film and to what extent you’re achieving that intention”.

12th Fail, based on a true story, draws from the struggles of the millions of students who attempt the UPSC entrance exam. As per Sacnilk.com, the film has managed to do a business of over Rs. 70 crore worldwide.

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

MUMBAI: Singer Aditya Narayan has received flak after a video of him hitting a fan and throwing their phone amid a concert went viral on social media.

Aditya, son of veteran singer Udit Narayan, was performing at a concert in a college in Chhattisgarh during the weekend.

In a clip, which has now gone viral on social media platforms, the singer is seen crooning ‘Aaj Ki Raat’ from ‘Don’ starring Shah Rukh Khan. He is then seen losing his cool over a fan after the singer noticed him record while he was performing.

The Grammy winner, known for songs such as “Livin’ on a Prayer”, “It’s My Life” and “You Give Love A Bad Name”, said doctors were able to repair the problem by putting a plastic implant in.

“For the last almost two years now, I’ve been in this rehab getting it back together. I’m getting very close to feeling like myself again,” he added.

In a reference to his set at the MusiCares Person of the Year award ceremony on February 2, Bon Jovi said it was “my first live performance in two years”.

“New record’s done. So now I just want to get back to two and a half hours a night, four nights a week before I’m gonna go out there on the road for real. But I’m confident in my doctor,” he added. 

LOS ANGELES: “Oppenheimer” was named the best film of the year by Hollywood’s directors on Saturday, boosting expectations that Christopher Nolan’s long wait for success at the Oscars could soon be over.

The British director — who is renowned for making commercially successful, complex blockbusters, but has not always received love from awards voters — won the top prize at the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards in Los Angeles.

“The idea that my peers would think I deserve this means everything to me,” said Nolan, of his film about the invention of the atomic bomb.

Nolan had been nominated four times previously for the top accolade from the DGA, but had failed to win for “Memento,” “The Dark Knight,” “Inception” or “Dunkirk.”

He will now be hoping he can break a similar losing streak next month at the Oscars, where he has lost all five of his previous nods.

Nolan lavished praise on his filmmaking team for bringing his hugely ambitious visions — including a jaw-dropping replica of the first atomic bomb test — to life over the course of his career.

“People say ‘Christopher Nolan destroyed a real plane’ and ‘Christopher Nolan blew up a building,’ or whatever,” he said.

“Sorry, chaps! It’s all down to you and your teams. And you were never more on your game than making ‘Oppenheimer.'”

Eighteen of the past 20 DGA winners have gone on to also win the Oscar for best director that same year. This year’s Academy Awards take place on March 10.

The other directors nominated by the DGA for its top prize this year were Martin Scorsese (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), Greta Gerwig (“Barbie”), Yorgos Lanthimos (“Poor Things”) and Alexander Payne (“The Holdovers”).

Nolan will go head-to-head with Scorsese and Lanthimos again at the Oscars, but notably not Gerwig, whose apparent snubbing by the Academy as director of blockbuster feminist satire “Barbie” caused outrage.

Gerwig did not address the Oscars controversy Saturday, saying only that recognition “in the company of my heroes” at the DGA gala meant “more to me than I can ever say.”

Comment on that was left to Jonah Hill, who walked on stage and earnestly began: “Before we begin, it would be irresponsible not to acknowledge the recent tragedies.

“Of course, I’m referring to the fact that ‘Barbie’ only got eight Academy Award nominations.”

The DGA prize for best movie from a first-time filmmaker went to another Oscar best picture nominee — Celine Song’s “Past Lives.”

‘Power’

The best documentary went to “20 Days in Mariupol,” which portrayed in harrowing detail the arrival of war to a Ukrainian city that became one of the Russian invasion’s bloodiest battle sites — all captured by video journalists under siege.

“Today, my hometown was bombed and seven people got killed, three of who are children. So it is a sad day,” said director Mstyslav Chernov.

“At the same time, I recognize the power of cinema… when those people run from the bombs that are falling on them, they sit in the basements, to cope with their fear, they watch films.

“Cinema not just leaves these stories in history for next generations… it also helps us all to cope with a sometimes unbearable world.”

The DGA Awards also honor television. “The Last of Us” won the prize for best drama series episode, and “The Bear” won in comedy.

Over the years, films have made us believe that a hero going through a heartbreak must drink. Premalu also has nothing novel to offer in this aspect. However, Sachin (Naslen) does not wait for his heart to break to start drinking. He needs alcohol to propose to the girl he has been harbouring affection for over four years, only to be rejected. The scene then cuts to a mid-shot of Sachin vomiting, followed by the film’s title: Premalu—This brilliant introduction establishes the essence of the entire movie even before the story is set in motion. The film kicks off after that and you experience a stellar ride filled with tales of love, heartbreaks and a laugh riot.

The distinctive style we have seen in Girish’s previous films like Thanneermathan Dinangal (2019) and Super Sharanya (2022), is all the more pronounced in Premalu. Remember the quirky and eccentric Ravi Padmanabhan (Vineeth Sreenivasan) of Thanneermathan Dinangal? or Ajith Menon (Vineeth Vasudevan) of Super Sharanya? Their eccentric characterisations never felt out of place in a Girish film. Similarly, in Premalu, we have Niharika Wanderlust (Meenakshi Raveendran). In the middle of a heated argument, she sings a silly song in the background without minding the events around her. Despite the camera focusing on the foreground, you hear Niharika singing; it elicits a laugh but does not dilute the emotion the scene intends to convey. Not just Niharika, Aadhi (Shyam Mohan), the film’s antagonist is an ode to the legacy of Ravi Padmanabhan and Ajith Menon’s wacky yet delicate and silly villains.

Making a weird character work is a delicate balance that can fall flat if the performance lacks believability. In this regard, Premalu excels as the entire cast equally carries the film. Despite the film featuring a pool of talented actors, Mamitha Baiju stands out as a charmer, effortlessly stealing the show. However, the revelation is Sangeeth Prathap as Amal Davis. With his precise timing and facial expressions, Sangeeth adds a unique comedic charm to the character and acts as a catalyst that complements the performances of both Mamitha and Naslen.

Premalu has a lot of things on its plate but it does not affect the narrative flow. The film lightly touches upon the peripheries of dysfunctional families and the apparent dichotomies of the lower and upper-middle classes living in the city. Premalu succeeded in shifting the Malayali audience’s romanticisation of Banglore and Chennai to Hyderabad.

The movie excels in delivering witty one-liners and situational comedies. For instance, “stalking” is misread as a “stock market”, and a teacher requests a student to sleep without snoring so that the rest of the class can continue uninterrupted. The film hits the marks with popular references such as the “Secret Chamber” from Hridayam, a recurring Instagram joke, and a reenactment of the song “Ya, Ya, Yadava.”

Despite top-notch comedic performances, the film follows a serious tone in the second half. The first sets you up for an enjoyable ride while the second half invites you to feel for the characters, but it falls short. However, when the film seems to be losing track, a fun and endearing car chase sequence brings it back on its feet. Vishu Vijay’s incredible score greatly amplifies such scenes.

In one of the scenes, when a character mocks the other characters’ sophistication as a CBSE student, you’ll crack up high—because is there any better gag to describe a middle-class existence? And when you leave the cinemas, you realise that Girish’s films are not just romantic comedies but a genre of their own.

Director: Girish A D

Cast: Mamitha Baiju, Naslen, Sangeeth Prathap, Meenakshi Raveendran, Shyam Mohan, Akhila Bhargavan, Althaf Salim

(This review originally appeared on Cinema Express)

There used to be a time in Malayalam cinema when police roles were considered the pinnacle for any actor who eyed at becoming a mass hero. In a bid to present these actors as larger-than-life saviours, these cop films, more often than not, ended up celebrating khaki machismo and their brutalities. But lately, there has been a considerable shift in how police tales have been presented with more focus on their lesser-known struggles and how they are just pawns in a bigger game. Unda, Salute, Nayattu, Kuttavum Shikshayum, Kannur Squad… Today’s filmmakers have been cautiously portraying these policemen as ordinary men with their own virtues and vices. At the core of Anweshippin Kandethum is also a bunch of cops, all of different shades and characteristics. The protagonist Anand Narayanan (Tovino Thomas), who has just joined the force, embodies the spirit and enthusiasm of a new joinee, whereas his subordinates are either silent observers or worn out or just experienced enough to know the safe play.
Anweshippin Kandethum primarily deals with two murder investigations, but completely unrelated ones. The only common link between them is the investigation team headed by Anand. Writer Jinu V Abraham, known for penning thrillers like Masters and Adam Joan, seems to have done proper homework regarding the police procedures and protocols to be followed. In the first case, we see how a sub-inspector starts an investigation from scratch and painstakingly gathers various pieces of information before zeroing in on the suspects. There’s a sense of purpose in how they go about with this case, whereas in the second one, the challenges they encounter are multifold. This time around, the sleuths lack a drive, but only before they “coincidentally” land on a few leads.  With the narrative set in the late 80s and early 90s, there’s only minimal technological involvement in the investigations, which makes the proceedings further thrilling.

Though it doesn’t add much to the narrative, it’s noticeable that the two cases are placed in totally different terrains. Cinematographer Gautham Sankar does a fine job in registering the geography as the first case happens in a lush green backdrop, while the other one is set in a dry, hilly area. Apart from the geographical contrast, there are some interesting similarities in the two cases, like how both killings are a result of honour saving. The investigations are also carried out in hostile environments. If it was because of religious and political interference in the first case, the second one faces stiff opposition from the locals who are victims of police harassment. The makers also employ the regular thriller tropes like red herrings in both cases to keep us guessing till the end. But one can’t help but wish a lot of verbose narrative, particularly in the second case, was avoided to let the visuals do the talking. It is perhaps because there was just too much information to unravel, which would’ve further extended the runtime.

Along with his competent technical crew, debutant director Darwin Kuriakose ticks most boxes right to deliver an engaging experience. While Mohandas’ authentic production design ensures the film looks every bit like it’s set in the 90s, composer Santhosh Narayanan and editor Saiju Sreedharan ensure the thrills are never out of place. Shouldering the film, Tovino Thomas perfectly carries the body language and energy of a cop, who’s new on the job.  Even when his superiors (a superb Kottayam Nazeer and Azees Nedumangad) try to cover up the investigation, Anand doesn’t budge because of his conscience. You know where he gets his sincerity and dogged determination from when there’s a casual mention about his father, a retired constable (played by Tovino’s real dad Ellikkal Thomas).

However, only very little is shown of his three other team members—Sukumaran (Pramod Veliyanad), Khader Hasan (Rahul Rajagopal) and Chandrasenan (Vineeth Thattil). Despite having an interesting mix of actors, the film fails to utilise them properly and limits them to just being subordinates. It would’ve helped if these characters had more depth and personality. We’ll probably get to know more of them when they return for their next case. Oops… but yes, the film’s ending does hint that.

Director: Darwin Kuriakose

Cast: Tovino Thomas, Pramod Veliyanad, Vineeth Thattil, Rahul Rajagopal

From films to literature, we have often romanticised heartbreaks. However poignant and beautiful that might be, the slow decay of a once vibrant love, is not a pretty sight. With his directorial debut, Lover, Prabhu Ram Vyas tries to give us a visceral look at the death throes of a relationship, and throughout the film, we are kept wondering if this once intense and happy relationship has any life left in it.

Director: Prabhu Ram Vyas,
Cast: Manikandan, Sri Gouri Priya, Kanna Ravi

Contemporary relationship dramas try to capture the mood and outlook of a relationship at the time they are made. However, most often fail on account of being generously lathered with cinematic exaggerations; this is not the case with Lover. The first thing that strikes you about the film is how real the characters are. Arun (Manikandan) and Divya (Sri Gouri Priya) feel like real people, not just on account of how un-cinematic their expressions and dialogues are, but there is an unapologetic viscerality with which their flaws are portrayed. Arun starts off as a perpetually irate, possessive boyfriend but as the story unravels, these traits are not romanticised but deconstructed in a way that makes us even pity him at some point but not empathise with his flaws. Through multiple episodes of humiliation, the story drags Arun’s character to an extent where we see how the other side of his toxic behaviour is buttressed by low self-esteem, fear of abandonment, and an insatiable need to hold on to what he perceives as the one stability in his life: his relationship. On the other hand, Divya is immensely agitated as she feels trapped in the relationship and is wrestling with doubts. The film tries to show us her flaws as well but it is also registered how these flaws in no way warrant the sheer magnitude of toxicity meted out by Arun. However, Divya’s moments of weakness, like when she invites her ex to a trip with her friends, baffle us. This is not because it is uncharacteristic or is an objectionable thing to do but since we don’t peer into Divya’s psyche, environment, or upbringing—the way we do with Arun— it is hard to understand her decisions, simply because we don’t know her well enough.

Arun is not your conventional hero going through a breakup, Manikandan does not shy away from portraying Arun’s deplorable lows, with a performance that stays loyal to the story and not to the character. The actor leaves no room to misinterpret the character as a poster boy for ‘cool angry boyfriend’. However, Sean Rolden’s background score seems to contradict this in places. Any dissonance we might feel with Divya crumbles towards the end with Sri Gouri Priya’s evocative performance. While most of the supporting cast members are effective, Kanna Ravi’s Madan leaves much to be desired. Lover is refreshing with how it is in no hurry to shoehorn a message or take morality lessons but Madan—Divya’s male friend/co-worker who inflames Arun’s jealousy through no fault of his own—seems like a physical manifestation of Prabhu Ram’s meta-commentary on Tamil cinema’s ‘bestie’ trope, which needlessly vilifies friendship between a man and a woman. While Madan’s characterisation seems to have its heart in the right place, it is heavily unseasoned, undercooked, and as a result, is bland and uninteresting. Lover also relies heavily on multiple montages to move the plot forward which becomes tedious after a point. The filmmaker is largely successful in making us feel what he wants us to feel, and there are no moments in the film that take us out of a scene with its artificiality. However, the tonal grip that Prabhu Ram has for most of the film, is let go towards the very end and we are left with a muddled feeling. While we don’t have an issue with the decisions being made, the way it all ends seems predictable and uninspired. Throughout the film we are thankful for not having the point of the film or its supposed ‘message’ thrown at our faces, which sadly happens towards the end. At places, like the very end when a quote about love is thrown on the screen, the filmmaker could have exercised subtlety. However, by then, it is too late for any of the climax fumbles to tarnish the impression left by the characters, their emotions, and what they went through.

Lover is a straightforward film about love, decay, attachment, and letting go but the straightforwardness is handled with a refreshing dose of conviction. The characters do not go through grand arcs, we are not sure if Arun—even as he evolves—learns the right lessons out of the pain but that only makes the film more real. Lover fumbles in places where it tries to wring the ‘point’ out of a scene but excels in places where a lot is unsaid or unfinished and yet a lot more shines through the subtext.  

(This story first appeared in Cinema Express)

Pixar released a new teaser of the sequel to the much-appreciated 2015 animated film, Inside Out, on Thursday. The sequel, titled Inside Out 2, is slated to hit theatres on June 14, 2024. 

The teaser features Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust and Sadness doing their duties as Riley plays ice hockey. However, they’re all taken aghast when their console turns orange as Anxiety shows up.

Pete Doctor, known for making Pixar classics like Monsters Inc and Up, had directed the original Inside Out. Kelsey Mann is directing the sequel.

Inside Out follows the anthropomorphized versions of emotions inside a young girl, Riley. As Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear struggle to help navigate her life, young Riley goes through a series of changes in her life. 

Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, and Mindy Kaling played the five central emotions while Kaitlyn Dias played Riley, and Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan played her parents. Maya Hawke is the newest addition to the cast and she is behind the voice of Anxiety. 

(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)

The release date for the next instalment in the Jurassic World franchise has been locked. On Monday, Universal Pictures announced that it plans to release Jurassic World 4 on July 2, 2025. According to reports, David Leitch is in talks to direct the film. Leitch, a former stunt performer and coordinator, is best known for directing films like Atomic Blonde, Hobbes and Shaw, and Bullet Train.

David Koepp, the screenwriter of the 1993 original Jurassic Park and its 1997 sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, will pen the script for the new movie. While the makers announced that the upcoming film will follow a new storyline, it is unclear if Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard will return to head the franchise. Spielberg is all set to executive produce the new movie through his company Amblin Entertainment.

ROME: With his latest film in the running for an Oscar, Italian director Matteo Garrone is hoping to shine light on the desperate plight of migrants — all without broaching politics.

“Io Capitano”, an epic tale of two teenagers from Senegal crossing Africa to try to reach Europe, is one of five movies nominated for “Best Foreign Film” at the Academy Awards on March 10.

The Oscar nod is “so important”, the director told AFP, especially “when these delicate stories are told”.

“Every recognition helps us overcome prejudices among a wider audience,” Garrone said during an interview at his office in Rome.

Behind him, dozens of photos and drawings on a storyboard point to the many months spent in Morocco and Senegal to prepare the 11th feature film of the director, best known to international audiences for 2008’s “Gomorrah” and “Pinocchio” in 2019.

Despite its spectacular photography and touches of poetic dreaminess, “Io Capitano” addresses a brutal reality — the ordeal of migrants, many of them mere children, making their way across Africa to finally reach the Mediterranean, and Europe beyond.

In the film, two 15-year-old cousins decide to leave their family without a word to try their chances, a scenario that came to Garrone during his first visit to a reception centre for underage migrants in Catania, Sicily.

While there, Garrone heard how a makeshift vessel that had crossed the dangerous waters with 250 people onboard was captained by a teenager, who had never before been at the helm of a boat.

“It reminded me of adventure stories, of the sea, by Stevenson, by Jack London, by Conrad,” he said.

“We, especially in Europe, are used to imagining that inside those boats when they arrive there are only people fleeing wars or climate change or desperation,” he said.

“This is often the case, but we forget that even in Africa 70 percent of people are young,” he said.

Through images and videos posted on social media, they see a vision of another world in the West, “that makes promises to them”.

“So there is a whole section of young people, as the film tells, who leave to pursue a dream,” Garrone said.

“The dream of knowing the world, finding better opportunities, travelling, trying to succeed today.”

‘Currencies of exchange’

“Io Capitano” captures some of the “almost documentary reality” of “Gomorrah”, about the Camorra mafia in Italy’s south, while also tapping the “magical abstraction” of “Pinocchio”, the director said.

The violence of the migrant traffickers during chilling scenes of torture is reminiscent of methods used by the organised crime group in the Naples area.

“The mechanisms are always linked to the search for profit. These kids, these victims, become currencies of exchange, vending machines,” Garrone said.

But the director, whose country is at the front lines of Europe’s migration issue, stops short of pointing fingers at politicians, saying he began working on the film well before the current hard-right government of Giorgia Meloni came to power.

“It is not a film created to criticise or attack a particular government over another,” he said.

Instead, it was intended “to try to shed light on an unjust system, on a continuous violation of the most basic human rights.”

Papal screening

The film won a Silver Lion best directing award at the Venice Film Festival and a best newcomer award for its young star Seydou Sarr.

In Africa, it has been released in about 20 countries, while in Italy it has made the round of schools and even the Vatican, which organised a special screening in September.

Pope Francis, who has repeatedly spoken out for migrants throughout his papacy, received Garrone and the film’s two stars, Sarr and Moustapha Fall.

“Francesco told us that this is perhaps the biggest problem of our time, you can see how close he feels to it,” Garrone told the Corriere della Sera newspaper after the meeting.

Once migrants from Africa manage to cross the continent to reach the north, they still must survive passage across the central Mediterranean, the world’s deadliest migratory maritime crossing.

Last year, 3,041 people died or went missing trying to cross any part of the Mediterranean, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration.

SAN FRANCISCO: When it comes to dealing with a Florida college student who uses public data and social media to track the private jets of billionaires, politicians and other celebrities, Taylor Swift apparently can’t just shake it off.

In late December, Swift’s camp hit Jack Sweeney, a junior studying information technology at the University of Central Florida, with a cease-and-desist letter that blamed his automated tracking of her private jet for tipping off stalkers as to her location. In the letter, attorneys from the law firm Venable accused Sweeney of effectively providing “individuals intent on harming her, or with nefarious or violent intentions, a roadmap to carry out their plans.”

Sweeney provided the link to that letter in an email to The Associated Press. In that message, he emphasized that while he has never intended to cause harm, he also believes strongly in the importance of transparency and public information.

“One should reasonably expect that their jet will be tracked, whether or not I’m the one doing it, as it is public information after all,” he wrote.

A spokesperson for Swift echoed the legal complaint, saying that “the timing of stalkers” suggests a connection to Sweeney’s flight-tracking sites. The spokesperson did not respond to questions seeking elaboration of that charge, such as whether stalkers have been seen waiting for Swift at the airport when her plane arrived or, alternatively, if there is evidence that stalkers have somehow inferred Swift’s subsequent location from the arrival time of her flight.

The legal letter likewise accuses Sweeney of “disregarding the personal safety of others”; “willful and repeated harassment of our client”; and “intentional, offensive, and outrageous conduct and consistent violations of our client’s privacy.”

Such statements are difficult to square with the fact that Sweeney’s automated tracking accounts merely repackage public data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, a government agency. That fact did not dissuade the Venable attorneys, who demanded that Sweeney “immediately stop providing information about our client’s location to the public.”

The Swift spokesperson did not reply to a question inquiring whether the attorneys had issued the same demand to the FAA.

At one point Sweeney had more than 30 such accounts on Twitter, now known as X after Elon Musk purchased the site for $44 billion in 2022. Musk subsequently had his own dustup with Sweeney, tweeting at one point that his commitment to free speech required him not to ban Sweeney’s @elonjet account even though he considered it “a direct personal safety risk.”

But it wasn’t long before Musk abruptly about-faced and effectively banned the student from X, accusing Sweeney of endangering his personal safety.

Karan Johar, on Tuesday, announced a new series titled Love Storiyaan. The series combines six real-life love stories featured on India Love Project, a social media community founded by former journalists Priya Ramani, Samar Halarnkar, and Niloufer Venkatraman.

The stories are directed by six directors including Akshay Indikar, Archana Phadke, Collin D’Cunha, Hardik Mehta, Shazia Iqbal, and Vivek Soni.

The series will stream on Amazon Prime Video. The caption of their social media announcement post read, “This Valentine’s, we bring you stories that will make you believe in the magic of love inspired by real-life couples and created by the makers of fairytale romances.”

Love Storiyaan is produced by Dharmatic Entertainment Productions with Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra serving as executive producers. It will be released on Amazon Prime Video on February 14.

The monologue is a glimpse of the strong narration of the film and some truths that will be unfolded by the team of the film.

In the teaser the makers have exposed the truth about number of martiers and how Psudo intellectuals in our country are running propaganda to divide the country funded by China. Now is the time to think deep. Soon after the actor shared the teaser, her fans and friends swamped down the comment section and shared their reactions.

“Grab the national award soon dear Adah,” a fan wrote.

Another one commented, “Damdaar teaser aur apka look bhi movie main strong lag raha hai.”

Shah and Sudipto’s first collaboration ‘The Kerala Story’ emerged as one of the most successful films at the box office in 2023 so far. It depicts how thousands of young women were allegedly brainwashed into joining the Islamic State (IS) and heading off to countries like Syria and Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Adah will also be seen opposite Sunil Grover in the web show ‘Sunflower Season 2’.

The site’s back up now, focused around the upcoming album, with preordering and merchandise options. The album will feature 16 tracks, with some editions offering a bonus track, “The Manuscript,” according to product descriptions. On Monday night, Swift released a track listing on social media.

Collaborations include “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone, and “Florida!!!” featuring Florence + the Machine. A selection of other song titles: “Down Bad,” “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” “loml” and “Clara Bow.”

This will be Swift’s 11th studio album, not counting her re-recordings. Her last original album was “Midnights,” released in October 2022. Since then, she’s launched the billion-dollar Eras Tour and released “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”

Swift was accepting the Grammy for “Midnights” when she made the surprise announcement. She later picked up album of the year, the show’s final award, for the album.

Pascal Vedamuthu, who has earlier worked as an assistant director in Magalir Mattum (2017) and Suzhal (2022), is all set to make his directorial debut with Veppam Kulir Mazhai. The film is headlined by Dhirav and Ismath Bhanu, while MS Bhaskar plays a prominent role.

Veppam Kulir Mazhai revolves around a happily married couple, whose relationship starts falling apart due to the societal pressure to conceive a baby. “There is a lot of ambiguity surrounding the concept of procreation, and this film tries to explore whether the pressures placed on a childless couple is due to psychological factors, economic reasons, or others,” says director Pascal when asked what inspired him to make the film.

The director further adds, “In my opinion, it is a couple’s choice to have or not have a child, and that’s one aspect of this film. Veppam Kulir Mazhai will also delve into the psychology of those who want to have a child, but are not able to, due to medical or other reasons.”

Pascal also explains how he arrived at the title. “Scientifically, both heat and cold are required for rain. Similarly, both the complementing nature of a man and woman’s physiology is required to create life,” he explains.

The film’s lead and producer, Dhirav has previously helmed Rajakku Rajada, which is yet to be released. He has also worked as a lyricist and co-director of the National award-winning film, Kuttram Kadithal. On casting Dhirav, Pascal shares, “Dhirav initially came onboard Veppam Kulir Mazhai as the producer. I was still looking for actors at that time and Dhirav expressed his interest in playing the lead. I made him attend my workshop for the film, as I wanted to ensure that he would be able to get the hang of the Sivagangai slang.”