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HBO Max ordered an adaptation of “Station Eleven” in June 2019, months before the Covid-19 pandemic began to sweep the globe. But the series will soon launch in a world in which the pandemic is still ongoing, and it will tell a dual story about the early days of a virus that wipes out much of humanity and about what the world looks like years later.

Since the show has its roots in Emily St. John Mandel’s 2014 novel, showrunner Patrick Somerville shared during a Television Critics Assn. press tour panel for the show on Wednesday that changes were not made out of concern the material may hit too close to home by the time it is finally released.

“We had already started and we believed in the concept,” he explained. “We always wanted to make a post-apocalyptic show about joy. As we began to live it, we began to feel...

InterviewJude speaks on why he made 'Sara's', his view of the 'Me Too' movement and more.CrisCourtesy - Facebook / Jude Anthany JosephSitting side by side for lunch at school, a teenage girl and a teenage boy, very much in love, talk about their future. They will go to the same college, join the same workplace, and get married. It is all distant dreamy faces for both of them until then. That’s when the boy talks about ‘babies’. The smile on the girl disappears, she says no, she will not give birth. The boy drops the egg of his puff quite symbolically and announces, ‘without the egg, the puffs are no good’. That scene and that line of the high school girl in a script he got is what caught Jude Anthany Joseph’s attention. Every time he decides to make a film, there is one such line that catches his fancy,...

ReviewAbortion has often been demonised on screen, and 'Sara's' is refreshing in taking a different view of the issue.Sowmya RajendranAnna Ben's big, bright smile can lighten up the darkest hellhole, and perhaps you need an actor with this amount of on screen likeability to play Sara in Jude Anthany Joseph's latest release that examines a woman's right to abortion. Although the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act in India is fairly liberal, abortion has many a time been equated with 'baby murder' in cinema. Don Palathara's Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam, which premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala earlier this year, also explored a similar theme but with just the couple in focus, traveling to the hospital in a car. Sara's, however, involves the entire family circus. Anna Ben plays Sara, an assistant director, who is looking to make her first feature film (she somehow lives...

MollywoodHelmed by director Jude Anthany Joseph, the plot of the film revolves around the life of an aspiring filmmaker and her unconventional journey.Tnm StaffScreengrab/ YouTubeThe trailer of actor Anna Ben and Sunny Wayne’s upcoming Malayalam film Sara’s was released on Thursday, July 1. Touted to be an unconventional romantic comedy, the film revolves around the story of a young, aspiring filmmaker, who struggles to work on her debut project. The film will start streaming on over-the-top (Ott) platform Amazon Prime Video on July 5. Sharing the trailer, Amazon Prime Video tweeted, “Sara’s life is a smooth ride the same way her directorial debut turns out to be. join us on this crazy adventure. watch Sara’s this July 5!(sic).” We are introduced to Sara, the protagonist in the trailer. While the makers don’t reveal too many details about Sara and her life, we get to know that...

KollywoodSA Chandrasekar’s last film to hit the marquee was 'Capemaari' and at that time there was a buzz that it would be his last directorial.Digital NativeDirector Sa Chandrasekar’s upcoming film is being shot in Chennai, following lockdown protocols. Starring director-actor Samuthirakani in the lead role, this untitled film has Sakshi Agarwal playing the female lead. Confirming her presence in the film, Sakshi wrote on her social media page, “My next. Missed working on the last project but happy that there is the right time for everything #SAChandrasekar. @thondankani With the entire crew.” She also posted a picture with the crew of the film. Reports are that the director is still in the process of roping in his star cast and crew and it will be officially announced soon. This film is touted to be an action entertainer with a socially relevant message, say sources. My next . Missed...

The series Gangs Of London, co-created by Gareth Evans and Matt Flannery, is an epic, violent and incredibly cinematic new show which reinvents the London underworld. Each episode – or block of episodes – has its own tone and arc and feels like a film in its own right, but none more so than episode five. It’s a breakaway from the timeline – taking place after episode two – and it’s a break away from London, taking place mostly in Wales, where Evans is from.

Episode five is directed by Gareth Evans himself, who made The Raid movies, and you can see certain elements and preoccupations from those films come through. We sat down with Evans – via Zoom – to talk through the details of the centrepiece episode from Gangs Of London.

“We knew we wanted to have this overriding arc throughout the entire season. It felt like we were making nine films...

Flix FlashbackWho could play this character better than Mohanlal in prime form? No, that’s not a question and yes, the remake is a bad idea.Krishna KumarSeason (1989) opens with a brief, cryptic voice-over narration by Jeevan (Mohanlal), a handcuffed convict in a police vehicle, as he’s resigned to the idea of another prison term; this time, he’s in for two years. It’s not a hero’s account of how he got here – it’s part complaint (he’s going to miss the sight of fog setting in over the roads), part acceptance of the inevitable (he even lets out a half-chuckle). There’s no affectation here, this is no plodding lead-in, but with every re-watch of the film, this sounds so right – a casual, teasing opening note to what would unfold as a dark story of drug deals, deception and revenge served cold. Writer-director P Padmarajan...

CinemaWhile some say it is for business reasons, others believe it is to bring in more variety into the industry.Anjana ShekarIn Mohanlal’s Malayalam thriller Big Brother, actor Arbaaz Khan, best known for his role in the Hindi film Dabangg (a film that he also produced) played Vedantham Ips. In his blockbuster Lucifer, it was Vivek Oberoi who was the villain challenging him. In Vijay’s Tamil film Bigil that released last year, actor Jackie Shroff played Jk Sharma, President of the All India Football Federation. In the Telugu film Vinaya Vidheya Rama, actor Vivek Oberoi played Raja Bhai Munna, Bihari Kingpin. Over the years, south Indian cinema has imported many Bollywood stars to act as the villain for many reasons. Take, for instance, Sivakarthikeyan’s Hero in which Abhay Deol played Mahadev, a corrupt “corporate monster” who lobotomises young students for coming up with cool inventions. Abhay, who...

Karti ho rani kyun itne bahaane..

Arey hum toh kasam se hain tere deewane

Haaye karti ho rani kyun itne bahaane

Arey hum toh kasam se hain tere deewane

Kyunki tum par hum hai...

(itna majboot jod hai tootega nahi)

Tum par hum hai atke yaara

Dil bhi maare jhatke.. ho..

Kyonki tum ho hatke!

Arey bachke rehna pyar mein

Pad jaaye na tujhko phatke

Kyun mere peeche bhatke!

Dil ko sambhaalo zara aag lag jaayegi

Chhedo na mujhko raja public chillayegi

Haaye public se kehna hum aashiq puraane

Aaye hain phir se hum aankhein ladaane

Kyunki tum par hum hai...

(Jeevan ke saath bhi, jeevan ke baad bhi)

Tum par hum hai atke yaara

Dil bhi maare jhatke.. ho..

Kyunki tum ho hatke!

Arey bachke rehna pyar mein

Pad jaaye na tujhko phatke

Kyun mere peeche bhatke!

Mackenzie Davis (Terminator: Dark Fate) and Himesh Patel (Yesterday) are set to star in HBO Max’s upcoming series adaptation of Station Eleven.

The series is based on a book by Emily St. John Mandel and it’s described as a “postapocalyptic saga spanning multiple timelines.” The series will tell the stories of “survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew while holding on to the best of what’s been lost.”

Here’s the description of the book:

Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.

Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a...

HBO Max has cast “Halt and Catch Fire” alum Mackenzie Davis and “Yesterday” star Himesh Patel as the leads in its limited series adaptation of “Station Eleven.”

Based on the bestselling novel by Emily St. John Mandel, “Station Eleven” is a post-apocalyptic saga spanning multiple timelines. It tells the stories of survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew while holding onto the best of what’s been lost.

Davis will star as Kirsten, a survivor of the pandemic who finds a new life as part of a post-apocalyptic Shakespeare troupe, and Patel will play Jeevan, an unemployed lost soul who must become a leader once the flu strikes.

Also Read: HBO Max Picks Up Amy Schumer Pregnancy Documentary 'Expecting Amy'

“Maniac” creator Patrick Sommerville will write and executive produce the 10-episode limited series, with “Atlanta’s” Hiro Murai set to direct. Scott Steindorff,...

Mackenzie Davis and Himesh Patel have been cast in the lead roles of HBO Max’s upcoming “Station Eleven” series adaptation.

The show is based on the book of the same name by Emily St. John Mandel. Described as a postapocalyptic saga spanning multiple timelines, the series tells the stories of survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew while holding on to the best of what’s been lost.

Davis will play Kirsten, a survivor of the Georgia Flu pandemic and performer in a post-apocalyptic Shakespeare troupe. Patel will play Jeevan, an unemployed lost soul who—when the Georgia Flu strikes—must become a leader.

Davis’ previous TV credits include “Halt and Catch Fire” and “Black Mirror.” On the film side, she will appear in the upcoming release “Terminator: Dark Fate” and has previously starred in films such as “Blade Runner 2049,...

Exclusive: Mackenzie Davis (Halt and Catch Fire) and Himesh Patel (Yesterday) are set as main leads in HBO Max’s Station Eleven, a 10-episode post-apocalyptic limited drama series based on the international bestseller by Emily St. John Mandel, from Maniac creator Patrick Somerville and Paramount TV.

Written and executive produced by Somerville, Station Eleven is a post-apocalyptic saga spanning multiple timelines. It tells the stories of survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew while holding on to the best of what’s been lost.

Davis will play Kirsten, a survivor of the Georgia Flu pandemic and performer in a post-apocalyptic Shakespeare troupe. Patel will portray Jeevan, an unemployed lost soul who must become a leader when the Georgia Flu strikes.

Somerville also will serve as showrunner. Hiro Murai directs and executive produces with Somerville, Scott Steindorff, Scott Delman and Dylan Russell.

Pratidwandi se haar

Sabse bada dhikkar

Naak kata kar ghar mat aana

Kehta hai pariwaar

Hmm.. ho

Hmm.. ho

Hum hain barkhurdaar.. bebas aur lachaar

Jeevan ke sangharsh me hoga kaise beda-paar

Hmm.. ho...

Hmm.. ho...

Antarmann ki khidki khol

Jigar juta kar hall bol

(Antarmann ki khidki khol

Jigar juta kar hall bol)

"Aas" yaaron hoga apna one and only goal

Control... ol ol...

Control... ol ol...

Control...

Control... Control!

Lobh pralobh ki har feeling

Tab tak ignore karenge

Sar ooncha karne laayak

Jab tak score na karenge

Apne character ke andar

Ka Vishwamitra jaga ke

Yaaron kass ke langot

Tapasya hum ghanghor karenge

Agar langot mein hoga hole

Phatt jayega apna dhol

(Agar langot mein hoga hole

Phatt jayega apna dhol)

Jaan se pyari izzat yaaron

Izzat hai anmol mol mol mol mol

Control... ol ol.

Control... ol ol

Control... ol ol

Ol ol...

InspirationThe documentary ‘Jeevanulla Swapnangal’, directed by Ritwik Baiju, tells the story of Jeevan B Manoj, for whom disability has never been an obstacle in conquering heights.CrisThe posters were printed much earlier. Stories about the documentary screening were in the papers. When the audience walked into the Kalabhavan Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram for the first screening of his film Jeevanulla Swapnangal, Ritwik Baiju stood among the crowd, nervous like any director would be before a premiere. He had wondered when he made the documentary on Jeevan B Manoj, a person with Osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease which results in fragile bones that break easily, how to keep an audience interested after the first few minutes. The posters and the papers had told half the story – here is 27-year-old Jeevan, working as a software engineer at Microsoft in Bengaluru, his disability never stopping him at any point in his life. He needn’t have worried.

CinemaJayesh, on whose life the film is based, was accused of the murder of Sundariamma, a 69-year-old woman he had come to see as a mother. CrisJayesh does not have a phone. He plans to get one when his salary comes. For now, if people want to talk to him they call Afsal, his friend. And there are quite a few people calling him now. They want to know if his story is quite the same as the one in Oru Kuprasidha Payyan, the new Tovino Thomas movie. “It is,” Jayesh says. He has seen the film, remembering as he did his life from four to five years ago – working as a waiter at a wayside hotel in Kozhikode, getting arrested one day for the murder of Sundariamma, a 69-year-old woman he had come to see as a mother. Jayesh was acquitted four years ago, but wishes to this day...

Masala brilliance thy name is personified by Manmohan Desai. Masala filmmaking is that secret ingredient to nearly every film in this wide and bountiful Hindi film industry. Of course, filmmakers disguise these elements in the social message films, the love stories, the thrillers, and countless other genre-pictures. If we want something to break up the tension of love scene, add some dishoom-dishoom, or if you want to cool that down, throw in some smart comedy. The ability to freely mix genres and tropes was expertly done in the juggernaut Amar, Akbar, Anthony (Aaa). The late 70s were the beginnings of the Amitabh Bachchan industry and Amar Akbar Anthony marked the partnership between Bachchan and Desai.

Aaa features a 25-minute prologue that stuffs in the three brothers and their parents Kishanlal and Bharati (Pran and Nirupa Roy) as they get torn apart by circumstances. Kishanlal is fresh out of jail for...

In the first of two Yorkshire tributes to a century of Indian cinema, Irna Qureshi tells how a family secret became a matter of pride among friends

Indian cinema is celebrating its centenary this year. It was one hundred years ago that the country's first feature film, Raja Harishchandra was premiered in Mumbai. As Bollywood's global profile goes from strength to strength, I wager that 2013 will also be the year that many of my English friends will finally get around to watching their first Bollywood film.

My own relationship with Indian films goes back 30 years to the 1980s. Things were very different then. We watched Bollywood films at home, but we certainly didn't talk about them beyond our four walls. I think we knew deep down, that this was simply one more thing that set us apart from everyone else. And perhaps that's why I grew up with the perception...

Pran Kishan Sikand

Pran Kishan Sikand dreamt of becoming a professional photographer. Little did he know that a measly, humble ‘paan’ (betel leaf) would change his life and set him on his destined path. It was 1939 or thereabouts. Pran was at a ‘paan’ shop at Lahore, enjoying a munch with his friends when a stranger approached him and asked whether he wanted to act in films. Pran was amused and asked his name. Stranger introduced himself as Muhammad Walli, a renowned film maker in the flourishing film district of Lahore. He said he was making a Punjabi film and Pran looked a perfect fit for the role of a villain in the film. Pran just brushed him off. Walli kept insisting that he pay a visit to the studio, and pushed a piece of paper with his address into Pran’s hands. The film was Yamla Jat (1940), a runaway hit that year.

Hallways adorned with the original posters of timeless classics. Auditoriums across the sprawling campus at Whistling Woods International (Wwi) playing Indian cinema’s gems such as Kabhi Kabhie, Bimay Roy’s Devdas, Sholay, Kanoon, Anand, Magadheera, Diamond Queen, Sahib bibi aur ghulam, Kalicharan, Kagaz ke phool, Charulata, Arth, Awaara, Sholay, Umrao Jaan, Charulata, Guide, Salaam Bombay, Meghe Dhaka Tara, Bandini, Sujata and 36 Chowringhee Lane, Amar Akbar Anthony, Mother India, Pushpak among many others. Workshops, seminars, panel discussions on subjects ranging from film-making, script writing, Marketing and distribution, dance, poetry, music, still photography, cinematography, as well as colourisation of black-and-white films. This and a lot more doses of entertainment, learning and fun concluded the 3-day celebration of the centenary of Indian Cinema organized by students of maverick filmmaker Subhash Ghai’s reputed film school ‘Whistling Woods International”

The inaugural ceremony began on a high note with A. R. Rahman, Gluzar, Saroj Khan,...