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Subhash K Jha looks back at late director Raj Kaushal’s Shaadi Ka Laddoo which starred Sanjay Suri, Ashish Chowdhary, Mandira Bedi, and Divya Dutta. Sanjay Suri shares his thoughts on working with the director who understood how to get the best performance out of him, a man he still misses today.

Raj Kaushal’s Shaadi Ka Laddoo is 21.

A hotshot ad maker, Ravi Kapoor, in London. His buddy Som from Ludhiana. Ravi unmarried and sick of his single status. Som married and raring to go go go. Amusing premise for a romantic comedy, specially when handled by a director who knows the world that he enters. Raj Kaushal takes us into the seemingly sexy but supremely sad world of Ravi Kapoor (Ashish Chowdhary), who looks enviously at his pal’s seemingly perfect marriage with the nice warm Punjabi kudi (Divya Dutta), while Som in London looks at every skirt and sari in sight…...

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) is thrilled to announce the expansion of Iffla Industry Days, a robust two-day forum set to take place on May 8 and May 9, 2025 at the Landmark Theatres Sunset in Los Angeles, CA. Passes are now available at indianfilmfestival.org.

Iffla Industry Days fosters connections between South Asian film and TV creatives and industry leaders. Key executives from Neon, SAGIndie, Netflix, Temple Hill Entertainment, Orion Pictures, Film Independent, Jaya Entertainment, Gaumont Television, Macro, Color Creative, NBCUniversal, and more will participate in a series of Iffla’s dynamic events, including the inaugural program titled Iffla Connect, the Launchpad: Pitch Competition with a $10,000 award, panels and a masterclass.

“Following the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural Industry Day, the expanded Industry Days offers a vital, curated space for visionary creatives from South Asia and its diasporas to connect, engage with prominent industry leaders, forge and nurture meaningful relationships,...

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) will spotlight the acclaimed stage adaptation of “Life of Pi” during its expanded Industry Days program. The panel “Bringing Life of Pi to Life – From Page to Stage” will explore the journey of transforming Yann Martel’s beloved novel into groundbreaking theater featuring innovative puppetry and staging.

Cast members Savidu Geevaratne, Sharayu Mahale and Sorab Wadia will participate in a conversation about representation, adaptation and the cultural significance of a South Asian-led narrative on Broadway and beyond.

The panel is part of Iffla’s robust two-day industry forum scheduled for May 8-9, 2025, at the Landmark Theatres Sunset in Los Angeles, which has been expanded following last year’s successful inaugural edition.

“Following the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural Industry Day, the expanded Industry Days offers a vital, curated space for visionary creatives from South Asia and its diasporas to connect,...

Part of the reason "Bones" lasted as long as it did was because of its unique blend of humor and drama. The show ran for 12 seasons, showcasing throughout an incongruous but somehow charming mix of humorous banter between its characters with some pretty horrific crime scenes and depraved serial killers. But while the humor and the horror were two separate elements, in a way the grotesque bodies on "Bones" were sort of part of the comedy.

Some of the fake corpses made for the show were beyond things you might see in an all-out horror film. There were fresh bodies on "Bones" that even went too far for the show's producers, and one particular body had Zack Addy actor Eric Millegan extra grossed out. These are just two examples from a show filled with some of the most absurdly detailed gore yet seen on a network show. There was even...

The inaugural Tasveer Film Market has unveiled over 40 projects selected from more than 300 submissions across India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, the U.K., the U.S., Canada and Australia. The initiative, positioning itself as a new hub for South Asian and diaspora filmmakers, is set to launch as part of the 19th Tasveer Film Festival in Seattle.

Notable talents presenting projects include Radhika Apte (“The Sleepwalkers”), the Cannes-winning “Joyland” team of Apoorva Charan and Saim Sadiq, Sarvnik Kaur (“Against the Tide”), Q (“Garbage”), Nabeel Qureshi (“Na Maloom Afraad”) and Hania Chima (“Laal Kabootar”). The lineup also features the adaptation of Soniah Kamal’s “Pride and Prejudice” adaptation “Unmarriageable,” led by Sadia Ashraf and James McMillan.

Industry leaders scheduled to attend include filmmakers Deepa Mehta and Pan Nalin, along with representatives from Amazon MGM Studios, Blumhouse, HBO, Est N8, Creativeland Studios, NBCU, CAA and WME. The market has partnered with organizations such as NBCU,...

Jackrabbit Media is heading to Cannes with five new sales projects led by Aimee Kuge’s festival winner Cannibal Mukbang.

The film takes audiences into the bizarre world of mukbanging, where people broadcast themselves eating huge amounts of food, as an introverted nerd finds himself out of his depth after falling for a mysterious woman.

Horror sci-fi Peripheral from Sulayman Tahir explores the unsettling events that unfold when a woman’s husband goes missing, only to return with strange and paranormal occurrences.

The Bunker stars Tobin Bell from the Saw franchise and Tony Todd from Candyman. The sci-fi horror thriller...

Exclusive: Venk Potula has been confirmed for The Black List fellow Nerris Nevarez-Nassiri’s upcoming indie musical Key Change.

The announcement follows the securing of an SAG-AFTRA interim agreement for the project, which has allowed the producers to push on with casting.

Potula previously made waves with his lead performance in Ravi Kapoor’s buzzy Tribeca 2022 selection and IFC and Hulu-acquired comedy Four Samosas.

The new project is described as a semi-autobiographical tale taking inspiration from the Mexican and Indian heritage of creators and writers Nassiri and Potula.

Potula will play a struggling, ambitious music producer who finds himself juggling dreams and newfound responsibilities when a long-lost half-sister walks into his life as he prepares a career-defining showcase.

The film will feature four original songs written by Nassiri, who makes his directorial debut.

Producers are Briana Frapart, Arjun Yadav for Rsa Endeavors, Potula for Khrisp Entertainment, and Nassiri.

New Delhi, April 6 (Ians) Around 74 per cent of Indians are concerned about their personal financial situation, as opposed to 50 per cent globally, while 63 per cent of Indian consumers are cutting back non-essential spending altogether, a new report said on Thursday.

According to the 2023 PwC Global Consumer Insights Pulse report, most Indian consumers expect to reduce their expenditure across all surveyed categories over the next six months, a significant decline in planned spend across all categories since the previous pulse survey in June 2022.

“Consumers will continue to demand world-class buying experiences in both physical and digital channels with work cut out for brands to reduce costs, enhance availability, and for ‘going local’. The silver lining here remains the unequivocal growths in adoption of digital channels and the desire to spend more on travel in the coming months,” said Ravi Kapoor, Partner and Leader – Retail & Consumer, PwC India.

Moreover, the report mentioned that the industries,...

The brilliant comedy Four Samosas, written and directed by Ravi Kapoor is a sparky, quirky heist film with a twist. The film, now in theatres and available On-Demand, stars Venk Potula, as well as Sonal Shah, Sharmita Bhattacharya, Nirvan Patnaik, Karan Soni, Tony Mirrcandani, and Summer Bishil.

Stuck in a rut in life, when wannabe rapper Vinny discovers that his ex-girlfriend Rina is engaged, he decides to disrupt her future wedding by stealing her dowry diamonds from her father’s grocery store. Crewing up with an actor who longs to go to Bollywood, a resourceful do-gooding newspaper editor, and a malcontent immigrant engineer, Vinny and his gang somehow pull off the heist but then comes the next act. To see what happens in the end, you will need to watch it play out in all its comedic glory!

Set entirely in LA’s “Little India” in a world of sari places,...

Four Samosas is 2022’s best comedy. Writer-director Ravi Kapoor's second feature is hysterical, heartfelt, and beautiful to look at. His script and direction are nearly flawless. The cast is pitch-perfect and brimming with promising young talent viewers probably haven’t seen yet, and the result is a crisp comedy with no excess. Though the film is in English, the representation of Indian culture is unlike the average movie seen by American audiences — in the best way possible. Four Samosas bottles youth, love, and Little India into a superb movie-going experience.

Vinny (Venk Potula) spends his days wandering Los Angeles’ Little India with his family and friends. He has a job working at a fabric store, but his true passions are rapping and his ex-girlfriend Rina (Summer Bishil). The only problem is that everyone knows that except him. His friend Zak (Nirvan Patnaik) also has big dreams of being a Bollywood star,...

Actor Ravi Kapoor tries his hand at directing again with his latest feature, “Four Samosas.” Previously, he had directed and co-scripted another cross-cultural comedy, “Miss India America” (2015), with his wife, actress Meera Simhan. This time, the British Indian duo come together again – though this time with a cast of mostly fresh faces – and have met a considerable amount of success so far. Kapoor’s sophomore feature premiered as a nominee for Best US Narrative Feature at Tribeca, and won the Audience Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival. It now will open the holiday season with its US theatrical release this weekend.

“Four Samosas” releases in US theaters on December 2.

“Four Samosas” follows the story of Vinny (Venk Potula), a wannabe rapper who is still hung up over his ex-girlfriend, Rina (Summer Bishil) from three years ago. When news gets out about Rina’s new engagement, Vinny realizes...

A platoon of titles hits the specialty circuit this weekend, getting in ahead of steamroller Avatar: Way of Water and the year-end deadline for Oscar eligibility. This is a soul-searching, what-lies-ahead moment for a market still much too inconsistent for comfort, but that can be pondered later. At the moment, indie distributors are quite busy “with all these movies, and these plans to release theatrically. We are not going anywhere,” said one executive.

The Gotham Awards earlier this were were a shot of goodwill. Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski recalled “the mandate that all of us share in the specialty film business” at the ceremony in NYC, kicking off awards season.

“To all our friends at A24, at Neon, at Searchlight, Sony Pictures Classics, IFC, Bleecker Street, FilmNation, Cinetic, Participant and so many other wonderful companies,” he said — accepting an industry tribute with vice chairman Jason Cassidy – “We are in there together,...

Writer-director Ravi Kapoor continues his stories about South Asians in the United States with his latest, “The Four Samosas,” described as a Wes Anderson-like homage to Artesia in Southern California.

After playing at the Tribeca film festival “Four Samosas” was picked up by IFC Films and opens in theaters and on-demand Dec. 2.

Kapoor drew a number of desis to work before and behind the camera. His wife, Meera Simhan, and daughter Maya were cast in the film and his son contributed music; plus Venk Potula (“Veep”), Sonal Shah (“The High Note”), Sujata Dey (“Definition Please”), among others worked on the film. Potula and Utkarsh Ambudkar (“Ghosts”) were recruited as producers while Aakash Raj was the Dp and Anisha Acharya was the editor. His costume designer, Venk Modur, is another desi.

“I’m always looking out to tell South Asian diasporic stories,” Kapoor says. “That’s definitely an inspiration for me.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

This week’s New to Streaming column is sponsored by Alex Pritz’s The Territory, now streaming on Disney+, courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films.

The Territory (Alex Pritz)

There are about 180 Uru-eu-wau-wau people left in the Brazilian Amazon. This community lives off the land, protecting the Amazon from deforestation, constant threats of violence, and an expanding base of anti-Indigenous sentiment, streaming from the far-right emboldened by President Jair Bolsonaro. Over three years, filmmaker Alex Pritz spent time with these native Brazilians for The Territory, a collaborative, vérité documentary that’s both engaging and terrifying. Pritz even hands over the camera to the Uru-eu-wau-wau at one point, as the group closes their borders and prepares for an ongoing fight to preserve their land.

There are some cinematic affectations that immediately let you know what kind of movie you’re getting into. A wide aspect ratio might prep viewers for sweeping, grandiose visuals; black-and-white coloring tends to invoke pretension. Such choices must be made judiciously, so as not to disrupt or overwhelm the film.

“Four Samosas,” the second feature directed and written by the actor Ravi Kapoor (“Miss India America”), is presented in a square aspect ratio with rounded corners. A warm tint washes over each frame. When text appears on screen, it is bright yellow, the font Cooper Black. This film seems destined to be gratingly twee. Unfortunately, it never shakes that first impression.

Excessive hipsterness can be endearing, if done right, but “Four Samosas” woefully lacks the substance needed to buoy such overstylization. This self-proclaimed heist comedy is woefully lacking in both heists and comedy. Imagine if “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World...

After three weeks at #1, it’s unlikely that “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will have much of a problem going four weeks in a row, with only two new lower-key wide releases this week. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

The widest new release is Universal’s action-comedy “Violent Night,” starring David Harbour from “Stranger Things” as a different take on Santa Claus, this one looking to protect a family from mercenary home invaders.

Although Harbour has become best known for his role as Police Chief Jim Hopper on the Netflix series, he has made a few forays into genre film releases, most notably 2019’s “Hellboy” and Marvel’s 2021 release “Black Widow.” “Hellboy” was seen as a massive bomb, only grossing 21.9 million domestically after a 12 million opening, and that was as good a test as any for Harbour as a leading man.

See 2022 box office hits: Every movie...

Artesia is a small city in Los Angeles County in California, possibly home to an artesian well, but definitely home to Vinny (Venk Potula), an underachieving wannabe rapper. Vinny feels that his creativity and confidence have been stifled after being dumped by his girlfriend Rina (Summer Bashil) three years earlier. Everyone who knows Vinny points out that he probably should have found a way to move on by now. Vinny now channels his rapper skills into sales pitches for sarees in the shop he works in. When he discovers Rina is getting married, and to Sanjay (Karan Soni), whom he considers an idiot, Vinny is jolted out of his state of inaction to finally do something. Along with the help of his friends Zak (Nirvan Patnaik), who works at the local Chaat House restaurant, Anjali (Sharmita Bhattacharya), the perky creator and writer of the Great Little India Times, and Paru...

On Friday, December 2nd, Ravi Kapoor’s acclaimed new comedy Four Samosas will opens both In-Theaters and premiere On-Demand. And we have the deets and a trailer!

The comedy stars Venk Potula (Veep) along with an ensemble cast that includes Sonal Shah (The High Note), Sharmita Bhattacharya (Grown-ish), Nirvan Patnaik, Karan Soni (Deadpool), Summer Bishil (Under the Silver Lake), Meera Simhan (Hello I Must Be Going) and is Executive Produced by actor and rapper Utkarsh Ambudkar.

When wannabe rapper Vinny discovers that his fatalistic ex-girlfriend Rina is now engaged to a goat-shit recycler named Sanjay, Vinny decides to disrupt her future wedding by stealing her dowry diamonds from her father’s grocery store. Crewing up with an actor who longs to go to Bollywood, a resourceful do-gooding newspaper editor and a malcontent immigrant engineer, Vinny and his gang somehow pull off the heist despite their obvious ineptitude. But will the...

"First, I will need snacks!" Yes, me too. IFC Films has revealed an official trailer for a kooky indie comedy titled Four Samosas, made by British-Indian actor / filmmaker Ravi Kapoor. This originally premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, and also played at the Heartland, Newport Beach, and Raindance Film Fests; and it's also screening at the Denver Film Festival soon, too. An unmotivated South Asian American rapper, along with three other first time thieves, plans a heist on a grocery store owned by his ex-girlfriend's father, in order to steal her wedding diamonds and disrupt her pending engagement. Set entirely in Los Angeles' "Little India" (see Google Maps) in a world of sari places, curry restaurants, Indian amateur-dramatic groups and South-Asian revolutionaries, Four Samosas is a love letter to all the “Little India's" around the world, and a celebration of re-discovering your voice and finding your crew.

At this year's Tribeca Film Festival, director Ravi Kapoor dazzled audiences with his Wes Anderson-inspired film Four Samosas set in Los Angeles's Little India. Following a lazy, wanna-be South Asian American rapper named Vinny (Venk Potula), Kapoor's original tale sees the young man and his three friends as they plan to knick the diamonds that are part of his ex-girlfriend's dowry in order to stop her wedding. Collider can exclusively unveil the trailer for the film which sets up Vinny's plight and highlights him and his not-so-competent friends as they attempt their first-ever score in the name of love.

Indian-American film ‘Four Samosas’ has been acquired by IFC Films after it premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. “Four Samosas,” a romantic comedy set in the Little India neighborhood of Los Angeles. IFC will release it in theaters and on demand on December 2, 2022, reports variety.com.

Ravi Kapoor directs and Venk Potula (“Veep”) leads an ensemble cast that includes Sonal Shah, Sharmita Bhattacharya, Nirvan Patnaik, Karan Soni, Summer Bishil, and Meera Simhan.

The film centers on wanna-be South Asian American rapper, Vinny (Potula), who along with three friends – all of them first-time thieves – plans to rob a grocery store owned by his ex-girlfriend’s father, in order to steal her wedding diamonds and disrupt her pending engagement.

“Ravi has made a hilarious film that is part comedy and part heist movie with a spirit and style reminiscent of Wes Anderson,” Arianna Bocco, president of IFC Films said.

“It...

IFC Films has acquired North American rights to “Four Samosas,” a romantic comedy set in the Little India neighborhood of Los Angeles. The film premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

IFC will release “Four Samosas” in theaters and on demand on Dec. 2, 2022.

Ravi Kapoor directs and Venk Potula (“Veep”) leads an ensemble cast that includes Sonal Shah, Sharmita Bhattacharya, Nirvan Patnaik, Karan Soni, Summer Bishil, and Meera Simhan. The film centers on wanna-be South Asian American rapper, Vinny (Potula), who along with three friends — all of them first-time thieves — plans to rob a grocery store owned by his ex-girlfriend’s father, in order to steal her wedding diamonds and disrupt her pending engagement.

“Ravi has made a hilarious film that is part comedy and part heist movie with a spirit and style reminiscent of Wes Anderson,” Arianna Bocco, president of IFC Films said. “It features an incredible ensemble...

Exclusive: Utkarsh Ambudkar, who stars as Jay on CBS’ breakout comedy Ghosts, has boarded the Tribeca-bound indie Four Samosas as an executive producer, with Verve Ventures coming aboard to handle sales.

The comedy from writer-director Ravi Kapoor (Miss India America) centers on a wannabe rapper in L.A.’s Little India, who concocts a backwards plan to disrupt his ex-girlfriend’s wedding by stealing her wedding diamonds. It will be one of just 10 feature films in US Narrative Competition at Tribeca in June—premiering in New York on June 10th, with several other screenings to follow throughout the festival week. Venk Potula leads the cast, which also includes Karan Soni, Sonal Shah, Sharmita Bhattacharya, Nirvan Patnaik, Summer Bishil, Meera Simhan, Sujata Day, Samrat Chakrabarti and Tony Mirrcandani.

Kapoor produced Four Samosas alongside Potula for Khrisp Entertainment, and Rajiv Maikhuri and Craig Stovel for Creative Rebel Productions. Additional executive producers on...

Taking place in its newly minted summer slot of June 8-19, the 2022 edition of Tribeca Festival has now unveiled its film lined up. First, some stats: The features program spans ten categories and showcases 110 feature films and 16 online premieres from 151 filmmakers across 40 countries. The lineup includes 88 world premieres, 2 international premieres, 7 North American premieres, 2 U.S. premieres, and 11 New York premieres. There are 32 directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects, and 50 first-time directors. More than 64 (81) of the feature films are directed by female, Bipoc, and LGBTQ+ filmmakers––46 (58) female directors, 34 (43) Bipoc directors, 8 (10) LGBTQ+ directors.

As for the films, highlights include Andrew Bujalski’s new feature There There, Ray Romano’s directorial debut Somewhere in Queens, Hannah Marks’ Don’t Make Me Go (pictured above), the Jon Hamm-led Corner Office, Andrew Dosunmu’s Beauty, Alexandre O. Philippe’s Lynch / Oz, which explores Victor Fleming’s 1939 classic through David Lynch’s ouevre,...

Meera Simhan (The Flash) is set as a lead opposite Reema Sampat and Chris Sullivan in The Son in Law, ABC’s single-camera comedy pilot from 20th Television.

In The Son in Law, written and executive produced by Ajay Sahgal and executive produced by Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar, a salt-of-the-earth man, Jake (Sullivan), finds himself seeking the approval of his new fiancée Asha’s (Sampat) sophisticated parents, even as he is a difficult-to-impress father-in-law to his daughter’s longtime boyfriend.

2022 ABC Pilots & Series Orders

Simhan will play Khushi Mehta, Asha’s mother, a high-strung, self-involved philanthropist who hails from extreme wealth and whose husband, Om, is the current conductor of the New York Philharmonic. Khushi is an attractive charmer who knows absolutely every bigwig who counts on the Manhattan social scale and who frequently hosts lavish soirees at her 18,000-square-foot 5th Avenue penthouse. Even though her own parents initially...

Crossing Jordan starred Jill Hennessy as the title character, medical examiner Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh, a native of Boston with a troubled childhood that has made Jordan abrasive and pushy in her adulthood. Jordan believes in truth and answers and goes beyond the call of duty to ensure justice for all.

Related: 10 Best Episodes Of Rocko's Modern Life, Ranked (According To IMDb) 

Alongside her mentor and friends, played by familiar actors Miguel Ferrer, Kathryn Hahn, Jerry O'Connell, Steve Valentine, and Ravi Kapoor, the group always put in 110 percent on each case and were always there for one another. They considered themselves family rather than co-workers, which made for some memorable episodes.

The cast of NBC’s crime drama Crossing Jordan have reunited in a bid to support Stacey Abrams’ nonprofit organization Fair Fight in Georgia.

Jill Hennessy, Jerry O’Connell, Kathryn Hahn, Brooke Smith, Steve Valentine and Ravi Kapoor got back together in a virtual special, which will air online on Friday, November 27.

The cast of the Tim Kring-created show tell stories of their six years on the show, which ran from 2001-06, including Hahn’s first day on a television or film set; memories of cast members Miguel Ferrer and Ken Howard, who both have died; and their support for Abrams’ organization and the work its doing ahead of the Georgia runoffs.

Crossing Jordan, which was produced by Tailwind Productions in association with NBCUniversal, ran for 117 episodes and starred Hennessy as Jordan Cavanaugh, a crime-solving forensic pathologist employed in the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The virtual reunion was organized by Chad Darnell,...

Cinema'Nagina', released in the year 1986, was a fantasy film, produced and directed by Harmesh Malhotra. Digital NativeShraddha Kapoor has been roped in to reprise late actor Sridevi’s role in the remake of the 1986 hit movie Nagina. Confirming her role in the remake, Shraddha wrote on her social media page, “It’s an absolute delight for me to play a Naagin on screen. I have grown up watching, admiring and idolising Sridevi ma’am’s Nagina and Nigahen and have always wanted to play a similar role rooted in Indian traditional folklore.” The remake will be directed by Vishal Furia and bankrolled by Nikhil Dwivedi under his banner. Nagina, released in the year 1986, was a fantasy film, produced and directed by Harmesh Malhotra. The screenplay for this entertainer was penned by Ravi Kapoor and the story was penned by Jagmohan Kapoor. It’s an absolute delight for me to play a Naagin on screen.

Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland, Kimberly Elise, Loren Dean, Donnie Keshawarz, Sean Blakemore, Bobby Nish, LisaGay Hamilton, John Finn, John Ortiz, Freda Foh Shen, Ravi Kapoor, Liv Tyler, Natasha Lyonne | Written by James Gray, Ethan Gross | Directed by James Gray

James Gray aims for the stars in his ‘to the stars’ picture and he almost gets there. Lost between our world and his, the Ad Astra lands somewhere between what could have been greatness and what, in the end, falls short.

Another performance from Brad Pitt, aiming for the bleachers, sees him playing Astronaut Roy McBride. The film follows McBride as he undertakes a mission across an unforgiving solar system to uncover the truth about his missing father and his doomed expedition that now, 30 years later, threatens the universe.

The movie is far deeper than that plot can ever detail, it also captures something that is almost impossible to explain.

Producer Ekta Kapoor, who is gearing up for the release of her next production "Fittrat", opened up on her personal life saying that she cant give the remote of her life to anyone else. She also added that she is in a happy space and she doesnt understand how marriage is considered the only thing for personal happiness.

Ekta Kapoor was interacting with the media at the trailer launch of "Fittrat" along with cast members Krystle D'souza, Anushka Ranjan, Aditya Seal and the show's director Santosh Singh on Wednesday in Mumbai.

Also Read:?Ekta Kapoor: My next's a crackling comedy with Disha Patani

Ekta Kapoor has made her mark as one of the leading producers in film, television and the digital platform. Asked if there was any point in her life when she felt deprived, she said: "All of us have had moments where we wanted to buy something and...

Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland, Kimberly Elise, Loren Dean, Donnie Keshawarz, Sean Blakemore, Bobby Nish, LisaGay Hamilton, John Finn, John Ortiz, Freda Foh Shen, Ravi Kapoor, Liv Tyler, Natasha Lyonne | Written by James Gray, Ethan Gross | Directed by James Gray

James Gray aims for the stars in his ‘to the stars’ picture and he almost gets there. Lost between our world and his, the Ad Astra lands somewhere between what could have been greatness and what, in the end, falls short.

Another performance from Brad Pitt, aiming for the bleachers, sees him playing Astronaut Roy McBride. The film follows McBride as he undertakes a mission across an unforgiving solar system to uncover the truth about his missing father and his doomed expedition that now, 30 years later, threatens the universe.

The movie is far deeper than that plot can ever detail, it also captures something that is almost impossible to explain.

Yesterday morning, a long awaited Trailer was released for Ad Astra, a movie that cinephiles have been very much anticipating. Science Fiction has been starting to get its due and respect from the Academy in recent years, so the thought of an art film director tackling this genre, on a huge canvas, with one of the biggest stars in the world, was basically everything that a fan of the movies could ask for. The film did not disappoint with this first look, either. You’ll be able to see the Trailer for Ad Astra at the bottom of this post, though first, let us chat about the flick a bit, especially in terms of how we may have ourselves an Oscar player here. The film is the latest from well respected filmmaker James Gray, his largest scale one to date, easily. This is the simple plot synopsis from IMDb:...

Hey, "Elementary" fans. It's that time again for a brand new season 7! It's, of course, going to start off with the premiere episode 1, which we'll be going over right now. The wonderful folks over at CBS were nice enough to deliver a press release for the premiere episode 1. So, that's what we'll be using for this spoiler session. To get things started, CBS revealed that the premiere episode 1 is officially titled, "The Further Adventures." Episode 1 sounds like it will feature some pretty interesting and dramatic scenes as Holmes and Watson take a new journey inside the tabloid industry. Captain Gregson gets wracked with guilt. Holmes gets homesick and more. We'll go ahead and start off this spoiler session with the Holmes and Watson situation. It turns out that these two will have new careers as consultants for Scotland Yard. This new career path will end up taking them deep inside...

Shane’s Inspiration is an organization that aims to eliminate bias against children with disabilities by creating Universally Accessible Playgrounds and programs that integrate children of all abilities socially, physically and emotionally, fostering acceptance, friendship and understanding.

The organization’s celebrity supporters over the years include Mike O’Malley, Kevin McHale, Paris Barclay, Steve Valentine, Ravi Kapoor, Dakota Fanning, Halle Berry, Paula Abdul, Michael Chiklis, Jamie Lee Curtis, Sean Hayes, Laura SanGiacomo, Wallace (Wally) Langham, Jerry O'Connell, Rebecca Romjin, Maria Shriver, Jill Hennessey and Kathryn Hahn.

Celebrity supporters

Shane's Inspiration has 22 known supporters, including Halle Berry, Jason Mraz, and Julia Roberts

Areas of work ChildrenPhysical Challenges Read more about Shane's Inspiration's work and celebrity supporters. Related articles Join The Shining Stars At Shane's Inspiration GalaLTTS Exclusive: Shane's Inspiration Shooting Stars GalaLTTS Exclusive: NBA and Nascar Legend Derek StrongStars To Attend Wheelchair Art Event For CharityStars To Come Out For Shane's...

Choreographer-turned-filmmaker Farah Khan says she is happy for Ekta Kapoor, who has become a mother of a baby boy and says that having children is a life changing event.

Farah spoke to the media on the sidelines of Ekta's epic 'baby naming' ceremony that was graced by many in Bollywood on Monday here.

"I am really very happy for both, Tusshar and Ekta. It is my kids' birthdays as well, so I am here to give blessings," said the 54-year-old Bollywood personality, who is married to Shirish Kunder and has triplet Czar, Diva and Anya.

"It is a life changing event to have children and only when you have kids then only you realise what is important in life," she added.

Producer Ekta Kapoor became a mother with the help of surrogacy.?

She has named her son after her father Jeetendra's original name Ravi Kapoor, with an extra 'E' to it.

TollywoodThe shooting for the film is scheduled to begin in August this year.Digital NativeReports are doing the rounds that SS Rajamouli’s upcoming multi-starrer may be a remake of the smash hit Bollywood flick Karan Arjun. Released in 1995, Karan Arjun had Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in the lead roles. The film was directed and produced by Rakesh Roshan and was written by Sachin Bhowmick, Ravi Kapoor and Anwar Khan. Made on a budget of Rs 5 crore 23 years ago, the film collected about Rs 53.58 crore at the box office worldwide. According to sources, Rajamouli and his dad Kv Vijayendra Prasad are working on the storyline and it may be tweaked a bit while keeping the core plot intact. It may be mentioned here that Vijayendra Prasad had penned the story for the hit Bollywood film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which had Salman Khan in the lead role. The film won several awards and Vijayendra Prasad was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Story. Director Rajamouli, after the reverberating success of the Baahubali franchise on which he spent five years, had announced that he would be working on a multi-starrer featuring Ram Charan Teja and Jr Ntr in the lead roles. The test photoshoot for this project, tentatively titled Rrr, happened in the Us a couple of months ago with both the lead stars participating in it. The shooting for the film is scheduled to begin in August this year and the director is busy with the prep work. It has been reported that the director wants to take adequate time to shoot. Though the shooting of Baahubali 1 and 2 went on for five years, the director plans to complete shooting for his next film in one and half years. In the meantime, Ram Charan Teja and Jr Ntr are busy with their respective projects, which will be completed before Rajamouli starts the shooting for Rrr. While reports may indicate that Rrr is a remake of Karan Arjun, we need to wait for an official confirmation from the makers. Also read: ‘Kaala’ review: This Rajinikanth-Pa Ranjith film brings revolution to the screen (Content provided by Digital Native)...

Begum Jaan starring the incredible Vidya Balan is all set to hit theatres on 14th of April, 2017. The recently released trailer has been deeply appreciated by the audience and critics alike. It crossed 20 million views on all social media platforms and is still climbing.

Begum Jaan gives you not only the best of content but a powerhouse talent in the form of Vidya Balan and a stellar ensemble cast including Gauahar Khan, Pallavi Sharda, Chunky Pandey and Naseeruddin Shah amongst others, Begum Jaan is truly the film to watch out for in 2017.

Vidya has absolutely stolen the show in her oustandingly powerful performance of the bold yet badass Begum Jaan. Seen hurling expletives, holding guns or smoking sheesha, the dauntless Vidya Balan is ready to give you the fight of your life accompanied by her gang of women including Gauahar Khan and Pallavi Sharda amongst others. Vidya mouths the dialogue...

One of L.A.'s most eclectic and renowned festivals, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla), has announced its 2015 lineup of narrative and documentary features and short filmsl. The impressive program, which includes several works that premiered in Cannes and Berlin, reflects the rich diversity of Indian cinema, as well as the future of Indian filmmaking, with cutting-edge filmmakers bringing their acclaimed films to Los Angeles.

Celebrating its 13th year, Iffla will run April 8-12 at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival’s home since its inception. You can purchase Festival Passes and Gala tickets on the festival's website. Individual screening tickets are also available.

Iffla 2015 will screen 25 films, including four world premieres, seven North American premieres, two U.S. premieres, and 10 Los Angeles premieres. The films hail from six different countries, including India, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Cuba, in 10 different languages, from Hindi and Tamil to English, Spanish, and German.

Highlights include: the centerpiece and world premiere screening of "One Crazy Thing," directed by Iffla alum Amit Gupta ("Jadoo") and featuring BAFTA ‘Breakthrough Brit’ winner Ray Panthaki and Daisy Bevan ("The Two Faces of January") in a comedic story about a man who meets the girl of his dreams, but struggles to find a way to tell her how he became an internet sensation and the Los Angeles premiere of Academy Award-winner Danis Tanovic's latest feature film "Tigers," starring Bollywood heartthrob Emraan Hashmi in a political thriller based on the true story of a salesman who took on a multinational pharmaceutical corporation guilty of marketing a baby formula that caused hundreds of infant deaths.

Additional highlights include: "Jai Ho," a documentary feature on one of the most prolific composers in the world, A.R. Rahman directed by Umesh Aggarwal; Kanu Behl’s "Titli," which had its world premiere at Cannes in 2014, shot on Super 16 and starring gifted newcomer, Shashank Arora, in a coming of age story set against Dehli’s dark side where perpetual cruelty and violence prevail; and "Miss India America," directed by Iffla alum Ravi Kapoor and starring Tiya Sircar ("The Internship") and Hannah Simone ("New Girl"), is the story of a woman's plan to win the crown after her boyfriend runs off with the former Miss India America.

The Opening and Closing night red-carpet galas have also been announced: Shlok Sharma’s debut feature film "Haraamkhor," starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and produced by Anurag Kashyap ("Gangs of Wasseypur") and Guneet Monga ("The Lunchbox") will open the festival with its world premiere. Nagesh Kukunoor’s "Dhanak" ("Rainbow") will have its U.S. premiere as the Closing Night film, fresh from 2015 Berlinale where it won Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury for best feature film.

The 2015 lineup also includes titles from the diverse regional language cinemas of India. Along with Bengali and Malayalam films, Iffla will screen two Marathi language features, including the North American Premiere of "Elizabeth Ekadashi." Tamil language titles include the documentary "Amma and Apaa,"about a filmmaking South Indian/German couple and their parents, and the U.S. premiere of the delightful "The Crow’s Egg," which premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Produced by famed South Indian actor Dhanush (best known for the popular song “Why This Kolaveri Di” from the film 3), the film follows two young boys in a slum who try to get their first bite of pizza after seeing it in an ad.

“Many of the films at this year's Iffla look at contemporary youth from diverse backgrounds, united in their creative ways of overcoming life’s situations. The palpable energy of youth spirit runs throughout our film lineup, and these stories take you on an adventurous journey,” said Jasmine Jaisinghani, Iffla’s Artistic Director. “I believe our audiences will engage with these riveting characters and be fully entertained."

A special inclusion for Iffla 2015 is a Secret Screening for passholders only, offering a first look at a film that has become a sensation in festivals around the world, winning numerous awards. The film is slated to release later this year. Directed by one of the most exciting auteurs in contemporary Indian cinema, and featuring a powerhouse performance by one of India's brightest young stars, this is a film. It's expected to be a highlight of this year's festival.

The festival’s popular “Bollywood by Night” series returns this year with an exciting screening of Bollywood smash "Taal." Directed by Subhash Ghai and featuring Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Akshaye Khanna. Originally released in 1999 to worldwide acclaim, "Taal" features iconic music composed by A.R. Rahman and is considered one of the best soundtracks in Bollywood history.

The shorts competition showcases an diverse selection of 10 films including narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated works. Highlights of this year’s program include: acclaimed director Gitanjali Rao’s "TrueLoveStory," a stunning animated film that made its premiere at the Critics’ Week section of Cannes; Jayisha Patel's multiple award-winning documentary "A Paradise" ("Un Paraiso"); and the U.S. premiere of three of India’s National Award winners, Pranjal Dua’s "Fly, Bird" (Chidiya Udh), Christo Tomy’s "Virgin" ("Kanyaka"), and Ruchir Arun’s "Mandrake! Mandrake!." In addition, screening with "Jai Ho" will be Satyajit Ray’s "Two," a spellbinding and deeply affecting short film by India’s master storyteller, which has been beautifully preserved by the Academy Film Archive.

Attending the festival this year to present their films will be a group of celebrated filmmakers, including Nagesh Kukunoor ("Dhanak"), Kanu Behl ("Titli"), Amit Gupta ("One Crazy Thing"), Ravi Kapoor ("Miss India America"), Paresh Mokashi ("Elizabeth Ekadashi"), Bikas Mishra ("Four Colors ), Shlok Sharma and award-winning producer Guneet Monga ("Haraamkhor").

Iffla will also host a number of the films’ stars, including: Ray Panthaki and Daisy Bevan from "One Crazy Thing;" critically-acclaimed Nawazuddin Siddiqui for "Haraamkhor;" and from"Miss India America," Hannah Simone ("New Girl"), Tiya Sircar ("The Internship"), and Meera Simhan ("Anger Management") who is also the film’s co-writer.

For tickets and the festival's schedule visit Here...

13th edition of festival will feature four world premieres and seven North American premieres.

Now in its 13th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) has unveiled its 2015 lineup, running April 8-12 at ArcLight Hollywood.

This year’s festival will feature 25 films, including four world premieres, seven North American premieres and two Us premieres.

Highlights include the world premiere of Amit Gupta’s One Crazy Thing, the Us premiere of Danis Tanović’s Tigers [pictured], Umesh Aggarwal’s A.R. Rahman documentary Jai Ho, Kanu Behl’s Titli and Ravi Kapoor’s Miss India America.

As announced last week, Shlok Sharma’s debut feature Haraamkhor will receive its world premiere as the opening film, while the Us premiere of Nagesh Kukunoor’s Dhanak (Rainbow) will close the festival.

“Many of the films at this year’s Iffla look at contemporary youth from diverse backgrounds, united in their creative ways of overcoming life’s situations. The palpable...

It's pilot season once again for Amazon Studios, and among the five announced shows getting a test run, two seem to offer a little something for the horror crowd. Read on for more about "Hand of God" and "Hysteria."

"Hand of God," directed by Marc Forster, stars Ron Perlman and Dana Delaney. You can get more info and watch the pilot here.

Co-stars include Alona Tal, Garret Dillahunt, Julian Morris, Emilio Rivera, Andre Royo, Maximiliano Hernández, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Wes Chatham, Sandy Martin, Elizabeth McLaughlin, Anthony Starke, Daniel Louis Rivas, Elaine Tan, Ravi Kapoor, Hugh Dane, Julian Acosta, Jennifer Cortese, and Brett Wyman.

Synopsis:

A psychological drama about a morally-corrupt judge who suffers a breakdown and believes God is compelling him onto a path of vigilante justice.

"Hysteria," directed by Otto Bathurst, stars Mena Suvari and T.R. Knight. You can get more info and watch the pilot here.

Co-stars include Laura San Giacomo,...

Indian-American actor Arjun Gupta describes Sam, the character he portrays on Showtime's dramedy Nurse Jackie, as a recovering drug abuser who's simply trying to live his life with both feet on the ground. "In other words, I'm not a terrorist, computer nerd, doctor or emasculated male," he says. "These are the handful of archetypes that Indian actors typically get cast to play."

Image courtesy of Coeli Carr

I caught up with Gupta late last week when he was a supportive presence at the fourth annual gala of the Nanubhai Education Foundation, an organization dedicated to education reform in rural India.

"I like fragmenting what it means to be Indian in this country," says Gupta. As a nurse on the graveyard shift with substance-abuse tendencies -- not your more Indian-friendly physician type -- Gupta is going against the grain. "When you see American actors, you associate them with playing hundreds of different characters,...

Indian-American actor Arjun Gupta describes Sam, the character he portrays on Showtime's dramedy Nurse Jackie, as a recovering drug abuser who's simply trying to live his life with both feet on the ground. "In other words, I'm not a terrorist, computer nerd, doctor or emasculated male," he says. "These are the handful of archetypes that Indian actors typically get cast to play."

Image courtesy of Coeli Carr

I caught up with Gupta late last week when he was a supportive presence at the fourth annual gala of the Nanubhai Education Foundation, an organization dedicated to education reform in rural India.

"I like fragmenting what it means to be Indian in this country," says Gupta. As a nurse on the graveyard shift with substance-abuse tendencies -- not your more Indian-friendly physician type -- Gupta is going against the grain. "When you see American actors, you associate them with playing hundreds of different characters,...

With its jury members featuring heavy-hitters such as critics Robert Koehler and Claudia Puig, as well as AFI’s Myriam Despujoulets, Women in Film’s Susan Cartsonis, Ravi Kapoor from “Crossing Jordan” and Parvesh Cheena of “Outsourced,” Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles announced its 2011 winners:

Grand Jury Awards:

Best Narrative Feature:

Udaan

(Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane)

Best Documentary Feature:

I Am

(Directed by Sonali Gulati)

Honorable Mention:

Ganesh Boy Wonder

(Directed by Srinivas Krishna)

Best Short Film:

The Eclipse Of Taregna

(Produced/Directed by Rakesh Chaudhary)

Honorable Mention:

Tubelight’S Moon (Tubelight Ka Chand)

(Written/Directed by Shlok Sharma)

Audience Awards:

Narrative Feature:

I Am Kalam

(Directed by Nila Madhab Panda)

Documentary:

Big In Bollywood

(Directed by Kenny Meehan, Bill Bowles)

Short:

Tubelight’S Moon (Tubelight Ka Chand)

(Written/Directed by Shlok Sharma)

To find out more, or to see how to submit for next year’s festival, check...

With its jury members featuring heavy-hitters such as critics Robert Koehler and Claudia Puig, as well as AFI’s Myriam Despujoulets, Women in Film’s Susan Cartsonis, Ravi Kapoor from “Crossing Jordan” and Parvesh Cheena of “Outsourced,” Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles announced its 2011 winners:

Grand Jury Awards:

Best Narrative Feature:

Udaan

(Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane)

Best Documentary Feature:

I Am

(Directed by Sonali Gulati)

Honorable Mention:

Ganesh Boy Wonder

(Directed by Srinivas Krishna)

Best Short Film:

The Eclipse Of Taregna

(Produced/Directed by Rakesh Chaudhary)

Honorable Mention:

Tubelight’S Moon (Tubelight Ka Chand)

(Written/Directed by Shlok Sharma)

Audience Awards:

Narrative Feature:

I Am Kalam

(Directed by Nila Madhab Panda)

Documentary:

Big In Bollywood

(Directed by Kenny Meehan, Bill Bowles)

Short:

Tubelight’S Moon (Tubelight Ka Chand)

(Written/Directed by Shlok Sharma)

To find out more, or to see how to submit for next year’s festival, check...

Ravi Kapoor has landed a role on FlashForward.

As first reported by TV Guide, the actor will portray Kapoor Malik, a man with a connection to Brian F. O'Bryne's Aaron Stark. They come into contact with one another when the latter travels to Afghanistan later this season.

Kapoor played Dr. Mahesh "Bug" throughout Crossing Jordan's six-season run. More recently he's guest-starred on 24, Fringe and Heroes and he's signed on for one episode of FlashForward.

The drama returns on March 18.

Ravi Kapoor to guest star on FlashForward It seems that a Crossing Jordan star is crossing over to a new network for a guest-starring role. TV Guide is reporting that Crossing Jordan alum Ravi Kapoor will guest star in an episode of FlashForward this season.

While it wasn't quite clear when the episode would air, it was said that Kapoor would play a man who Brian F. O'Byrne's Aaron Stark meets while in Afghanistan trying to piece together what happened to his daughter.

FlashForward stars Joseph Fiennes, John Cho, Jack Davenport, Zachary Knighton, Peyton List, Brian F. O'Byrne, Courtney B. Vance, Sonya Walger, Christine Woods and will return with all new original episodes on Thursday, March 18 at 8 Pm Et on ABC.

They are the two comeback stories of this pilot season, projects developed years ago that have been resurrected and have landed orders at the broadcast networks.

The two comedies -- "Nirvana" at Fox and "Outsourced" at NBC -- have something else in common: They both are ensemble shows about Indians and Indian Americans.

A third project, a U.S. version of popular British comedy "The Kumars at No. 42," about an immigrant Indian family, also is poised for revival. Eight years after NBC took a stab at the format, the show's British producers are shopping it to U.S. networks, including FX.

Is it a coincidence or a delayed "Slumdog Millionaire" effect?

"I do think that 'Slumdog' had a lot to do with it," a TV studio executive said of India's rapid emergence on the U.S. pop culture scene. "It was boiling, hovering there, with the increasing popularity of Indian clothing,...

Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh has encountered lots of scary killers and tough cases in her work in the Boston Medical Examiner's Office. Played by Jill Hennessy, Jordan is sexy, smart and fearless but, is she any match for her the biggest challenge yet?

Crossing Jordan debuted on September 24, 2001 on NBC. The title of the show plays off the lead character's name and also alludes to the biblical story of the Hebrews crossing the Jordan River (often used as a metaphor for passing from this world to the after-life). The series initially involved Jordan and her father (Ken Howard) role-playing various murder case scenarios, allowing Jordan to figure out the crime's circumstances. As the show progressed, the series has evolved into focusing more on its ensemble cast and their various cases. The current sixth season cast includes such diverse actors as Miguel Ferrer, Ravi Kapoor, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Valentine, Ravi Kapoor, Steve Valentine,...