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Exclusive: This year’s Manchester Film Festival is set to run from March 14 – 23 and will open with a screening of The Penguin Lessons, directed by British filmmaker Peter Cattaneo and starring Steve Coogan.

Based on the best-selling memoir, the film tells the story of an Englishman’s personal and political awakening during a cataclysmic period in Argentine history, brought about by his unlikely adoption of a penguin.

Manchester will screen 37 features, including 15 UK premieres and 4 world premieres. All films will be screening in Manchester for the first time. This includes the Manchester premiere of the UK’s Oscar selection Santosh from Sandhya Suri, Sundance, and Cannes hit Good One directed by India Donaldson, and South by Southwest Audience Award Winner My Dead Friend Zoe from Kyle Hausmann-Stokes.

Other highlights include the UK premieres of Y2K, A24’s latest horror comedy starring Fred Durst and directed by Kyle Mooney, the...

While not one of the most popular of the crime drama genre, the rookie police formula is one that's been explored to largely gripping success, the most iconic being the Denzel Washington-led Training Day. However, while Antoine Fuqua's 2001 hit is certainly a thrilling ride, the rookie police movies that always stand out to me are the ones that aim to say something about law enforcement, good or bad, with their story, and Sandhya Suri's Santoshproves to be the perfect vehicle.

Newly widowed Santosh Saini inherits her late husband's position as a police constable in rural Northern India. Under the mentorship of Inspector Sharma, she investigates the murder of a low-caste girl, confronting systemic corruption and societal prejudices.

Release Date  December 27, 2024Rating  RRuntime  128 MinutesGenres  Drama, Thriller, CrimeCast  Prashant Kumar, Shashi Beniwal, Sanjay Bishnoi, Naval Shukla, Shahana Goswami, Sunita RajwarDirector  Sandhya SuriWriters  Sandhya SuriDistributor(s)  Metrograph Pictures

The movie centers the titular Santosh Saini,...

There is a certain ferocity in lead actress Shahana Goswami's lioness eyes that effectively carries her stunning new feature, Santosh, all the way to the harrowing finish line. Goswami's exhausting journey as the eponymous female officer trying to navigate an unwieldy investigation into a woman's rape and murder in rural India might have you holding your breath in tension. After a twisty, unnerving two hours, writer-director Sandhya Suri's great police thriller finally lets you exhale.

There is plenty else to soak up in this suspenseful character study, keeping you guessing at almost every turn — even down to the subtle actions by its at-times unpredictable protagonist. It's an immersive, documentary-like experience that might spike one's blood pressure at certain points, and lose some moviegoers at other points due to the slow-burning nature of the mystery. However, patience is rewarded in this unique tale that takes us to a...

Sye Oy Movie Re-release 2025 (Photo Credit – Twitter)

Telugu cinema lovers have something exciting to look forward to this New Year. Two classic films are set for a re-release in theatres. Sye (2004), directed by Rajamouli, and Oy (2009), directed by Anand Ranga, are both making a comeback. Siddharth’s Oy was re-released a few days ago, but now, the film is being re-released. These films will hit theatres on January 1, 2025, allowing fans to experience the magic of these beloved movies once more.

‘Sye,’ directed by SS Rajamouli and written by Rajamouli and V. Vijayendra Prasad, tells the story of two rival student gangs. Prithvi (played by Nithiin) and Shashank (played by Shashank) lead the gangs, and they eventually join forces to defeat a mafia leader.

The plot revolves around a rugby match in which the two gangs compete to win back their college ground. Other actors in the film include Genelia, Pradeep Ram Singh Rawat,...

[The following story contains spoilers from Santosh.]

Sandhya Suri’s Santosh won two British Independent Film Awards on Sunday.

Not only were Balthazar de Ganay and James Bowsher honored in the breakthrough producer category, but Suri also took home the best screenplay award for her feature film debut.

The British-Indian director’s background is firmly in documentaries and Santosh, in its very early stages, was going to be just that: a forensic look at the rife violence against women in India, the deeply embedded corruption within its police force and the powerless women forced to watch on.

“I couldn’t figure out how to do it as a documentary form because it was just too horrific,” Suri tells The Hollywood Reporter about the U.K.’s Oscars submission for best international feature. “I dropped the project.”

But it was the brutal and shocking case of 23-year-old Jyoti Singh, who was gang raped by the driver of the...

Did Saroj Khan ignore Salman Khan? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Salman Khan and Late Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan had bitter relations for nearly three decades. The coldness was such that Salman refused to work with Saroj for almost his entire career.

It all began on the sets of Andaz Apna Apna in 1994. It is well-known that Salman and Aamir Khan had a rough relationship on the set. While both had equal stardom, Salman felt that Saroj Khan gave particular importance to Aamir Khan.

According to the late choreographer, Salman once approached her on the film set, accused her, and spouted sinister words. He then said that when he became a big star, he would not work with her.

Trending Ira Khan Opened Up On Nmacc Outfit Trolling, Blamed Aamir Khan For Lack Of Event Details: “He Didn’t Communicate”

Did Avinash Tiwary Accidentally Hit Amitabh Bachchan On Yudh Sets?

“Tum Aamir Khan ke boht ghusti ho.

Mumbai Film Festival has announced the 11 titles selected for its South Asia competition, the main competitive section of the festival, which includes the UK’s Oscars submission, Sandhya Suri’s Santosh, making its South Asian premiere.

The line-up also includes Nepal’s Oscars submission, Min Bahadur Bham’s Shambhala, along with one other Nepali title – Deepak Rauniyar’s Pooja, Sir – and Bhutanese title Agent Of Happiness, directed by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbo.

Indian titles in the competition include Rima Das’ Village Rockstars 2, which recently won a Jiseok award at Busan International Film Festival; multiple award-winner Girls Will Be Girls, by Shuchi Talati; Raam Reddy’s The Fable and Midhun Murali’s Kiss Wagon (see full line-up below).

The non competitive Focus South Asia section is screening ten features and 13 shorts, including a title from Afghanistan – Roya Sadat’s The Sharp Edge Of Peace – and a short film from Myanmar,...

The evening of 8th December, 2016. The world for a lot of Indian people changed when the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the government would be discontinuing the then-in-circulation big denomination notes of 500 and 1,000 Rupees with immediate effect, in a bid to fight black money and counterfeit currency. This left many a people in the lurch, their stockpile of unaccounted black cash almost immediately amounting to nothing but useless pieces of paper. This led to a new enterprise of people trying to exchange the older notes for the newly introduced ones at a premium commission. It is in this chaotic situation that debutant director sets the story of his first feature “1888”.

“1888” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative

In the aftermath of the announcement of demonetization, popular actress-turned-politician Sandhya Shetty is stuck with a conundrum as she looks to get a large sum of old notes changed to the new legal tender.

Deepika Padukone’s Kalki 2898 Ad Poster, Casting Of Mrunal Thakur In Kanchana 4 Clarified, Amrita Rao Returns To Jolly Llb 3 & Much More – Today’s Top Trending News. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Another day, and we are ready to serve you a new list of entertainment updates you might have missed. The entertainment world is buzzing with the latest updates. Check out all the top trending news here. Sona Mohapatra called out Vishal Dadlani’s double standards over his job offer to the Cisf constable who slapped Kangana. Amrita Rao will return to the screens with Jolly LLB3, Deepika Padukone’s Kalki 2898 Ad poster, and Australian film director Philip Joyce wants to work with Srk; here are all the latest updates and trending news from the entertainment world.

As you wrap up your weekend, get all the latest entertainment gossip, from movie announcements to feuds.

Sona Mohapatra Slams Vishal Dadlani...

Exclusive: Mike Goodridge has been on a rare journey. Not many in the industry can boast a CV that includes running a trade publication, an international sales company, a film festival and being the producer of multiple Cannes Film Festival movies.

Goodridge, the former editor of Screen International, CEO of Protagonist, and artistic director of the Macao Film Festival, is on the Croisette this year with Un Certain Regard thriller Santosh. In the UK-Germany-France co-production by filmmaker Sandhya Suri, a government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh (Shahana Goswami) inherit her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a low-caste girl is found raped and murdered, she is pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.

Filming begins this summer in Asia on Good Chaos/Nine Hours production for Netflix The Ballad Of A Small Player, Ed Berger’s...

Exclusive: Mike Goodridge’s growing UK production company Good Chaos, which is in Cannes with Un Certain Regard title Santosh, has had a minority equity investment from Cameron Lamb’s Paris-based audio platform Alexander.

The investment will give Alexander an opportunity to develop its growing non-fiction IP library, across film and TV formats, while Good Chaos has been able to grow its headcount, operations and production reach.

The companies’ first joint film project is Wife, Witch, Poisoner, Whore, a period thriller based on the Alexander audiobook by Katherine Rundell, and narrated by Helena Bonham Carter.

The official synopsis reads: “Beautiful, rich, clever, and determined English noblewoman Frances Howard was a dazzling celebrity at the court of James I. But when the unhappy teenage bride rebelled against the patriarchy of her day, she was put on trial for witchcraft, infidelity and murder – very nearly at the expense of her life.”

Good Chaos is on a roll.

Bachelor Party is one of the rare films from the Kannada industry that relies heavily on realism and good humor. There were over-the-top sequences, but the partly satirical nature of the film allows us to believe those moments and get a laugh out of them. Directed by Abhijit Mahesh, Bachelor Party is about a young married man who is tired of his self-centered wife and acts rebellious by flying off to Bangkok after a drunken night at a bachelor party. This article will take you through the series of incidents that occurred before and after he reached Bangkok.

Spoilers Ahead

Why Was Santhosh Unhappy?

Santhosh was a software engineer working for an It company in Bangalore. He had been unhappily married to Sandhya, a self-centered, high-maintenance, and obnoxious woman who was only concerned about herself and her family and who paid no heed to his needs and requirements. Sandhya was a homemaker,...

Mumbai, Feb 19 (Ians) Actor Navneet Mallik, who is currently portraying the lead character of Sumedh in the show ‘Aankh Micholi’, has enacted a scene that is similar to Ayushmann Khurrana’s sequence in his 2015 movie ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’.

The scene was an integral plot point in the show, wherein Navneet’s character Sumedh picks up his onscreen mother played by actress Bhakti Rathod and run a race.

Navneet picking up Rathod will certainly remind the audience of Ayushman picking up Bhumi Pednekar in ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’.

In the movie, Ayushmann, who plays the role of Prem shoulders the weight of his wife Sandhya (Bhumi) and wins the race.

Talking about the same, Navneet said: “I am certain there will be comparisons. Ayushmann was iconic in that scene and we have tried our best to make it different. Such race sequences are widely appreciated, so we aimed to maintain the authenticity of our setting.

We have Indian Match Making, a reality television show on Netflix that markets marriage as an institution everyone should aspire to be in. This show was primarily made to point out the mindset of the Indians in their country and the diaspora living abroad, desperately wanting to be in touch with their culture and legacy. It paints only the happy picture of two families coming together in the name of holy matrimony. Then we have Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s Made in Heaven, which shows the ugly face of weddings and subsequent marriages. The show is as real as it gets. These are two opposite ends of the spectrums about one institution based on which the society of our country thrives.

Tanuja Chandra’s latest documentary, Wedding.Con, produced along with BBC India, talks about the horrors of marriages that are being initiated via matrimonial websites. Women are conned...

Actress Suhasi Dhami, who will be seen playing the roles of Chaaya and Sandhya in TV show ‘Karmadhikari Shanidev’, said this has given her a chance to improve her acting skills and bring versatility. Suhasi is marking her comeback to the television screens after five years. She was last seen in ‘Aap Ke Aa Jane Se’.

Excited about the show, Suhasi said: “I’ve portrayed mythological characters before but this time it’s a double bonanza for me as I get to play two key characters, Chhaya and Sandhya in ‘Karmadhikari Shanidev’.”

“This challenge of portraying two different characters on screen has given me a chance to improve my acting skills and bring versatility. Chhaya plays a crucial role as the most significant figure in Shani’s life. The relationship between Chhaya and Shani is deeply intertwined, reflecting a profound connection between mother and son. And the show beautifully captures the essence of it,...

Actress Suhasi Dhami, who will be seen playing the roles of Chaaya and Sandhya in TV show ‘Karmadhikari Shanidev’, said this has given her a chance to improve her acting skills and bring versatility. Suhasi is marking her comeback to the television screens after five years. She was last seen in ‘Aap Ke Aa Jane Se’.

Excited about the show, Suhasi said: “I’ve portrayed mythological characters before but this time it’s a double bonanza for me as I get to play two key characters, Chhaya and Sandhya in ‘Karmadhikari Shanidev’.”

“This challenge of portraying two different characters on screen has given me a chance to improve my acting skills and bring versatility. Chhaya plays a crucial role as the most significant figure in Shani’s life. The relationship between Chhaya and Shani is deeply intertwined, reflecting a profound connection between mother and son. And the show beautifully captures the essence of it,...

Mumbai, Dec 4 (Ians) Actress Shruthy Menon, who takes center stage in the web series on ‘Shehar Lakhot’, opened up on her audition for the show, saying the scenes were tough to crack. Portraying the character of Sandhya, a resilient small-town girl facing societal injustices, Shruthy infuses life into the narrative with her remarkable talent. Sandhya’s journey, marked by hope, ambition, and the challenges of survival, promises to be a powerful cinematic experience.

Reflecting on her audition, Shruthy shared: “My audition scenes were tough to crack, but I was confident that it went well. After a few months, I got a call telling me that the role is mine. I went to the Offroad office, read the whole script, and I was simply blown away. It was thrilling.”

“Imagine a director like Navdeep Singh telling you, ‘Read the script because there are some scenes which, as a woman, we need...

Mumbai, Dec 4 (Ians) Actress Shruthy Menon, who takes center stage in the web series on ‘Shehar Lakhot’, opened up on her audition for the show, saying the scenes were tough to crack. Portraying the character of Sandhya, a resilient small-town girl facing societal injustices, Shruthy infuses life into the narrative with her remarkable talent. Sandhya’s journey, marked by hope, ambition, and the challenges of survival, promises to be a powerful cinematic experience.

Reflecting on her audition, Shruthy shared: “My audition scenes were tough to crack, but I was confident that it went well. After a few months, I got a call telling me that the role is mine. I went to the Offroad office, read the whole script, and I was simply blown away. It was thrilling.”

“Imagine a director like Navdeep Singh telling you, ‘Read the script because there are some scenes which, as a woman, we need...

Shehar Lakhot is a crime drama set in the small town of Lakhot in Rajasthan, amidst the marble mining industry and the mafia that runs this town. Shehar Lakhot is easily one of the best humor-based crime dramas that dive deep into the nexus that connects the mafia with politicians and the police, who are essentially controlled by the rich. Amidst this ring are commoners like Jay, Dev, and Sandhya trying to make a living. They have inadvertently gotten mixed up in the circle and are under the impression that they will be able to make their way out of this giant mess, but fate has other plans.

Spoilers Ahead

The last episode of the show involved Kairav informing Dev about the sinister plans made by Sandhya with his older brother Jay. Dev was under the impression that Sandhya loved him and would plan to elope and make a life with him away from Lakhot.

Lately, there have been many television shows that are set in the heartland of Rajasthan. After thoroughly exploring stories from the Hindi heartland, a lot of filmmakers have shifted their gaze towards Rajasthan that focus on the kind of illegal activities that are being carried out. Since the state shares a border with a powerful pesky neighboring country, in and out of contraband is bound to happen. Manorama Six Feet Under, Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo, Aarya, Dahaad, Gulaal, and Thar are crime dramas that explore the dark underbelly of the state. Meanwhile, Bandish Bandits and Mismatched showcase the vibrant and colorful side of Rajasthan, which the people are used to seeing. Shehar Lakhot is yet another addition to the neo-noir crime drama genre that explores the marble mafia in the state of Rajasthan and the politics that looms around it. Created by Navdeep Singh and Devika Bhagat, the show is a Prime Video Original,...

Shehar Lakhot, streaming on Amazon Prime, is a hardcore action thriller! Directed by Navdeep Singh, the series revolves around a series of events surrounding Devendra Singh Tomar’s life and his hometown, Lakhot. While resolving his past traumas associated with Lakhot, Dev digs a bigger grave for himself. The series is sure to have a gripping effect on the minds of the audience. What issues does he face while in Lakhot? Will he eventually be able to come out of the mess? There are a lot of questions that this noir series raises in our minds that we are yet to find out in the first season of Shehar Lakhot.

Spoilers Ahead

Why Does Dev Come To Lakhot?

Despite it being Dev’s birthplace, he is reluctant to come back to Lakhot. The marble mining company that he was working for in Gurgaon had forced him to go back to...

The makers of noir crime drama ‘Shehar Lakhot’ on Monday unveiled the intriguing posters, featuring the leads of the series- Priyanshu Painyuli, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Kubbra Sait, and Shruthy Menon, raising the excitement among the audiences and capturing their attention.

The eight-episode drama features interesting and multi-layered characters. Priyanshu is seen as Devendra Singh Tomar aka Dev, Chandan as Kairav Singh, Kubbra portrays Sub Inspector Pallavi Raj, while Shruthy plays the role of Sandhya.

Priyanshu as Dev is the prodigal son who is forced returned to his hometown. Dev is dark and sardonic but oddly likeable with deep set anger issues which have previously landed him in trouble with the authorities, causing him to be estranged from his loved ones.

A part of him is looking for redemption by connecting with his past. However, that changes when he is falsely accused of murder. The poster shows Priyanshu in a formal...

The makers of noir crime drama ‘Shehar Lakhot’ on Monday unveiled the intriguing posters, featuring the leads of the series- Priyanshu Painyuli, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Kubbra Sait, and Shruthy Menon, raising the excitement among the audiences and capturing their attention.

The eight-episode drama features interesting and multi-layered characters. Priyanshu is seen as Devendra Singh Tomar aka Dev, Chandan as Kairav Singh, Kubbra portrays Sub Inspector Pallavi Raj, while Shruthy plays the role of Sandhya.

Priyanshu as Dev is the prodigal son who is forced returned to his hometown. Dev is dark and sardonic but oddly likeable with deep set anger issues which have previously landed him in trouble with the authorities, causing him to be estranged from his loved ones.

A part of him is looking for redemption by connecting with his past. However, that changes when he is falsely accused of murder. The poster shows Priyanshu in a formal...

Horror drama, which also includes a hint of historical fiction, is an interesting blend of two genres. Athidhi, a Disney+ Hotstar Special, is a new web series in this genre and sets out to let the viewers know about the story of an author and his guests who converse about the existence of ghosts and other kinds of entities. As the story progresses, a lot of revelations come out about everyone in the house, and the truth is far from what was being led on initially. Here’s a recap of Athidhi to help you understand what everyone’s motives were.

Spoilers Ahead

Prologue

Athidhi begins with a man frantically running towards a highway from a farm. He speaks about a woman being held hostage against her will, but there was someone else who had followed him. The lamp post near him starts flickering, and very quickly the bulb blinks out.

It is not that often one comes across content so bad that the viewing experience eventually becomes unintentionally funny with nothing that could redeem the story. Athidhi is a Telugu-language horror drama, written and directed by Y.G. Bharath is a Disney+ Hotstar Special miniseries that was released on September 19, 2023.

Athidhi, which loosely translates to guest, is the story of an author, Ravi, who is trying to write a new book that could appeal to the current generation. The man is rich and lives in a huge mansion with his paralyzed wife, Sandhya. As a successful author, he strives to be better and is willing to add and make changes to his work as per his wife’s input. The mansion is close to a road that is known to be a haunted spot, but that does not leave Ravi unperturbed. One night, Ravi receives two guests at his home: a...

In the realm of high-class murder cases, there’s a belief that no murder can be executed flawlessly. Even the most carefully planned crime tends to have a loophole or two, and uncovering that flaw becomes the true mission of a detective or investigator. This pursuit of discovering imperfections is what drives them to solve intricate cases that would puzzle anyone. In the film Kolai, the central focus is on the murder of Leila Borkar, a promising model and singer. Her case grips the public’s attention due to its sensitive nature and the absence of any clear leads about the identity of the killer. This is when Detective Vinayak, renowned for solving over 200 cases during his career, steps in to take on the investigation.

Spoilers Ahead

What Happens After Leila’s Body Is Discovered?

After Leila’s body is discovered, the police determine that she was strangled to death.

Bangalore, June 4 (Ians) Kannada actress Prema took a ramp walk with cancer survivors to spread the message of courage and positivity about beating the dreaded and stigmatised disease in Bengaluru on the occasion of the National Cancer Survivors’ Day.

Prema walked the ramp with 15 cancer survivors of all age groups to convey the message of hope that cancer is curable.

The event was organised by Manipal Hospitals.

The celebrity also joined the cancer survivors, their caretakers and their respective doctors on the stage to felicitate them on their brave journey in the fight against cancer.

Prema said, “I would like to thank Manipal Hospitals for giving me this opportunity to spend time with the 15 cancer warriors. Battling cancer requires immense strength, both mental and physical. Their stories, filled with resilience and determination, serve as powerful motivators for others fighting against cancer.”

The event began with a special ramp walk by...

After the release of Dinesh Lal Yadav aka ‘Nirahua’s biggest blockbuster film ‘Maai’ which has received a good response from the audience, Jio Studios next Bhojpuri film ‘Bewafa Sanam’ starring Pawan Singh and Smrity Sinha in lead roles is now streaming on JioCinema for free.

Produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Abhay Sinha, the romantic-drama a popular genre for Bhojpuri films, tells the story of Prem who on his father’s order agrees to marry Sandhya. One fine day, Prem meets a modern girl Neha and they start getting close. Sandhya gets the whiff of their romance. What happens next forms the crux of the story!

The film has been shot at picturesque locations in London and mounted on a large scale, Bewafa Sanam is definitely a film that the audience is sure to enjoy.

Produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Abhay Sinha, Bewafa Sanam releases on JioCinema today for free.

CinemaAhead of the release of Gunasekhar’s ‘Shaakuntalam’, Samantha said it was an honour to play a role essayed by many veteran actors over the years.Saroja Devi, Jaya Prada and Samantha/YouTube ScreenshotsShaakuntalam, a Telugu mythological drama starring Samantha as Shakuntala and directed by Gunasekhar, is set to release on Friday, April 14. A day ahead of the film’s release, Samantha shared images of all the actors who have played the role of Shakuntala in films over the years, starting from 1920. Samantha’s note accompanying the images said: “It has truly been the greatest honour. Shaakuntalam is yours from tomorrow.” Shakuntala is a mythological character from the Adi Parva, the first chapter of the epic Mahabharata. The character is further elaborated in the play Abhignyana Shakuntalam by Kalidasa. In the play, Shakuntala is the daughter of the sage Vishwamitra and the apsara Menaka, raised by another sage Kanva. She marries a king named Dushyanta,...

Death is a tricky yet sensitive subject to deal with. But Venu Yeldandi, in his directorial debut, ‘Balagam,’ has greatly amalgamated superstitions associated with crows in relation to death to narrate a sad family tale. When you observe a crow cawing right at the beginning of the movie above Koamrayya’s head, you know for sure that death awaits. Venu quite efficiently uses death as the reason for a dissociated family to reconnect and revive their ties. He employs the crow as the messenger of Yamraj, the Hindu deity of death, to resolve family issues, bringing about harmony and unity and breaking the odd drama of egos.

‘Balagam’ gives us a moment to stop and enjoy the beauty of a rhythmic village, which perhaps today would be impossible to treat ourselves to. The film starts with a song that introduces us to the village and its peculiar nature of being a mother and daughter,...

Shraddha Jaiswal, who was seen in TV shows such as ‘Gustakh Dil’, ‘Shastri Sisters’, and ‘Madhubala’ is all set to enter the fictional drama ‘Sasural Simar Ka 2’, which is a story of two sisters played by Radhika Muthukumar and Tanya Sharma.

Talking about her entry in the role of Lavanya, a naagin (female snake), she said: “My entry is expected to stir the plot and bring big twists to it. Hopefully, the viewers will love my eccentric portrayal of Lavanya.”

The plot of the show revolves around two sisters, Simar and Reema and the complications of their lives.

In the coming episode, Simar’s (Radhika Muthukumar) husband Aarav’s (Avinash Mukherjee) mother, Sandhya kills a snake in a forest to save her son. However, Simar is scared as she believes killing a snake is inauspicious. They all perform the last rites of the naag (male snake). Lavanya then decides...

Mumbai, Feb 26 (Ians) Sandhya Shetty is a name that needs no introduction. She is a woman of many talents — a supermodel, an actor, and a Commonwealth Gold medalist in Karate.

Sandhya is also a five-time State Karate Champion and a six-time National Karate Champion. Beyond her impressive achievements, Sandhya is committed to empowering women and girls across the country.

Ahead of the International Women’s Day (March 8), Sandhya shared her fearless battle towards making a safe space for women, protecting them from abuse, supporting health initiatives, and improving lives.

“A state of Nofear is a choice to change you bring within you,” Sandhya said.

Sandhya’s mission with Nofear is to provoke a shift in the thought process of the people.

“We need to inculcate the importance of gender equality on the root level in schools and homes. Both girls and boys must treat each other with respect on every level,...

Mumbai, Feb 26 (Ians) TV and film actress Sandhya Mridul, who is known for her roles in films such as ‘Saathiya’, ‘Page 3’, and was also the first runner-up in ‘Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa 2’, will be seen playing the historical character of Jodha Bai in the web series ‘Taj: Divided by Blood’.

Talking about the kind of preparation she undertook for portraying the role, Sandhya said: “The preparation for Jodha was literally from my narration and from what the script said. I am not someone who tries to plan out a character too much. The script must interest me and speak to me. I trust the director in navigating me and my efforts for the last 20 years have been to stay true to the script and myself.”

“The dialogues tell you what the character is. My biggest prep is I read the entire script a couple of times before I get on the...

New Delhi, Nov 17 (Ians) Meta (formerly Facebook) on Thursday announced the appointment of Sandhya Devanathan as the Vice President of Meta India, as several key executives leave the company in recent days.

She will start her new role on January 1, 2023 and will report to Dan Neary, Vice President, Meta Apac.

Devanathan will be a part of the Apac leadership team and will move back to India to lead the country’s organisation and strategy.

“Sandhya has a proven track record of scaling businesses, building exceptional and inclusive teams, driving product innovation and building strong partnerships. We are thrilled to have her lead Meta’s continued growth in India,” said Marne Levine, Chief Business Officer, Meta.

Devanathan will focus on bringing the organisation’s business and revenue priorities together to serve its partners and clients, while continuing to support the long-term growth of Meta’s business and commitment to India, said the company.

What is your fashion idea? Do you think that to look chic, wearing an uncomfortable outfit is cool? If you said yes, then we would suggest you reconsider your thoughts. Why? Because we know of someone whose fashion sense says otherwise. She is Neoteric Style, better known as Sandhya Naidu.

This influencer is admired for her entire content. From travel stories to make-up looks and, of course, fashion. Needless to say, Sandhya Naidu has become a trendsetter, and her Instagram handle is proof of that. She has a unique interpretation of fashion. The way she dons an outfit seems like the influencer is having a gala time without compromising on her comfortable state of mind and body.

Rather than flooding her wardrobe with a plethora of apparel items, the influencer has a manageable mindset. Her style is eloquent and casual. Sandhya shows her true fashion blogger side by mixing and matching her outfits.

The unit of director Balaji K Kumar’s upcoming investigative thriller, ‘Kolai’, featuring actor Vijay Antony in the lead, has released the film’s much-awaited official trailer.

The trailer shows that the film is about the investigation of the murder of a model called Leila (played by actress Meenakshi Chaudhary), who is found dead inside her locked apartment.

Assisted by a character called Sandhya (played by Ritika Singh), Vijay , who believes that there is nothing called a perfect murder, begins to look for flaws committed by the criminal.

“Every murder will definitely have a flaw,” the trailer shows Vijaysaying and shows him following a simple modus operandi to crack crime cases.

He says: “Look for the flaw. Recognise the passion. Understand the motive. Identify the killer.”

The gripping investigative thriller, which has actor Vijay Antony playing the lead, also features actors Murali Sharma and Radhika among others. While Murali Sharma plays an agent called Aditya,...

ReviewThere is a lot to like about Malayankunju. The dialogues are minimal and most of what we experience is through Fahadh’s frenzied eyes and his faltering screams.Sowmya RajendranFacebookEver since Kumbalangi Nights and its marvellous villain Shammi, Fahadh Faasil has built himself a reputation for playing characters who go over the edge. In Sajimon Prabhakar’s Malayankunju, he plays Anikuttan, a bigoted repairman for electronic goods who is hypersensitive to sound. And then, the family next door brings home a newborn. The constantly wailing baby breaks Anikuttan’s focus as he tries to fix the devices that clutter his room. The room may look cramped and functional to the average onlooker, but it is Anikuttan’s universe. A claustrophobia-inducing space that he willingly embraces. It’s a metaphor that makes more and more sense as the film progresses. It’s hard to empathise with Anikuttan. He is blatantly casteist...

Sexual HarassmentAfter the arrest of director Liju Krishna in a case of sexual assault of a colleague, the question of forming Internal Committees in film production sets has once again risen.CrisWhile narrating her harrowing experience of sexual assault in a long post on Facebook, the survivor in the Liju Krishna case wrote that there was no place for her to complain within the film set where they both worked. Liju was arrested on March 6, after the survivor registered a complaint at the Kakkanad Infopark station. He was directing his upcoming film Padavettu – starring Manju Warrier, Nivin Pauly and Aditi Balan – when the arrest took place. “There was no official grievance redressal cell or internal committee (Ic) in the production, where I could complain about the physical and mental and sexual abuse that director Liju Krishna put me through for two years – with an emphasis on assault, so I tried...

Director Balaji Kumar’s upcoming Telugu film, an investigative thriller featuring Vijay Antony in the lead, has been titled ‘Hatya’, its makers announced on Wednesday. Vijay Antony plays a detective in the gripping thriller, in which actress Ritika Singh plays Sandhya, a rookie cop, who is assigned to work alongside him. Produced by Kamal Bohra, G […]...

Entertainment'Bigg Boss' Malayalam host Mohanlal made the announcement on the show's finale on August 1.Tnm StaffScreengrab/ Disney Plus HotstarThe title winner of reality television show Bigg Boss Malayalam 3, hosted by Mollywood star Mohanlal, was announced during the grand finale event on Sunday, August 1. Malayalam actor Manikuttan was announced as the season winner and bagged the trophy along with an apartment worth Rs 75 lakh. The three-hour-long finale episode was filled with several stage performances and dance numbers. Manikuttan, while accepting the trophy, sung Ar Rahman’s song ‘Ella Pugazhum’, which speaks about attributing one’s victory to the almighty. In the finale, a teary eyed Manikuttan extended his gratitude to actor Mohanlal for making him a better person and also thanked other contestants, his parents as well as supporters. Notably, Manikuttan decided to quit the show halfway through the third season due to a disagreement with fellow contestant and actor Sandhya.

By Archana Sharma

Jaipur, May 23 (Ians) Covid-19 has widened the digital divide in the desert state as gadgets and social media-friendly sections of society are finding easier access to education, vaccination and medication compared to those in rural Rajasthan.

The vaccination drive is slow in the villages as villagers find it tough to access the CoWin app.

Leader of Opposition Gulabchand Kataria, an Mla from Udaipur, said, "Around 90 to 95 per cent of people from the cities of Gujarat are coming to villages in Udaipur, Banswara and Dungarpur for their vaccination as rural Rajasthan is yet to learn how to register for vaccination on CoWin app."

In his letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Kataria said that 70 per cent of his constituency comprises tribals who are unable to get vaccination slots on the app.

"Youth in Udaipur villages residing in Gongunda and Khairwada do not know how to book a vaccination slot online.

The conventional Hindi film heroine is often one-dimensional, impossibly perfect and confined to song and dance routines. A few films in the recent past have however challenged these notions on the big screen as well as on Ott platforms by portraying women in all their depth and complexity. Here are a few of such memorable characters.

Upasana in ‘Axone’

Upasana (Sayani Gupta) is part of the North-Eastern migrant community in Delhi. Her body language and habitual diffidence show how guarded and vulnerable she feels in a milieu that treats her and her friends as outsiders. Yet, as the film progresses, we see Upasana dealing with her love life, her conflicted feelings about a friend who was in a relationship with her boyfriend and her own insecurities with increasing confidence. Her determination to cook a special dish to celebrate a wedding finally wins the day and her innocence and strength endear...

ReviewDirected by Umesh Bist, ‘Pagglait’ takes the greatest tragedy that can befall a woman in Indian society and turns it into her salvation. Sowmya RajendranPagglait, now streaming on Netflix, begins with a funeral. A young man, Astik, is dead. As his immediate family mourns him and relatives stream into the sprawling, ancient haveli in a small town, his widow is lying on bed... and checking Facebook. Directed by Umesh Bist, Pagglait takes the greatest tragedy that can befall a woman in Indian society and turns it into her salvation. A woman in India is considered blessed if she dies when still a ‘sumangali’; stripped of its sentimentality, it simply means a woman is better off dead when she’s still married than live the life of a widow. While sati is outlawed and practices like shaving a widow’s head and forcing her to wear white all her life are...

Photo: ‘Pagglait’/Netflix Within the first minute, ‘Pagglait’ shows us a deeply vast and detailed world. Big, soaring landscape shots are our introduction before we suddenly cut to a close-up shot of someone’s bottom on a bicycle seat. This large contrast immediately grabs the viewer and takes hold of them for the next two hours. Set in such a heavily populated country like India, ‘Pagglait’ tells a specific story but is able to make it universal. In writer-director Umesh Bist’s best film to date, Sanya Malhotra stars as Sandhya, a widow who recently lost her late husband, Astik. To the surprise of those around her, Malhotra is unable to grieve and never cries which sums up the basic plot of the movie. As the film progresses, we dive deeper into Malhotra’s psyche and begin to understand her more and more. While her grief is different, more internal than external,...

New Delhi, March 27 (Ians) Actress Sanya Malhotra has decoded the title of her new film "Pagglait". She says for her a person who listens to their heart and does not seek external validation is a Pagglait.

"Pagglait is a person who listens to the heart and does what the heart says. Someone who does not seek external validation. That person (for me) is a Pagglait. The person who listens to themselves and not the outside world is a pagglait," Sanya told Ians.

In the film, Sanya is Sandhya, a young woman who becomes a widow within a few months of marriage. While the family grieves, Sandhya is unable to bring herself to mourn the death of her husband.

The dramedy, directed by Umesh Bist, also features Sayani Gupta, Shrutii Sharma, Ashutosh Rana, Raghubir Yadav, Sheeba Chaddha, Meghna Malik and Rajesh Tailang, and dropped on Netflix on March 26.

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Pagglait; Cast: Sanya Malhotra, Sayani Gupta, Shruti Sharma, Raghubir Yadav, Ashutosh Rana, Natasha Rastogi, Sheeba Chaddha, Aasif Khan, Meghna Malik, Jameel Khan, Rajesh Tailang, Ananya Khare; Direction: Umesh Bist; Rating: * * * (three stars)

By Vinayak Chakravorty

Pagglait the film is just like its protagonist Sandhya. It doesn't behave the way it is expected to.

You would think the story of a just-married young woman who is widowed right at the onset would be sombre, all the more because the societal subjugation she tackles is focus of the plot. The film however refuses to mourn, just like Sandhya. With a quirky spin, writer-director Umesh Bist chooses to unfold his story as a comic drama. Like its heroine, the film's mood stays irreverent, unaffected by the grim reality that backdrops the narrative.

Sanya Malhotra plays the smalltown widow Sandhya with incredible authenticity. She is alone in her room, amidst a house full of grieving relatives,...

Pagglait movie review is here. The Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama is written and directed by Umesh Bist. Produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Guneet Monga and Achin Jain under the banners Balaji Motion Pictures and Sikhya Entertainment. Pagglait (means crazy) stars Sanya Malhotra in lead along with Shruti Sharma, Ashutosh Rana and Raghubir Yadav in pivotal roles. Pagglait will globally premiere on Netflix on 26th March 2021.

Pagglait Movie Review

What happens when Rani Mehra from the movie Queen gets married in the family of the Mishra household from the web series Gullak?

Writer director Umesh Bist gives his best shot till date and can pat his back for this pure desi quirky delight that adapts the style that we have seen in Amit Ravindrenath Sharma’s Badhaai Ho, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' to adapt the typical Hindi heartland milieu in a quirky family drama that is...

Mumbai, March 12 (Ians) Playback star Arijit Singh is set to take on a new role, as music composer in the upcoming film Pagglait, starring Sanya Malhotra. 

"I make my debut as a music composer with a project very close to my heart. I am honoured to serve music to the world. The endearing story of Sandhya of self-belief and triumph is much like my musical journey and I feel honoured to be associated with a special film like Pagglait," said Arijit.

Pagglait is the story of Sandhya (played by Sanya), who is struggling to mourn the death of her husband. She sets off on a path of self-discovery, to find her identity and purpose in life, even as she has to contend with a quirky joint family.

Directed and written by Umesh Bist, the film also features Sayani Gupta, Shrutii Sharma, Ashutosh Rana, Raghubir Yadav, Sheeba Chaddha, Meghna Malik and Rajesh Tailang.

Controversy“We respect our viewers’ diverse beliefs and apologize unconditionally to anyone who felt hurt by these scenes,” Amazon Prime Video said.Tnm StaffAmazon Prime Video has issued an apology over certain scenes in the Saif Ali Khan-starrer series Tandav, which was in the eye of controversy for hurting religious sentiments. In a statement, Amazon Prime Video said that it “deeply regrets” that viewers found certain scenes “objectionable” in the series. “This was never our intention, and the scenes that were objected to were removed or edited when they were brought to our attention. We respect our viewers’ diverse beliefs and apologize unconditionally to anyone who felt hurt by these scenes,” Amazon Prime Video said in a statement on Tuesday. “Our teams follow company content evaluation processes, which we acknowledge need to be constantly updated to better serve our audiences. We will continue to develop entertaining content with partners,...

Bigg BossThe crew has taken precautionary measures and adhered to Covid-19 safety regulations.Tnm StaffBigg Boss Malayalam Season 3, which is hosted by Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, premiered on Sunday. All eyes are on the 14 contestants who were introduced. This time, the house has an interesting mix of contestants. However, this season, the crew has taken precautionary measures and adhered to Covid-19 safety regulations. It is compulsory for all the participants to undergo a mandatory two-week quarantine. They are permitted to enter the house only after they test negative for coronavirus. Here is a complete list of the contestants: 1) Noby Marcose: Noby is a standup comedian and actor who rose to fame through the show Comedy Star, where he was part of the team that won the title. Pulimurugan, College Days and Angry Babies are some of the movies he has starred in. 2) Anoop Krishnan: Anoop is a TV actor, director as well as an anchor.