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Shabana Azmi reminisces with Subhash K Jha in this interview about the experience of making Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd. (2007), which also featured the brilliant cast of Boman Irani, Abhay Deol, Minissha Lamba, Kay Kay Menon, Raima Sen, Karan Khanna, Sandhya Mridul, Vikram Chatwal, Ameesha Patel, and Dia Mirza.

This was your first film for your son Farhan Akhtar’s production house?

I had a ball doing Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd. My kids (Farhan and Zoya Akhtar) are involved with it. I’ve a very small part.

You had never been paired with Boman Irani before?

Boman plays this Christian Goanese guy. I play this Muslim woman. He plays a brash man. My character is more genteel. I love my look in this film. I kept telling the clothes designer Arjun Bhasin that after this film, he won’t be getting any more assignments. All of us are so atrociously dressed by design.

We have a premiere date for an exciting new young adult series — Ziddi Girls. The series, based on life in Delhi’s colleges, is directed by Shonali Bose and written and directed by Vasant Nath and Neha Veena Sharma. The eight-episode series features a young and fresh cast of Atiya Tara Nayak, Umang Bhadana, Zaina Ali, Deeya Damini and Anupriya Caroli as the Ziddi Girls with Simran, Nandita Das, Nandish Singh Sandhu, Lillete Dubey and Revathy in pivotal role.

An Amazon Original Series, produced by Pritish Nandy under the banner of Pritish Nandy Communications, Ziddi Girls is created by Rangita Pritish Nandy and Ishita Pritish Nandy. A refreshing and relevant college drama about seeking one’s identity and forging life-long friendships that seamlessly blends entertainment with thought-provoking narratives the series is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and over 240 countries and territories worldwide on February 27.

Ziddi Girls...

A look back at Raja Krishan Menon‘s 2003 debut directorial Bas Yun Hi as it celebrates 22 years. We also get some insight as the director talks with Subhash K Jha.

The young 20-nothing metro-waasi never had it so good. Or bad. After Freaky Chakra where a freaked-out sutradhar, played by veejay Ranvir Shorey, gets all foamy and frustrated when he can no longer control the destiny of the characters he creates, this time another veejay turned, ahem, actor Purab Kohli sets up a fey doll Veda (Nandita Das) to woo a superstitious friend Rohan (Rajiv Gopalakrishnan) as a joke and then behaves like Aamir Khan in the post-interval half of Dil Chahta Hai.

The prank gets a yucky yank when stupid Cupid, the devilish matchmaker Aditya, realizes he loves flaky Veda for himself. He sulks like a brat being denied his favourite television show and finally grins when she consents to be his girl.

Suriya In Retro First Look ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Actor Suriya is well known for experimenting with different genres, and most of the time, they have worked in his favour. But after the most disastrous film of his career, Kanguva, Suriya is all set to bounce back with Karthik Subbaraj’s period action drama film Retro.

Retro is a Santhosh Narayanan musical, and Netflix has purchased the digital rights. This announcement was made on the occasion of Pongal, marking ‘Maatu Pongal.’

Netflix announced Retro’s post-theatrical Ott rights, and the film is a part of the 2025 lineup of Tamil films. “A man’s love can move mountains, but his rage? That’s Retro!” read the post from Netflix.

Trending When Kamal Haasan Refused To Write Recommendation Letter For Virumaandi Co-Star Abhirami Because Of This Reason

Thalapathy 69: Vijay Shares Teaser Poster For Highly-Awaited Jana Nayagan

The film will have Tamil,...

Girls Will Be Girls director Shuchi Talati says 2024 is an incredible year for independent Indian women filmmakers. “We’re collectively creating a tapestry of stories that have not been given space in our culture,” she says.

Talati’s debut feature set the tone in January by winning the audience award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival while its 22-year-old lead actress, Preeti Panigrahi, bagged the special jury award for acting. The mother-daughter drama was more than six years in the making, with Talati first pitching it at the 2018 Nfdc Film Bazaar Co-Production Market.

She hasn...

French filmmaker Jonathan Millet’s thriller Ghost Trail won El Gouna Film Festival’s $50,000 Golden Star award for best narrative film. The festival ran October 24-November 1.

Lead Adam Bessa also won best actor for his performance as a young man on a mission to track Syrian regime leaders in France, where he must confront his former torturer. The film world premiered at Cannes’ Critics’ Week sidebar.

The $25,000 Silver Star award went to Julien Colonna’s war drama The Kingdom, while Indian romantic drama Girls Will be Girls by Shuchi Talati won the $15,000 Bronze Star and the Fipresci award.

The latter...

Nandita Das’s Zwigato, the moving tender film about a delivery boy, played by Kapil Sharma, trying to survive during the Covid pandemic, is now streaming on Amazon Prime video.

When I reached out to Nandita Das she could barely contain her joy. “I am in Egypt right now as the jury head of a film festival. The news that Zwigato is streaming on Amazon Prime Video reached me here like manna from heaven. I am so happy its’ s out, and out there for the world to see. I am already getting such an overwhelming response! People are writing to me about Zwigato in long email messages . The fact that is it resonating with a really large audience makes me feel happy. Kapil Sharma left me a message saying the same thing. He too is getting the most overwhelming response. We may be inhabiting a different world as far as the audiences are concerned,...

Egypt’s El Gouna Film Festival (Gff) opened its 7th edition on Thursday (October 26) with a star-packed red carpet, calls to end ongoing conflict and an honorary award for veteran actor and producer Mahmoud Hemida.

Returning in full after a more subdued edition last year and cancellation in 2022, the opening ceremony took place under clear skies and fireworks at the Plaza Theatre in the Egyptian resort town of El Gouna.

Those in attendance included Indian actress and director Nandita Das, Game Of Thrones star Sibel Kekilli, and former Cannes March du Film executive director Jerome Paillard, all of whom sit...

What to Watch This Weekend: October 25th to 27th (Photo Credit – Instagram)

This weekend, we’ve chosen just two movies hitting the big screen, but don’t worry—there are plenty of options to stream at home! Over on Prime Video, you can catch a crime investigation about a serial killer, a spy thriller, and a touching story about life’s ups and downs. Netflix is bringing you five new picks, starting with a horror flick, a murder mystery, a soap opera, a film focused on some real talk, and an Australian series about a family power struggle. Plus, there are additional titles on Jio Cinema, Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, and Apple TV. So, scroll down for all the titles, watch the trailers, and check out the overviews. It’ll make things much easier for you.

On The Big Screen

Venom: The Last Dance (English)

Written and directed by Kelly Marcel,...

The makers of The Great Indian Kapil Show have officially announced the return of its second season. Netflix India shared a promo video featuring the show’s beloved cast, including Kapil Sharma, Sunil Grover, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Rajiv Thakur, and Archana Puran Singh. The video starts with Archana Puran Singh making a “special announcement,” revealing that the show is coming back. She joyfully adds, “On this occasion, we have good news for all of you. Your very own show is coming soon.” The cast is then seen holding placards, each contributing to the announcement of the show’s return.

Netflix India’s post, which included the promo video, teased the new season with the caption, “Ab shanivaar hoga ‘Funnyvaar’ ‘cuz Kapil and gang are coming with double fun and hassi iss baar. Season 2 coming soon! Stay tuned.”

In the first season, The Great Indian Kapil Show featured several high-profile guests,...

Indian studio Applause Entertainment is gearing up for an ambitious slate of projects as it enters its eighth year of operations.

The company, led by managing director Sameer Nair, a pioneer of Indian television with previous stints at Star TV, Ndtv Imagine, Turner General Entertainment and Balaji Telefilms, has its sights set on expanding into new genres and formats while building on its established successes.

Leading the charge is “Nyaya,” a courtroom drama produced in association with Mangata Films. Directed by Nitya Mehra, Karan Kapadia and Heeraz Marfatia, the fictionalized series based on real events follows a 17-year-old girl seeking justice against a powerful ‘godman,’ or leader of a religious cult, who raped her. The project boasts a strong cast including Fatima Sana Sheikh, Aneet Padda, Arjun Mathur, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub and Raghubir Yadav.

“When this opportunity came up, we really pounced on it,” Nair told Variety. “They’ve shot it really well.

India enjoyed a record year at the Cannes Film Festival — winning three major awards and an honor — and this is likely to have a positive impact on the country’s independent cinema scene, according to industry experts.

Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light” won the competition grand prix, Anasuya Sengupta was awarded best actress at the festival’s Un Certain Regard strand for “The Shameless” and Chidananda S. Naik’s “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” was crowned the best film at the La Cinef section. In addition, Indian DoP Santosh Sivan was this year’s recipient of the annual Pierre Angénieux ExcelLens in Cinematography award conferred during the festival.

“All We Imagine as Light” was the first Indian film in competition in three decades, since Shaji N. Karun’s “Swaham” in 1994. “Sister Midnight” was a Directors’ Fortnight selection, “Santosh” screened at Un Certain Regard and “Girls Will Be Girls,...

What To Watch In May 2024: From Crew, Zigato & More – Ott Releases Of The Month. (Photo Credit – IMDb)

The month of May seems to be a little dry when it comes to films ready to release on the Ott platform. Still, we have you covered with a bunch of films that might entertain you nevertheless. From comedy to drama and action to horror, every genre is available on the May 2024 Ott release list.

Last month, it was Amar Singh Chamkila and Laapata Ladies, which kept people entertained. This month, the superstar releases will rule Ott platforms. However, it would be interesting to see who wins the viewership game.

For May 2024 Ott releases, two Kapil Sharma films are lined up apart from his show The Great Indian Kapil Show on Netflix. Apart from him, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ajay Devgn, Timothee Chalamet, and other superstars are ready to arrive on your digital screens.

Bollywood actor Tahir Raj Bhasin, who had an eventful 2022 with three back to back releases, has worked with some celebrated directors from the industry and he is extremely overwhelmed to have received a chance to collaborate with such names. Tahir said: “Every actor wants to work with the best of the best minds, directors who have a disruptive cinematic vision. I have been fortunate to have collaborated with some of the best film-makers of our country and helmed their projects.”

“It is a huge validation for me that directors like the Late Pradeep Sarkar, Nitesh Tiwari, Kabir Khan, Nandita Das and now Milan Luthria, have chosen me to be a part of their vision. To be your best you have to work with the best.”

The actor added: “Great directors push you out of your comfort zone and that often leads to magic. I have always tried to be an...

Bollywood actor Tahir Raj Bhasin, who had an eventful 2022 with three back to back releases, has worked with some celebrated directors from the industry and he is extremely overwhelmed to have received a chance to collaborate with such names. Tahir said: “Every actor wants to work with the best of the best minds, directors who have a disruptive cinematic vision. I have been fortunate to have collaborated with some of the best film-makers of our country and helmed their projects.”

“It is a huge validation for me that directors like the Late Pradeep Sarkar, Nitesh Tiwari, Kabir Khan, Nandita Das and now Milan Luthria, have chosen me to be a part of their vision. To be your best you have to work with the best.”

The actor added: “Great directors push you out of your comfort zone and that often leads to magic. I have always tried to be an...

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is known for films like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ and many more, is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his biographical film ‘Manto’, in which he starred in the titular role of prominent Urdu author Saadat Hasan Manto.

The actor shared that to essay the character in its full glory, the trick was to tap into the honesty in himself.

“When one speaks the truth, and is honest, he starts to get closer to the character of Manto. Because, when I got into the character of Manto, I thought that if Nawaz had to become Manto, he would have to start speaking honestly. And that way, the characterisation of Manto will be easy,” the actor told Ians.

Written and directed by Nandita Das, ‘Manto’ also starred Tahir Raj Bhasin playing the 1940s Hindi film superstar Shyam Chadda.

Shyam was Manto’s friend, confidant,...

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is known for films like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ and many more, is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his biographical film ‘Manto’, in which he starred in the titular role of prominent Urdu author Saadat Hasan Manto.

The actor shared that to essay the character in its full glory, the trick was to tap into the honesty in himself.

“When one speaks the truth, and is honest, he starts to get closer to the character of Manto. Because, when I got into the character of Manto, I thought that if Nawaz had to become Manto, he would have to start speaking honestly. And that way, the characterisation of Manto will be easy,” the actor told Ians.

Written and directed by Nandita Das, ‘Manto’ also starred Tahir Raj Bhasin playing the 1940s Hindi film superstar Shyam Chadda.

Shyam was Manto’s friend, confidant,...

Actress Rasika Dugal, best known for her role in the acclaimed serials ‘Mirzapur’, ‘Delhi Crime’ and ‘Lootcase’, is now celebrating five years of her critically acclaimed film ‘Manto’. Reminiscing the impact it had on her career, she called the film “special.”

Taking to her Instagram, the actress was inside a plane with a book of ‘Manto’ captioned her post: “Just the perfect time (looong) and perfect day to revisit Manto (5 years of @mantofilm) And revisit so many beautiful memories… Some films will always be special. ️ Thank you for the book @nanditadasofficial.”

She added: “Still can’t choose a favourite from these stories…@nawazuddin._siddiqui @tahirrajbhasin @kartikvijay @rajshri_deshpande @shashank.arora @dan.husain @snekhanwalkar @mrsheetalsharma @iamroysanyal @divyadutta25 #MantoTheFilm #Manto #5YearsOfManto #5YearsOfSafia.”

‘Manto’ is a biographical drama that chronicles the life and works of the renowned Urdu author-playwright Saadat Hasan Manto. In the film, Rasika essayed the character of Safia Manto, the...

Actress Rasika Dugal, best known for her role in the acclaimed serials ‘Mirzapur’, ‘Delhi Crime’ and ‘Lootcase’, is now celebrating five years of her critically acclaimed film ‘Manto’. Reminiscing the impact it had on her career, she called the film “special.”

Taking to her Instagram, the actress was inside a plane with a book of ‘Manto’ captioned her post: “Just the perfect time (looong) and perfect day to revisit Manto (5 years of @mantofilm) And revisit so many beautiful memories… Some films will always be special. ️ Thank you for the book @nanditadasofficial.”

She added: “Still can’t choose a favourite from these stories…@nawazuddin._siddiqui @tahirrajbhasin @kartikvijay @rajshri_deshpande @shashank.arora @dan.husain @snekhanwalkar @mrsheetalsharma @iamroysanyal @divyadutta25 #MantoTheFilm #Manto #5YearsOfManto #5YearsOfSafia.”

‘Manto’ is a biographical drama that chronicles the life and works of the renowned Urdu author-playwright Saadat Hasan Manto. In the film, Rasika essayed the character of Safia Manto, the...

Acclaimed director Rajeev Ravi is presenting this film, which will have its first screening for a public audience in Kochi on August 8.For anyone who has at least briefly sat through an interview for a corporate job, the opening scene in Baakki Vannavar (The Leftovers) will be painfully familiar. The young job-seeker looks, to a layman’s eye, to be in perfectly acceptable formals, ironed shirt and combed hair; his documents in a plastic file. But to the trained eye of the interviewer, all this is out of order. The appearance is unfitting, the beard apparently a taboo, and plastic files a huge no-no. You almost hold your breath until the interview is over and heave sighs of relief when the bearded young man is finally out. But you soon realise, the bad interview is an easily forgettable part of his very miserable life. The young crew behind the film present,...

A new research report by the School of Media and Cultural Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Tiss), Mumbai, reveals that on- and off-screen women and queer representation in box-office hits remains largely stereotypical.

This statement in itself says a lot. It says, women and queer representation remains stereotypical in box-office Hits. Going by the summary of the research it can be concluded, as it does not matter how female actors are cast, it is the male actor who carries a film and it becomes a hit!

The research is exhaustively titled ‘Lights, Camera, and Time for Action: Recasting a Gender Equality Compliant Bollywood’. Such a clichéd title!

The research was carried out by Tiss and funded by the US Consulate General in Mumbai. The report was released by the brand new celebrity, Guneet Monga Kapoor, thanks to her Oscar-winning feature, ‘Elephant Whisperers’, Vidya Balan and Nandita Das,...

New Delhi, July 23 (Ians) Two rather unproductive, illogical and mostly futile exercises were reported recently: Exhibitors in Chennai met this past week and drafted some demands which actually set terms on film producers! The other was a Tiss report on Equitable Gender Representation in Hindi Cinema.

Tn Exhibitors’ Desperate Demands

Tamil Nadu Film Exhibitors’ Association (Tnfea) has put forward some demands on filmmakers that don’t look businesslike. The demands and the tone sound dictatorial. Not to mention confusing. Though impractical, such matters require the parties concerned to sit across the table and discuss.

The exhibitors want a film to be released on Ott only after eight weeks, or 56 days, following its theatrical release. Presently, the producers follow a four-week embargo.

This demand just amounts to asserting the exhibitors’ status and is not necessary. Because, neither a producer, nor the Ott platform will release a film till it is collecting revenue at the box office.

New Delhi, July 18 (Ians) Even as her latest film ‘Zwigato’ has found a permanent place in the core collection in the library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, actor-director Nandita Das laments that it is a pity that ‘smaller’ films are not getting enough releases in cinemas.

Despite the fact that for the past 15 years or so, the participation of independent films made in India has increased dramatically at major international festivals, Das feels the economics of running a theatre has become quite difficult with the advent of Ott platforms.

“Only very big budget films, which are more of spectacles, can afford to be distributed in theatres. We as filmmakers would want our films to be on the big screens where the audience commits their time completely to watch a film. It is a unique, collective, and immersive experience,” says the actor-director who has acted in over...

Melbourne, July 13 (Ians) The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (Iffm) has announced the nominations for its 14th edition, which includes titles such as ‘Darlings’, ‘Kantara’, ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Bhediya’, among many others.

This year, the festival welcomes a new addition to its jury panel, the Oscar-winning Australian filmmaker Bruce Beresford, known for directing films such as ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ and ‘The Contract’.

The Iffm advisory committee after meticulous consideration of hundreds of films and series from across Indian cinema, have finalised the nominations of films and series which have been released between June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023.

Leading the pack in the film categories, including Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress, are notable productions such as ‘Darlings’, ‘Monica O My Darling’, ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ and ‘Kantara’.

In the Ott category, series such as ‘Trial By Fire’, ‘Jubilee’, and ‘Delhi Crime Season 2’ have garnered the highest number of nominations. The winners of the prestigious...

Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski, whose sixty-year career in cinema has included the highest honors of the Berlin, Venice and Cannes film festivals, received an invitation to attend China’s Shanghai International Film Festival earlier this year while he was in Los Angeles for the Academy Awards, where his latest movie, Eo, was nominated for an Oscar. Skolimowski says he accepted the surprise invite — which included serving as Shanghai’s jury president for the festival’s 30th-anniversary edition — for reasons both “very private and a little sentimental.”

Skolimowski, 85, revealed those reasons on stage Friday at the Shanghai Grand Theater, during the festival’s opening ceremony.

“My father was born in North East China over 100 years ago, where my grandfather, the famous Polish architect, Kazimierz Skolimowski, devoted himself to designing the urban plan for one of the great cities 1,000 kilometers from here,” Skolimowski said during his brief remarks before the mostly Chinese crowd.

The Shanghai International Film Festival kicked off on a triumphant note Friday night in China’s commercial capital as the country’s film industry threw open its doors to the global film community.

This year’s edition of China’s most prestigious cinema event is the first in over three years that is easily accessible to the outside world after the past three festivals were either canceled, put online or simply very difficult to attend because of the country’s strict Covid-19 travel restrictions. The festival also happens to be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, as well as arriving at a moment when China’s commercial film industry is finally regaining some momentum after the long years of the pandemic.

“Each section of this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival is fully back offline, and we are more than thrilled to meet all guests in-person again,” says Wenquan He,...

Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff) has unveiled the major competition selections for its 25th edition (June 9-18), which will be the first to be held in a fully physical format with international guests since before the pandemic.

The festival’s Golden Goblet Awards comprises five sections – Main Competition, Asian New Talent, Animation Film, Documentary Film and Short Film. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in the Shanghai Grand Theater on June 17.

Siff’s main competition will screen 12 films, including Mom, Is That You?!, from Japanese veteran filmmaker Yoji Yamada; European titles including Muyeres, from Spanish director Marta Lallana, and The Chapel, from Belgium’s Dominique Deruddere; Indian director Haobam Paban Kumar’s Joseph’s Son; and three Chinese titles – Liu Jiayin’s All Ears, Johnathan Li’s Dust To Dust and Chen Shizhong’s Good Autumn, Mommy.

Poland’s Jerzy Skolimowski is heading the jury for the main competition,...

The prestigious and brilliant London Indian Film Festival is gearing up for another outstanding line up of films starting in June. This year, UK and Europe’s largest South Asian film festival takes place at the prestigious BFI, Barbican (London), and Mac (Birmingham). The London Indian Film Festival and Birmingham Indian Film Festival presents a selected season of films and shorts premieres in June, with a larger programme returning in September across the UK.

The exciting June season, supported in London by the Bagri Foundation, begins with the the European premiere of the multi-starrer film The Storyteller directed by Ananth Mahadevan on 22nd June at BFI Southbank and 23rd June at Mac Birmingham. This sumptuous film is based on the writings of Satyajit Ray and includes charming performances from Indian arthouse stalwarts Paresh Rawal as a struggling writer with Adil Hussain and Tannistha Chatterjee amongst the glittering cast, presented by Jio Studios.

The U.K.’s London Indian Film Festival and Birmingham Indian Film Festival will work together to present a two-city, two-part panoply of feature and short films, kicking off next month with “The Storyteller.”

Directed by Ananth Mahadevan, “The Storyteller” sees Adil Hussain play a Gujarati businessman who believes that once physical wealth is accumulated, happiness will follow, but this proves not to be the case. Paresh Rawal plays the titular storyteller. The film is based on a story by the late, great Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray and contrasts the pursuit of material wealth with that of intellectual knowledge. Hussain, co-star Tannishtha Chatterjee and Mahadevan are expected to be on hand for Q&a sessions on June 22 at BFI Southbank and on June 23 at Mac Birmingham.

The “Storyteller” screenings represent the first element of a short summer season. The main festival in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds will take place Sept.

Returning as an in-person event after cancelation last year, the Shanghai International Film Festival has set out an agenda with a clear focus on China.

The festival (June 9-16) will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s economic outreach and development program. With a series of press conferences and film culture roundtables, the Siff’s Belt and Road Film Week will “bring together old friends of the alliance from previous years and new friends made this year [..] and announce an action plan for the future.”

The festival’s most prestigious section, the Golden Goblet Awards will operate in five parts: main competition, Asian new talent, documentary features, animated features and short films. The jury for the competition section is to be headed by Poland’s Jerzy Skolimowski, accompanied by India’s Nandita Das, Indonesia’s Garin Nugroho, German cinematographer Lutz Reitemeier, China’s Song Jia,...

Applause Entertainment, is set to debut in Tamil cinema with the release of a taut, edge-of-the-seat investigative thriller, ‘Por Thozhil’ in collaboration with E4 Experiments and Eprius Studio. The movie, directed by debutant Vignesh Raja, stars Ashok Selvan and Sarath Kumar in the lead roles, with Nikhila Vimal in a pivotal role.

The makers today released an intriguing title reveal with a chilling animation and haunting musical score, leading to much anticipation. ‘Por Thozhil’ translated as ‘The Art of War’, promises to be an intriguing thriller and is slated to release soon in cinemas.

The content studio has earlier produced several popular series, including ‘Humble Politician Nograj’ (Kannada), ‘Vadham’ (Tamil), ‘Kuruthi Kalam’ (Tamil), and ‘Iru Dhuruvam’ (Tamil). With a strong commitment to building a diverse content slate in all southern markets, Applause Entertainment is focused on creating a range of movies and premium series across different languages.

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Bhubaneswar, March 22 (Ians) The Odisha government on Wednesday announced exemption from entertainment tax for Bollywood film “Zwigato”, which was shot in Bhubaneswar.

After attending a special screening of the film, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved a proposal in this regard on Wednesday.

The movie, directed by Nandita Das, stars Kapil Sharma and Sahana Goswami in the lead roles and depicts the life of a food delivery boy and his struggle.

The Odisha government is promoting the state as a destination for film shooting through proactive policies. This will promote tourism potential and provide employment opportunities for talented youth, an official said.

The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of Nandita Das for promoting Odisha as a destination for shooting commercial movies.

–Ians

bbm/vd...

Mumbai, March 19 (Ians) Popular comedian and actor Kapil Sharma, whose recent film ‘Zwigato’ captures the life of delivery boys, was overwhelmed by the love and support from them at the special screening in Mumbai and clicked a selfie with them to capture the moment.

Kapil wrote in the caption: “A special screening for the people who are #deliveringhappiness every day.”

Recently, PVR and Inox organised a special screening of the film in Mumbai and Delhi for delivery boys.

Directed by Nandita Das, ‘Zwigato’ stars Kapil Sharma and Shahana Goswami in the lead roles with Tushar Acharya, Sayani Gupta, and many others. The story follows the life of Manas who, after losing his job during the pandemic, is forced to work as a food delivery worker.

Through this story, the director has subtly touched on a number of social realities like unemployment and poverty. It also gives a glimpse into local...

Zwigato

Directed by Nandita Das

How does one deal with life when it serves you juiceless lemons? You won’t find Nandita Das and her co-writer Samir Patil juicing the tragic circumstances of her delivery-boy Manas (Kapil Sharma) for tears in this gently effective drama of fringe employment, produced by Applause Entertainment..

This well-cut nugget has no room for tears. Kapil’s Zwigato delivery-boy delivers a performance that is keenly observant of reality: the languorous paunchy body language , the endless rounds on two-wheelers, handling difficult insulting customers at work , an invalid mother and two children at home… Kapil brings the entire force of destiny down on his character’s shoulder without making him a cry baby.

There is a beautiful moment where Manas put his head on his ailing mother’s lap. His wife Pratima walks in, sees the mother and son together, a walks out quietly.

This is my...

Director: Nandita Das. Cast: Kapil Sharma and Shahana Goswami.

Cinematography: Ranjan Palit. Music: Sagar Desai/Hitesh Soni.

Ians Rating: ****

New India is multi-faceted, multi-optional with many of the well-heeled being spoilt for choices while choosing a vocation. But despite all the so-called growth, several other categories of middle-class young men and women reel under pressure to find themselves age- and skill-appropriate employment.

For the Alpha generation, the e-commerce food delivery companies are a blessing, for they cater to the needs and orders of the customers who are more demanding and have more convenience and control over how and when they order their food. But that’s for the customers; the employees of such businesses face the brunt of it.

A double-edged sword for the unemployed in India, the sudden thriving numbers of delivery services have led to a Catch-22 situation. They have, in some ways, generated some income for those out of jobs,...

Mumbai, March 12 (Ians) Film actress and director Nandita Das shared how comedian and actor Kapil Sharma learned the Jharkhand accent for playing the role of a delivery boy in her directorial project, ‘Zwigato’.

She said: “In the film, Kapil will be seen in a new avatar who will be speaking in a Jharkhand accent rather than his usual Punjabi accent. I was initially concerned about his Jharkhand accent. I even gave him the option of changing his accent to Punjabi if he couldn’t deliver dialogues properly in the accent I chose.”

The 53-year-old actress further praised Kapil saying that he worked hard to learn a new language despite the fact that she insisted on delivering the dialogue in Punjabi. However, he said that he would learn the Jharkhand accent which is needed for his character.

Nandita added: “He immediately declined the offer of delivering dialogues in Punjabi, stating that...

Comedian and actor Kapil Sharma spoke about his upcoming film ‘Zwigato’ and the challenges of playing the role of a delivery boy. He also shared that the character had him realised how tough life is for delivery boys, and that he has become more empathetic towards them.

He shared: “I understood how difficult the struggles of delivery boys can be, especially after doing this film. I remember once when my wife Ginni had ordered a cake, it got spoiled during the delivery process. The delivery boy assured her that he would bring a new cake to replace it in 15 minutes. Ginni came to me and told me about this and after finding out about the same, I became hesitant and stopped the delivery boy from going back to get a new cake.”

He added that sending the delivery boy back to bring a new cake may result in a deduction from his salary.

DeathThe veteran actor and director passed away in New Delhi early on Thursday, March 9, after he suffered a massive heart attack.Satish Kaushik: IANSPrime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the death of veteran actor and director Satish Kaushik, who passed away early on Thursday, March 9. In a tweet, Modi said, “Pained by the untimely demise of noted film personality Shri Satish Kaushik Ji. He was a creative genius who won hearts thanks to his wonderful acting and direction. His works will continue to entertain audiences. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.” Kaushik passed away at around 1 am in the national capital of New Delhi, after he suffered a massive heart attack. He was 66. An alumnus of the National School of Drama, Kaushik is remembered for his roles in films like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983), Mr India (1987), Ram Lakhan (1989), and Haseena Maan Jayegi (1999) among many others. He was most known...

Actor-comedian Kapil Sharma, who is gearing up for his upcoming film ‘Zwigato’, has shared that he was initially uncertain about his part in the film.

The reason behind this was that the film was a moving drama and he being a comedian, came with a certain image of a comic that he has built over the years with his television shows playing in every Indian household since close to 2 decades now.

Kapil, who plays a food delivery partner in ‘Zwigato’, told Ians: “I was approached by Nandita ma’am for the film and I loved the story but I was quite aware that if you’re a comedian then the audience doesn’t take you very seriously when you play a dramatic role.”

He continued: “Sab apko 15-20 saal se dekh rahe hain television pe hanste hue, muskuraate hue, masti karte hue toh audience ko apko as a serious character...

The trailer of the upcoming film ‘Zwigato’, which stars actor-comedian Kapil Sharma in the lead, was unveiled on Wednesday.

It follows the story of the struggle of a food delivery partner played by Kapil and how the mounting pressures of the food delivery app coupled with standard of living in big cities really gets to those who are at the lower rung of the society but still work tirelessly.

Kapil, who is otherwise known for his forte in comedy, takes complete departure from his image as a comic and merges in the dramatic universe of the film as he effortlessly portrays his character

Actress Shahana Goswami plays the wife of Kapil’s character in the film, she works as a masseuse to support her family financially as her husband struggles to keep with the rapidly changing demands of the titular food delivery app and tried to wrap his head around...

Kapil Sharma’s latest post shows a clip from the upcoming episode of his show – The Kapil Sharma Show on Instagram. Bigg Boss 16 winner Mc Stan.

In the video, Mc Stan performs the rap Basti Ka Hasti from his album Insaan with Kapil Sharma. We can hear fans cheering in the background.

Along with the video, the comedian wrote, “Kya bolti public? Vibe hai k nahin? Love you, bro Mc Stan.” The clip has garnered a lot of attention on social media. Fans have dropped fire and red heart emojis under the post.

Mc Stan is seen wearing red suit and

Mc Stan won the 16th season of the reality show Bigg Boss by defeating his dear friend and housemate Shiv Thakare.

Kapil Sharma is gearing up for the release of his film Zwigato. The Nandita Das directorial also stars Shahana Goswami in the lead. Kapil plays the role of...

‘Zwigato’ is finally here! Applause Entertainment and Nandita Das Initiatives, announce the release date of the much-anticipated film ‘Zwigato’, starring Kapil Sharma and Shahana Goswami. The film is set to hit the big screen on March 17, 2023.

Set in the seldom seen city of Bhubaneswar, Zwigato follows the story of a food delivery rider who grapples with the world of ratings and algorithms. Written and directed by Nandita Das, this highly topical film delves into the lives of ‘ordinary people’. If you are looking for a heartfelt, thought provoking and an immersive experience, then put it on your calendar right away.

Zwigato had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Asian premiere at Busan International Film Festival, and its Indian premiere at Kerala International Film Festival.

IFFKThe renowned actor's third directorial venture was screened at the ongoing International Film Festival of Kerala.CrisStill from ZwigatoSomehow balancing 20 boxes of pizza on the front of his motorbike, the delivery worker of an online app goes to an apartment building and takes the stairs, noticing he is not allowed to use the lift. Inside the apartment, he finds an inebriated man on the couch, ready to get sick. Two others begin chiding the delivery worker for bringing 20 boxes, without acknowledging the mistake that they made while ordering, and make fun of his concern for their drunken friend. The delivery worker walks away, refusing the condescending offer of a “few boxes for his kids”, leaving a few currency notes on the table like a tip for the customer. This is not exactly the heroic moment in Zwigato, the Hindi film by actor-filmmaker Nandita Das, which was screened at the International...

The India programme explores the socio-political development of the country over the past 30 years.

US producer Christine Vachon and Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz are among the competition jury members for the 52nd edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Joining Vachon and Diaz is the director of Udine Far East Film Festival Sabrina Baracetti, Neptune Frost director Anisia Uzeyman and Mexican film critic Alonso Díaz de la Vega.

The jury are responsible for choosing the winner of the Tiger Award worth €40,000 as well as the Special Jury Awards worth €10,000. The competition line-up will be announced later this month.

India in...

CinemaThe film had its international premiere at the 47th Toronto International film festival in September this year. PTITwitter/ Applause EntertainmentThe film Zwigato, directed by Nandita Das, will be premiering in India at the 27th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (Iffk). The makers shared the update with fans on Thursday, December 8. Set in Bhubaneswar, the film starring Kapil Sharma and Shahana Goswami, will open the gala's Kaleidoscope section. It will have screenings on December 10 and December 13. Sharing the announcement, Applause Entertainment, the production banner that produced Zwigato, wrote on Twitter, "An exciting delivery is on its way! After soaring high at Toronto & Busan, we are thrilled to share that our film 'Zwigato' helmed by Nandita Das, starring Kapil Sharma & Shahana Goswami, is all set to premiere in India at the International Film Festival of Kerala.” They also added, "Selected as the opening film in the festival’s Kaleidoscope section,...

After the World premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Asian premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, Applause Entertainment and Nandita Das’ ‘Zwigato’, is set to premiere in India at the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala. The film has been selected as the opening film in the Kaleidoscope section of the festival. The screenings are on 10th and 13th December 2022.

Written and directed by Nandita Das, the film features Kapil Sharma, as a food delivery rider who grapples with the world of ratings and algorithms. ‘Rock On!!’ fame Shahana Goswami plays his wife, a homemaker, who starts to work to support his income. It is the story of the relentless struggle of life, but not without their shared moments of joy. Set in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, the film captures the lives of invisible ‘ordinary’ people that are hidden in plain sight but keep the societal machinery well-oiled with their sustained efforts.

IFFKThe festival will honour Iranian filmmaker and women’s rights activist Mahnaz Mohammadi with the Spirit of Cinema award.Tnm StaffMahnaz Mohammadi / IFFKOf the 185 films that will be screened at the International Film Festival of Kerala (Iffk), 32 are directed by women from 17 countries. The 27th edition of the festival which will be held between December 9 and 16 in Thiruvananthapuram will honour a woman filmmaker with the Spirit of Cinema award. The felicitation was introduced in the last edition of the festival held in March this year, and the award was presented to Kurdish filmmaker Lisa Calan. In this edition, Iranian filmmaker and women’s rights activist Mahnaz Mohammadi will receive the award on the inaugural day of the Iffk. Mahnaz's first documentary, Women without Shadows, told the story of homeless and abandoned women in a shelter home. She has directed several other documentaries including Travelogue, in which she interviews on a train,...

Actress Nandita Das, who is on a wildlife safari in Africa, has shared an update on the Uganda leg of the safari.

Taking to Instagram, Nandita posted pictures of herself and her son, who accompanied her on the trip to Bwindi in Uganda and wrote: “Not done sharing about our trip. So, next we went to Uganda.”

“Small planes, grassland to hills and forests, long treks, fatigue…but all worth it. A once in a lifetime experience of being up close with the mountain gorilla.”

“They look scary because of their size but we humans are more abusive and intrusive so they are rightly more scared of us. We did our best to not disturb them. They looked at us without much interest. Thankfully!”

Earlier, the actress had posted pictures of their safari in the Masaimara region of Kenya.

“I have a thousand photos of the lions – majestic, lazy and beastly.

Acclaimed film actress and director Nandita Das, who is always passionate about women’s welfare and gender equality, is no stranger to tackling difficult issues that are often missed or go unnoticed, as did most notably in her film “Zwigato”, starring Kapil Sharma.

At the launch of the Ilss Emerging Women’s Leadership Program in New Delhi, Das, however, spoke about her short film “Listen to Her”.

She shot the film, which, like “Zwigato”, also revolves around the theme of the complexities of life under Covid-induced lockdowns, at home with son Vihaan and it zeroes in on the issue of women being overburdened while staying back and facing domestic violence to boot.

“One fine morning, I woke up and read this newspaper article about how women are being overburdened during the lockdown. And I am talking about the privileged class, who are attending zoom meetings and taking care of their...

After “Sunrise” in 2014 and a double whammy with “The Wayfarers” and “Nirvana Inn” in 2019, Indian thespian Adil Hussain is back at the Busan International Film Festival this year with two more films – “The Storyteller” in the Jiseok section, and “Max, Min and Meowzaki” in the Open Cinema strand.

Hussain, best known internationally for “Life of Pi” and “Star Trek: Discovery,” also won global plaudits for “What Will People Say” and “Hotel Salvation.”

Both of the actor’s Busan films this year are by festival alumni – “The Storyteller,” is by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, whose “Bittersweet” was in Busan 2020 and “Max, Min and Meowzaki” is helmed by Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy, who was at Busan in 2016 with “A Billion Colour Story.”

In “The Storyteller” Hussain plays Goradia, a Gujarati businessman who believes that once physical wealth is accumulated, happiness will follow, but this proves not to be the case. The film is based on a story by the late,...