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What has happened to the Hollywood franchises? The latest segment of Mission Impossible was a crashing bore. The less said, the better about Karate Kid Part…whatever!

Now comes Ballerina …From The World Of John Wick. No less! Let me burst the bubble by telling you there is very little of John Wick in this fifth and most annoying chapter. What we do get is an abundance of Wick-the-f…k episodes.

Many times, I was left gritting my teeth while the female John Wick, the prospective assassin and full-time ballerina Eva Macarro (the gorgeous Ana de Armas), was put through the grind by a screenplay that screams for attention but doesn’t deserve it.

The lost-and-found plot about two sisters separated during childhood by a vicious clansman simply known as the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne) is pure hokum, straight out of a Manmohan Desai potboiler in the 1980s; even the tattoos...

Deadline’s Sound & Screen event made its London debut during SXSW London on Saturday, honoring Oscar-winning composer Anne Dudley and featuring live performances from hit screen projects, including Shrinking and Arcane.

On a rainy summer’s day in London, Deadline provided a ray of musical sunshine for a packed audience at the historic Shoreditch Church. Dudley, who won an Academy prize for her work on The Full Monty, took to the stage to perform a medley of her work, including Poldark and Jeeves and Wooster.

She was awarded Sound & Screen’s inaugural Impact Award, with Baz Bamigboye, Deadline columnist and master of ceremonies, presenting her with the prize following her performance.

Dudley said the award would sit alongside her Oscar, Grammy, Brit, and Ivor Novello prizes, telling Bamigboye that there had been a “sea change” in the opportunities for women in music and film. She also looked ahead to her next project,...

Trump’s plan to Make Hollywood Great Again by imposing a 100 percent tariff on “any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands” has left the industry with more questions than answers. Like: Huh? Or: Is this even legal? And our personal favorite: What about TV?

“We Want Movies Made In America, Again!” Trump ranted on Sunday evening. “The Movie Industry in America is Dying a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!”

By Monday morning, Trump’s press liaison was already walking all of that back a bit.

“Although no final decisions...

Center Theatre Group’s upcoming 2025–2026 season will bring eleven productions to its three stages, mixing Broadway favorites, award-winning new plays, and original works making their Los Angeles debuts. With titles ranging from the disco-fueled Here Lies Love to the return of Mamma Mia! and the world of Paranormal Activity live on stage, the season reflects a broad, eclectic approach that spans genres, tones, and audiences. The core of the season is the seven-show One Ctg subscription package, featuring a blend of celebrated Broadway transfers and timely new work, including Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Primary Trust, Paranormal Activity, & Juliet, Mamma Mia!, and a soon-to-be-announced title. A major highlight of the season is Desai’s direction of Here Lies Love—the immersive pop musical from David Byrne and Fatboy...

Donald Trump’s plan to slap movies made outside the United States with a 100 percent tariff was apparently the brain child of actor Jon Voight.

According to Politico, a source close to the White House credited the policy to the actor, who was earlier this year named one of Trump’s “special ambassadors” to Hollywood (alongside Mel Gibson and Sylvester Stallone). Ben Allen, a California state senator from the Los Angeles area who’s active in the world of Hollywood tax credits, also said he heard from Voight about the...

Trent Reznor, Jeff Toyne, David Fleming and Nainita Desai were among the top recipients at ASCAP’s 2025 Screen Music Awards held in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

The four were the Composer’s Choice Award recipients at the performance rights organization’s annual Screen Music awards, with Reznor taking home the Composers’ Choice award for film score of the year for his work on Challengers. Toyne took home both TV score and TV theme of the year for Palm Royale. Fleming won documentary score of the year for Jim Henson Idea Man while Desai rounded out the Composers’ Choice section with video game score of the year for Tales of Kenzera: Zau.

The Composers’ Choice Awards are chosen by ASCAP’s body of songwriters and composers. The full list of winners is available on ASCAP’s website. Elsewhere for this year’s awards, Andrea Datzman won for top box office...

When Shabana Azmi Was Humiliated By A Choreographer & She Left The Set Crying ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi is known for her powerful performances and trailblazing career. However, she, too, had a vulnerable phase in the industry. The actress once recalled an incident where her choreographer humiliated her on the sets of Parvarish. She walked out of the set and even started crying while walking barefoot on the road. Keep scrolling for the deets.

Parvarish was a film by Manmohan Desai featuring an ensemble cast led by Shammi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Neetu Singh, and Shabana. Amjad Khan and Kader Khan played the villains in this movie. It was one of the highest-grossing films of that year and among Desai’s four hits of the year as well.

In a throwback interview with Adi Pocha [via Bollywood Shaadis], Shabana Azmi shared an incident from the sets of Parvarish when she...

Shining the spotlight on the talented actress Nanda, Subhash K Jha focuses on her life in reel and real.

Nanda, who was part of the illustrious Mangeshkar family, never got her due. And she was herself partly to blame for it. Fixated on becoming another Meena Kumari, she was typecast in weepy family-oriented roles of the all-sacrificing Choti Bahen, Beti and Badi Didi. These are actually the titles of three of her popular films where she was shown sacrificing her own happiness for the family.

Nanda did make a belated attempt to break out of her doleful image with her shocking murderous avatar in Yash Chopra’s Ittefaq and as a drug addict in Naya Nasha. But she is largely remembered for her sweet, benign domesticated roles (I can’t recall one film where Nanda was cast as a working woman) humming and chugging her way into audiences’ hearts in...

In early 2018, as South Africa’s Western Cape region was in the midst of a yearslong drought that brought its reservoirs to historically low levels, residents of Cape Town and its surroundings began to brace for “Day Zero,” when the municipal water supply would be exhausted and the taps would run dry.

That catastrophe was narrowly averted. But as South African filmmaker Rehad Desai (“Miners Shot Down”) warns in his timely new documentary “Capturing Water,” playing this week at the Joburg Film Festival, the city’s water crisis barely scratched the surface of a much larger threat, as climate change pushes South Africa and much of the continent to the brink of a full-scale emergency.

“We’ve got 250 million people facing water stress, mainly in urban areas, across the continent by 2030,” Desai tells Variety. “The temperatures are just [increasing] exponentially. We’re a dry continent. It’s becoming drier because of climate change.

What Did Anil Kapoor Said Prasing Aryan Khan For His Directorial Debut? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, is set to make his highly anticipated debut as a director with an upcoming web series titled Ba***ds of Bollywood. While many expected him to follow in his father’s footsteps as an actor, Aryan has chosen to explore the creative world behind the camera. This project, backed by Red Chillies Entertainment, marks a significant step in his filmmaking journey.

Not just fans but even celebrities are excited to see the next generation of Khan take over & the veteran actor Anil Kapoor has also joined the conversation. He has compared the young debutant to the legendary director Manmohan Desai. For the unknown, Desai has helmed some of the greatest Bollywood movies of all time which include Dharam Veer, Amar Akbar Anthony, Suhaag, Naseeb, Coolie,...

Kartik Aaryan New Andheri Properties (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Kartik Aaryan had a fantastic 2024, where he proved himself to be one of Bollywood’s most bankable stars. Firstly, he garnered a lot of praise for his work in the Chandu Champion movie, for which he had trained extensively. Later in the year, he starred in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. Despite going up against Singham Again, the Kartik Aaryan starrer was a hit at the box office and became the second highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024, only behind Stree 2.

Aaryan is making waves on the big screen and in the real estate market. Known for his blockbuster performances and charm, Kartik has expanded his investment portfolio by acquiring two luxurious properties in Mumbai’s upscale Andheri area. While Kartik continues to command attention for his rumored sky-high fees, he is now in the news for where he invests the fees he gets.

Kartik Aaryan...

There’s this notion that Bollywood is synonymous with over-the-top, grandiose romantic dramas, and if and when we get a toxic romance, it should be seen as something that’s radical. But, apart from a select few examples (like Veer-Zaara), I think Bollywood has always made toxic romances. I mean, look at the most popular Bollywood film of all time, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. The inciting incident of the relationship between Raj and Simran is stalking and harassment, but since they get a happy ending, it’s celebrated by many. Every article about Bollywood romances brings up Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, which rewards a man-child’s problematic behavior with love. Hence, Haseen Dillruba didn’t impress me a lot when it chose domestic abuse, something that’s been normalized to a frightening degree and bafflingly enough, is seen as an “act of love,” as the fire that reignited the romance between an estranged married couple.

Kal Penn may not be returning for Smile 2, but he is open to the possibility if called. The success of the first movie and the positive response from horror fans has made Penn excited for the sequel. If Penn does return, his character Dr. Desai could potentially be Joel's psychiatrist, dealing with the aftermath of the supernatural events from the first film, as well as his inheriting the curse.

Though one original star has already been confirmed for the sequel, Kal Penn has a disappointing update on his potential Smile 2 return. The Harold & Kumar alum starred in the 2022 viral horror hit as Dr. Desai, the boss of Sosie Bacon's Rose who frequently defends her actions, even when they risk their ward's budget, and attempts to help her as she begins suffering from the hallucinations brought on by The Monstrosity. Following the movie's critical and commercial success, the sequel...

Mission Raniganj: The Great Bharat Rescue

Starring Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra, Pavan Malhotra

Directed by Tinu Suresh Desai

At last, a biopic about a true hero. If you are as tired of watching gangsters being glorified on screen as I am, then here is a welcome break. Mission Raniganj(the appendage in the title about ‘Great Bharat’ seems an afterthought) pushes the timeline back to 1989 when at the Raniganj coalfield in West Bengal, a Sikh mining officer Jaswant Singh Gill rescued sixty-five miners after a mining accident.

Like the 2015 Spanish film The 33 which vividly recreated the real events of the 2010 Copiapó mining disaster, in which a group of thirty-three miners were trapped inside the San José Mine in Chile for sixty-nine days, Mission Raniganj strives to bring the palpable immediacy of the disaster to us.

If you have seen Tinu Desai’s earlier Akshay starrer Rustom you would would...

The Edelweiss Asset Reconstruction Company on Saturday said it is ‘deeply saddened’ by the demise of ace Art Director Nitin Chandrakant Desai under tragic circumstances, on Saturday. In a statement, the Edelweiss Arc said that it had extended financial assistance to Desai’s company in 2016-2018 for setting up a theme park and working capital.

Desai’s company has encountered financial difficulties since 2020 and various attempts to improve its financial situation did not bear fruit.

The company was eventually referred to Nclt in 2022 and admitted by the Nclt, Mumbai in July 2023.

“Edelweiss Arc followed all legal processes as mandated by Rbi and has not acted in any manner outside of the legal framework. Neither was the interest rate charged excessive nor was there at any time undue pressure being put on the borrower for recovery,” said the statement by Company Secretary Tarun Khurana to the Bse.

The statement said that...

Raigad (Maharashtra), Aug 3 (Ians) The funeral of ace art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai – who died by hanging on Wednesday morning – will be performed near the helipad in his N.D. Art World Pvt. Ltd. studios on Friday afternoon, a close friend said.

The autopsy on Desai’s body – which confirmed ‘death by hanging’ – was performed late last night and then, the body handed over to his family on Thursday.

“The body will be brought to the studio named ‘Diwan-e-Aam’ at noon and then kept for darshan to enable people pay their last respects,” said Motiram Thomre, who was associated with Desai for over 20 years.

Around 2 p.m., it will be taken in a procession with a flower-bedecked cortege to the helipad, located around half-km inside the studio premises and then consigned to the flames as per his desire.

Thomre said that Desai’s wife Neha is awaiting their three children...

Raigad, Aug 3 (Ians) After a preliminary report of the autopsy conducted at Mumbai’s Sir J. J. Hospital late Wednesday confirmed Art Director Nitin Chandrakant Desai’s cause of death ‘by hanging’, his associates and close friends are nagged by doubts that he may have actually ‘planned’ his suicide in the past few days.

The detailed report of the autopsy conducted by a team of four medicos is likely to be made available later.

A close family friend of Desai said that he got a panic call from a security personnel about the shocking development around 9 a.m. on August 2.

“I immediately rushed to the N. D. Art World Pvt. Ltd. studio premises. From a window, we saw Desai’s body hanging by a rope from the ceiling at a considerable height on a huge stage which is used for shooting purposes,” said the friend, declining to be identified.

For a few moments,...

Nitin Chandrakant Desai, the prominent Bollywood production designer of the Oscar-nominated music sports drama Lagaan, has died. He was 57.

Desai reportedly was found dead at his studio in Karat, near Mumbai. The Indian Express and other local news agencies have reported police initially are suspecting suicide. Investigations are continuing.

Desai was known for his colorful work on the 2001 blockbuster Lagaan and Devdas, the BAFTA-nominated Indian drama from a year later. During his long career he also worked on another Oscar-nominated feature, 1988’s Salaam Bombay!, and on 1942: A Love Story (1993), Hum Do De Choke Sanam (1999) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008), among others. He also designed the set for Kaun Banega Crorepati? in Slumdog Millionaire and worked as a producer on several films and TV shows. He also directed Hello Jai Hind! and Ajintha, the former of which he also acted in.

Desai set up Nd Studios in Karjat, where he is believed to have been found,...

Mumbai, Aug 2 (Ians) Acclaimed Bollywood art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai, who was found hanging in a case of suspected suicide this morning, was reeling under a financial crises with accumulated debts of over Rs 250 crore and insolvency proceedings initiated against him only last week.

Independent Mla Mahesh Baldi of Uran (Raigad) in whose constituency Desai’s ‘Nd Art World Pvt Ltd’ was sprawled over 52 acres, confirmed to media persons that the creative genius was bogged down with financial issues since past four-five years, which may have triggered his suicide.

The National Company Law Tribunal (Nclt) Mumbai had ordered initiating Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (Cirp) against Desai’s company, and appointed Jitender Kothari as an Interim Resolution professional, in the plea filed by the creditors Cfm Asset Reconstruction Pvt. Ltd for the debts of a little over Rs 250 crore.

In 2016, Desai, his wife Naina and their firm had availed a loan...

Nitin Chandrakant Desai, the Indian production designer best known for his work on the Oscar-nominated “Lagaan” (2001) and BAFTA-nominated “Devdas” (2002), was found dead Aug. 2 at his studio in Karjat, near Bollywood capital Mumbai. He was 57.

According to Indian news agency Pti, local police suspect that Desai allegedly died of suicide, though they are investigating further.

During his distinguished career, Desai worked with Mira Nair on the Oscar-nominated “Salaam Bombay” (1988) and “Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love” (1996). He also worked with several leading Bollywood filmmakers including Vidhu Vinod Chopra on “Parinda” (1989) and “1942: A Love Story” (1993); Sanjay Leela Bhansali on “Khamoshi: The Musical” (1995), “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” (1999) and “Devdas” (2002); Ashutosh Gowariker on “Lagaan” (2001) and “Jodhaa Akbar” (2008); and Rajkumar Hirani on the “Munna Bhai” franchise. He also designed the “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008) set for “Kaun Banega Crorepati?,” the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”

In 2003, Desai produced “Desh Devi Maa...

DeathThe award-winning art director allegedly died by suicide. He worked in Marathi and Hindi film industry.Condolences have been pouring in mourning the death of award-winning art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai who worked for Bollywood films like Lagaan and Devdas. The famous art director allegedly died by suicide. Desai’s body was found in his studio located in Raigad, Maharashtra on Wednesday morning, August 2. Police are investigating the death. Several Hindi actors who were friends with Desai expressed their grief on social media. “Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Nitin Desai. A brilliant art director and a good friend, his contribution to Indian cinema has been monumental. My thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time,” wrote actor Sanjay Dutt on Twitter. Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Nitin Desai. A brilliant art director and a good friend, his contribution to Indian cinema has been monumental.

Renowned filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker says he is in shock after learning about the death of art director Nitin Desai, who worked with him on the sets of his magnum opuses ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Jodhaa Akhbar’,

Desai was found hanging in a case of suspected suicide at his N.D. Studios here, early on Wednesday, official sources said.

On his way to Karjat, Gowarikar spoke to Ians about Desai’s untimely death.

He said: “Stunned. Shocked. No words. On the way to Nd Studios, Karjat.”

The Karjat Police rushed to his studio for investigations and the cause of the suicide was not clear.

The end came just three days before Desai’s 58th birthday on Sunday (August 6), even as top Bollywood personalities mourned his sudden demise.

Police were attempting to verify if he has left behind any suicide note at the studio or any other location.

Among the top-rung art directors of Bollywood,...

CinemaNitin Desai, a renowned art director known for films such as ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ and ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, was found dead at his studio in Karjat near Mumbai. Nitin Chandrakant Desai/Instagram Renowned art director Nitin Chandrakant Desai was found dead allegedly by suicide at his Nd Studios in Karjat near Mumbai early on Wednesday, August 2, official sources said. The Karjat Police rushed to his studio for investigation, and the cause of the suicide was not clear. Desai died just three days before his 58th birthday on Sunday (August 6). Many top Bollywood personalities mourned his sudden demise. Police were attempting to verify if he has left behind any suicide note at the studio or any other location. Among the top-rung art directors of Bollywood, the Dapoli (Ratnagiri) born Desai was the art director for major films such as Devdas, Lagaan, Jodhaa Akbar, Harishchandrachi Factory, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,...

Introduction & Inspirations

Murali Gopy, the acclaimed writer and actor of Malayalam cinema, has revealed some of his favourite filmmakers and his upcoming projects in a candid interview. Murali Gopy, who is known for his versatile scripts and powerful performances, has written critically acclaimed films like Ee Adutha Kaalathu, Left Right Left, Tiyaan, Kammara Sambhavam, and the highest-grossing Malayalam film Lucifer.

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He has also won numerous awards including Filmfare Awards South and South Indian International Movie Awards. Here are some of the filmmakers he admires and their best films:

Django Unchained Trailer David Lean: The British master of epic cinema, who directed classics like Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and The Bridge on the River Kwai. Lean’s films are known for their sweeping visuals and compelling stories on a grand scale. He was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won two for Best Director. Quentin Tarantino: The American iconoclast,...

The Center Theatre Group is pausing its season programming at its Mark Taper Forum theater and laying off 10 percent of staff across the theater company after experiencing sustained drops in ticket revenue and donations, alongside rising production costs following the pandemic.

“We are still facing a crisis unlike any other in our fifty-six-year history,” the theater organization said in a post.

The theater organization will stop season programming at the 739-seat Taper starting in July and through the 2023-2024 season. This will impact the world premiere of Fake It Until You Make It by Larissa FastHorse and directed by Michael John Garcés, which Center Theatre Group plans to move to a future season. The tour stop of Cambodian Rock Band by Lauren Yee and directed by Chay Yew, has been canceled.

A Transparent Musical, based on the Amazon Prime TV series, is currently running at the Taper through June 25.

The...

Harare, June 13 (Ians) After a whirlwind first half of 2023, Nepal travel to Zimbabwe with an aim to qualify for the Cricket World Cup, which is set to be held in India, later this year.

Seemingly in a rut during a tumultuous Cwc League 2 period, out of form and struggling to find their ideal first XI, Nepal’s fortunes changed in February when Monty Desai was appointed as head coach.

The team still had a third of their League 2 campaign in front of them, though needed at least 10 wins from their final 12 matches for a critical top-three spot and a guaranteed place at the upcoming Qualifier.

Amazingly, and with the help at key moments from a vocal Kathmandu crowd, the side won 11 of the last dozen, including a thrilling Dls-decided victory against UAE on the final day of the competition.

It turned out to be a sliding door moment of significance.

Cupertino (California), June 6 (Ians) Indian-origin Sumbul Desai, Apple’s Vice President of Health, has emphasised that the next goal for the company is to help users improve their mental and vision health.

Mental health and vision health are important, but often overlooked.

“We’re excited to introduce features that offer valuable new insights to provide users with an even better understanding of their health. These insights help support users in their daily decisions and offer more informed conversations with their doctors,” Desai said during the company’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference (Wwdc) here.

New mental health features in iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10 allow users to log their momentary emotions and daily moods, see valuable insights, and easily access assessments and resources.

iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch offer new vision health features that encourage healthy behaviours that help reduce the risk of myopia, and the Health app comes to iPad, giving users...

Visual effects house Dneg has hired Tom Williams as managing director for episodic content in its VFX division.

With over 25 years of experience, Williams comes from Mpc where he was serving as president of visual effects. While there, he also held the role of managing director of episodic. Prior to that, he held management roles at Sky and Abbey Road Studios.

In his new position at Dneg, Williams will be based out of London and focus on expanding its episodic VFX offering, in addition to the work it delivers for its feature film clients.

“This is an exciting time to be joining Dneg, as the company doubles-down on its ambitions in the episodic VFX space to cater to high demand for its industry-leading services,” said Williams. “Over the last few years, Dneg has established itself as a destination for directors and showrunners who want to create truly spectacular visual experiences.

Sundance Institute, which hosts the annual film festival in Park City, Utah, has announced the six people who were selected for its Trans Possibilities Intensive.

The fellows for 2023 are Seyi Adebanjo, Rajvi Desai, Malik Ever, Nick Janaye, Jamie John and Tee Park Jaehyung. The second edition of the Trans Possibilities Intensive, which is a three-day event to aid project and professional development for transgender storytellers of color, is taking place from March 27-29.

Moi Santos, who founded the program, is leading the initiative with guidance from creative advisers and Sundance Institute’s Equity, Impact and Belonging Program. This year’s creative advisers include Sydney Freeland (“Drunktown’s Finest”), Aitch Alberto (“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”), Félix Endara (“Unseen”) and Chase Joynt (“Framing Agnes”).

Sundance describes the Intensive as an “ancillary environment for participating artists to enhance their voice and craft, foster relationships with each other, and...

Sessions to run from March 27-29.

Six transgender storytellers of colour have been selected for the second edition of Sundance Institute’s Trans Possibilities Intensive programme which runs March 27-29.

The 2023 Fellows are: Seyi Adebanjo, Rajvi Desai, Malik Ever, Nick Janaye, Jamie John, and Tee Park Jaehyung.

Moi Santos will lead the sessions and is founder of the Trans Possibilities Intensive. Leadership includes creative advisors including Sydney Freeland (Drunktown’s Finest), Aitch Alberto (Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe), Félix Endara (Inseen) and Chase Joynt (Framing Agnes), as well as Sundance Institute’s Equity, Impact, and Belonging Program.

New Delhi, Feb 26 (Ians) Opener Mayank Agarwal will captain Rest of India against Madhya Pradesh in the Irani Cup tie. But middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan misses out on the Irani Cup due to finger injury.

A report in ESPNCricinfo says the Irani Cup match was initially set to be played in Indore, but had move to Gwalior after the third India-Australia Test was allotted to the Holkar Stadium, because of the Hpca Stadium in Dharamshala not being ready in time to host the game.

Though the official squad is yet to come out, the report says Sarfaraz, a prolific run-getter for the last three seasons for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, has been advised eight to ten days of rest to recover from finger injury.

Sarfaraz had sustained the finger injury while playing in the Dy Patil T20 Cup in Mumbai. As of now, he is currently nursing the injury...

Body Parts is a fascinating and gripping documentary that is sure to recontextualize the way in which audiences view on-screen displays of intimacy. Directed by Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Body Parts traces the evolution of the practices behind filming sex and sexual situations over the course of decades in Hollywood. The film features candid interviews with female creators and actors including Rose McGowan, Jane Fonda, Rosanna Arquette, among others, and it shines a light on the uncomfortable process behind a number of iconic movie sex scenes in addition to advocating for real change behind-the-scenes. Body Parts premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022, and showed at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2023.

The emotional impact of Body Parts is further bolstered by the engaging musical score written by Emmy-winning composer Nainita Desai. Desai, who has scored a number of documentaries and video games (including the award-winning Immortality), wove a tapestry...

Caitlin Stasey in Parker Finn’s Smile. Photo: Paramount Make sure the liquor cabinet at home is well stocked, because you might just want a stiff drink after seeing Smile. The feature debut of writer-director Parker Finn, expanded from his SXSW award-nominated short Laura Hasn’t Slept, is designed to...

Panaji, Sep 1 (Ians) After a gap of two years due to Covid-19 pandemic, Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandals are celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in a big way with zeal and fervour like before. Thousands of Ganesh devotees are seen taking darshan of the diety by visiting these mandals.

Tushar Tople, one of the trustees of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Vishwast Mandal-Mapusa, in north Goa, speaking to Ians said that they are celebrating the 61st year of Ganeshotsav this year. “It was started after liberation in 1962 by freedom fighters. Till today we are celebrating it, however last two years celebration was restricted,” Tople said.

“Before Covid, we used to invite cultural groups from Maharashtra to perform. This year we have not invited them, but we have organised local programmes,” he said.

He said that people offer many things to lord Ganesh after their wishes are fulfilled. “There are Christian families who offer coconuts to lord Ganesh...

Channel 4’s former Deputy Programmes Chief Kelly Webb-Lamb has launched a non-scripted production outfit with two former Channel 4 commissioners to create “global formats and ideas of scale.”

Webb-Lamb, who up until recently was the second most senior content person at the Gogglebox network, has opened Mothership Productions with Creative Director Charlotte Desai and Director of Programmes Gilly Greenslade, both of whom worked extensively with her at Channel 4 before she departed last year.

The production outfit looks set to be a key player in the booming British non-scripted TV sector, focusing on big, sellable formats, and said it already has several projects in advanced development while the team is currently pitching to broadcaster and SVoD commissioners.

Webb-Lamb was at Channel 4 for five years and deputy to Chief Content Officer Ian Katz for three, during which time she commissioned the likes of The Circle, Studio Lambert’s format that was subsequently remade for Netflix,...

Former Channel 4 deputy director of programs and head of popular factual Kelly Webb-Lamb has set up a new production company.

Mothership Productions will focus on global formats and “ideas of scale” across the unscripted genres. The new outfit has already hit the ground running with a senior team that includes Charlotte Desai, Gilly Greenslade and Gudren Claire.

“After 25 years in the industry on both sides of the pitching/buying table, it felt like it was time to take the leap and have a go at doing it for myself,” said Webb-Lamb. “I can’t honestly believe I’ve managed to persuade such a brilliant group of women to come along for the ride with me. We are super ambitious — and intend to make some properly great, entertaining, warm and witty programmes — and have a lot of fun.”

Webb-Lamb is one of the U.K. TV industry’s most well-respected executives.

In any given week, the FX vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows is so explosively funny that it almost feels like every other TV comedy should give up and consider a new career in accordion sales. Some weeks, though, Shadows is even funnier than that. The latest episode, “The Grand Opening,” is one of those special examples. It is not a format-breaking installment like that one that introduced regular human bartender Jackie Daytona, but rather an episode where all three subplots fully exploit the comic potential of the...