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Comedy might be the best way to tell tragic stories — something you’re reminded of when watching “I’m Dead Right?”, a 15-minute short by J. Mehr Kaur that will make you laugh, will touch you, and perhaps will even make you reflect on some of life’s — and death’s — injustices. This bittersweet short film was shown at the 2025 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.

I’m Dead Right? is screening at Indian Film Festival Los Angeles

The supernatural comedy centers on Nikita (Rita Sengupta), a South Asian woman trying to sell her dead mother’s house somewhere in New Jersey. There is only one problem: the ghost of her mother (Sakina Jaffrey) is haunting the house and will not let her sell it. In fact, the ghost has convinced herself that only her daughter can help her go to heaven — if only she would fall back into line and stop being queer…...

The world of detective Charlie Chopra, based on characters created by Agatha Christie, is set to have a prolonged life in India as a franchise.

“Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley,” based on Christie’s 1931 novel “The Sittaford Mystery,” was adapted as a series for Indian streamer SonyLIV by renowned filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj.

Set in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, northern India, the series follows the journey of Charlie Chopra and her quest to uncover a murder mystery alongside her sidekick Sitaram. Bhardwaj served as director and co-producer and co-screenwriter alongside Anjum Rajabali and Jyotsna Hariharan. The cast includes Wamiqa Gabbi, Priyanshu Painyuli, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, Gulshan Grover, Lara Dutta, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Paoli Dam.

Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures produced with Priti Shahani’s Tusk Tale Films in association with Agatha Christie Limited. James Prichard, Basi Akpabio and Leo Dezoysa served as executive producers...

Whodunnits are all the rage these days. Just recently, we had Anu Menon’s Neeyat, with a superlative cast but bland execution. A few years ago, Netflix gave us the highly indulgent Nawazuddin-starring Raat Akeli Hai. SonyLIV’s latest offering is Vishal Bharadwaj directorial, Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley that explores not just a murder but the familial dynamics around it. This Hindi-language web series, based on Agatha Christie’s novel The Sittaford Mystery, was released on September 27, 2023.

This six episodic miniseries is about the murder of Brigadier Meherban Singh Rawat after a séance conducted by his family predicts his death. It cannot be a mere coincidence, which makes the audience wonder if the family close to the brigadier are into black magic or if this was an orchestrated plan to get rid of this rich man, who happens to own a ski resort as well. Jimmy, the adorable nephew of Brigadier Meherban,...

Actress Wamiqa Gabbi, who essays the titular character in the upcoming series ‘Charlie Chopra and the Mystery of Solang Valley’, has shared why she chose to be a part of the project.

The series has been directed by filmmaker-composer-writer Vishal Bhardwaj, and will see Wamiqa diving headfirst into her role as a detective for the first time.

In preparing for her character, Wamiqa delved into the world of detectives, speaking to real-life professionals to understand what drives them.

Talking about her understanding of what drives the detectives, the actress said, “I discovered that the answer was simple yet powerful, it’s the process of finding answers. Just like the joy we feel when solving a challenging puzzle or conquering an impossible problem, detectives find validation and happiness in resolving real-life mysteries. I incorporated this passion and drive into her performance as Charlie, bringing depth and authenticity to the role.”

‘Charlie Chopra and the Mystery of Solang Valley...

Actress Wamiqa Gabbi, who essays the titular character in the upcoming series ‘Charlie Chopra and the Mystery of Solang Valley’, has shared why she chose to be a part of the project.

The series has been directed by filmmaker-composer-writer Vishal Bhardwaj, and will see Wamiqa diving headfirst into her role as a detective for the first time.

In preparing for her character, Wamiqa delved into the world of detectives, speaking to real-life professionals to understand what drives them.

Talking about her understanding of what drives the detectives, the actress said, “I discovered that the answer was simple yet powerful, it’s the process of finding answers. Just like the joy we feel when solving a challenging puzzle or conquering an impossible problem, detectives find validation and happiness in resolving real-life mysteries. I incorporated this passion and drive into her performance as Charlie, bringing depth and authenticity to the role.”

‘Charlie Chopra and the Mystery of Solang Valley...

New Delhi, Sep 21 (Ians) As the country is immersed in Ganeshotsav, Ott platforms brings an exciting array of titles for the viewers to binge-watch this week.

From crime drama whodunit series ‘Charlie Chopra’ to slice of life show ‘Hostel Daze 4’ and Nithya Menen starrer comedy drama ‘Kumari Srimathi’, this week’s offerings will delight you, and promise to entertain with a diverse range of captivating content.

Here’s a list of six titles on various Ott platforms that have caught the attention of Ians this week.

‘Kumari Srimathi’

Nithya Menen-starrer upcoming comedy drama series ‘Kumari Srimathi’ is set in a village in East Godavari. It hilariously encapsulates the tribulations in the life of a 30-year-old woman (played by Menen), who challenges stereotypes in a small town riddled with antiquity. It also features Nirupam, Gautami, Thiruveer, Talluri Rameshwari, Naresh, and Murali Mohan in pivotal roles.

Produced by Early Monsoon Tales, a web division of Vyjanyanthi Entertainments,...

New Delhi, Sep 21 (Ians) As the country is immersed in Ganeshotsav, Ott platforms brings an exciting array of titles for the viewers to binge-watch this week.

From crime drama whodunit series ‘Charlie Chopra’ to slice of life show ‘Hostel Daze 4’ and Nithya Menen starrer comedy drama ‘Kumari Srimathi’, this week’s offerings will delight you, and promise to entertain with a diverse range of captivating content.

Here’s a list of six titles on various Ott platforms that have caught the attention of Ians this week.

‘Kumari Srimathi’

Nithya Menen-starrer upcoming comedy drama series ‘Kumari Srimathi’ is set in a village in East Godavari. It hilariously encapsulates the tribulations in the life of a 30-year-old woman (played by Menen), who challenges stereotypes in a small town riddled with antiquity. It also features Nirupam, Gautami, Thiruveer, Talluri Rameshwari, Naresh, and Murali Mohan in pivotal roles.

Produced by Early Monsoon Tales, a web division of Vyjanyanthi Entertainments,...

Actress Wamiqa Gabbi, who essays the titular role in the upcoming series ‘Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley’, shared that her father, Govardhan Gabbi played an instrumental part in getting her character right.

The actress was guided and mentored by her father to ace the character of Charlie Chopra.

Talking about the same, Wamiqa said, “I have always believed that the essence of a character lies in its details. Playing Charlie was a remarkable journey for me. My father, Govardhan Gabbi, who is from a literature background, was my guiding light throughout this process.”

She further mentioned: “His assistance in perfecting the Punjabi dialect and dialogues was instrumental in helping me bring authenticity to my character. As a Punjabi myself, I was excited to take on this role and with his support, I felt even more connected to Charlie’s world.”

The series also stars Priyanshu Painyuli, Naseeruddin Shah,...

Actress Wamiqa Gabbi, who essays the titular role in the upcoming series ‘Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley’, shared that her father, Govardhan Gabbi played an instrumental part in getting her character right.

The actress was guided and mentored by her father to ace the character of Charlie Chopra.

Talking about the same, Wamiqa said, “I have always believed that the essence of a character lies in its details. Playing Charlie was a remarkable journey for me. My father, Govardhan Gabbi, who is from a literature background, was my guiding light throughout this process.”

She further mentioned: “His assistance in perfecting the Punjabi dialect and dialogues was instrumental in helping me bring authenticity to my character. As a Punjabi myself, I was excited to take on this role and with his support, I felt even more connected to Charlie’s world.”

The series also stars Priyanshu Painyuli, Naseeruddin Shah,...

National Award winning filmmaker-composer Vishal Bhardwaj has adapted Agatha Christie’s novel ‘The Sittaford Mystery’ into a streaming series tentatively titled ‘Charlie Chopra’. It is set to release the pilot episode preview of the detective thriller on Friday. The pilot episode will take streamer’s subscribers on an interactive escapade.

The series is set in the snow-capped mountains of Himachal Pradesh, and will follow the journey of Charlie Chopra and her pursuit to uncover a deep mystery.

After watching the pilot, viewers will be required to help the protagonist named Charlie Chopra solve the mystery by finding clues and identifying a character to dig deeper. They are also asked to come up with a title.

The series boasts of an ensemble cast featuring Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, Wamiqa Gabbi, Priyanshu Painyuli, Gulshan Grover, Lara Dutta, Chandan Roy Sanyal, and Paoli Dam.

The series is directed, co-produced, and co-written by Vishal Bhardwaj.

Indian streamer SonyLIV has announced an adaptation of Agatha Christie detective novel The Sittaford Mystery, which marks director Vishal Bhardwaj’s debut on a streaming series.

The Hindi-language adaptation, entitled Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley, is produced by the director’s Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures, along with Priti Shahani’s Tusk Tale Films in association with Agatha Christie Limited.

Bhardwaj has also co-scripted the adaptation, which transplants the action to the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, along with Anjum Rajabali and Jyotsna Hariharan.

The series’ heavyweight ensemble cast includes Wamiqa Gabbi, Priyanshu Painyuli, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, Gulshan Grover, Lara Dutta, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Paoli Dam.

James Prichard, Christie’s great grandson and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, is on board as an Executive Producer. Basi Akpabio and Leo Dezoysa have also taken on the role of Executive Producers on behalf of Agatha Christie Limited.

Bhardwaj...

Agatha Christie’s “The Sittaford Mystery” will be adapted as “Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley” for streamer SonyLIV by renowned Indian filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj.

Set in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, northern India, the series will follow the journey of Charlie Chopra and her quest to uncover a mystery. Bhardwaj will serve as director and co-producer and co-screenwriter alongside Anjum Rajabali and Jyotsna Hariharan. The cast includes Wamiqa Gabbi, Priyanshu Painyuli, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, Gulshan Grover, Lara Dutta, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Paoli Dam.

Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures will produce with Priti Shahani’s Tusk Tale Films in association with Agatha Christie Limited. Bhardwaj’s film franchise based on the works of Christie was announced in 2020.

Bhardwaj is best known internationally for his acclaimed Shakespeare trilogy “Maqbool,” (Macbeth) “Omkara” (Othello) and “Haider” (Hamlet).

James Prichard, Basi Akpabio and Leo Dezoysa will serve as executive producers...

Mumbai, Feb 27 (Ians) Filmmaker-writer-music composer Vishal Bhardwaj, who is known for films such as ‘Kaminey’, ‘Omkara’, ‘Maqbool’ and several others, is adapting British writer Agatha Christie’s mystery novel ‘The Sittaford Mystery’ for the Ott.

The series titled ‘Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley’, is set in the snow-capped mountains of Himachal Pradesh and will follow the journey of Charlie Chopra and her pursuit to uncover a deep mystery.

Besides donning the hats of director and co-producer, Vishal Bhardwaj also serves as the show’s co-screenwriter, alongside Anjum Rajabali and Jyotsna Hariharan.

Talking about the series, Vishal Bhardwaj said: “I grew up devouring all Agatha Christie tales. Her plots, characters and setting remain unparalleled in the genre and continue to excite storytellers even today.”

The series boasts an impressive ensemble cast featuring Wamiqa Gabbi, Priyanshu Painyuli, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, Gulshan Grover, Lara Dutta, Chandan Roy Sanyal,...