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In a new edition of This Day That Year, Subhash K Jha revisits Albert Pinto Ko Kyon Gussa Aata Hai… and no, it is not the one you think. This Albert Pinto Ko Kyon Gussa Aata Hai?, released in 2019 and starred Manav Kaul, Nandita Das, and Saurabh Shukla.

Apart from the seething fury directed at a social structure that victimizes and crushes the underdog and raging anger at Capitalism, this new Albert Pinto, played by Manav Kaul, and the earlier iconic Pinto, played by Naseeruddin Shah, have nothing in common.

Saeed Mirza’s 1980 classic gets a nodding homage in this completely refurbished take on societal prejudices and an individual’s resentment against a system of governance and economy that encourages monstrous disparity. While Mirza’s film swathed Naseer’s implosive rage in reams of anchored anger and sublimated satire, Manav Kaul’s anger and bitterness is uneven and spasmodic… it...

A screening of Isabel Herguera’s San Sebastian winner “Sultana’s Dream” will kickstart the inaugural edition of AniMela, India’s first-ever international festival for animation, VFX, Xr, gaming and comics, in Mumbai.

The screening will be followed by a Q&a with Herguera, alongside her Spanish and Indian crew, including Indian animation expert Upamanyu Bhattacharyya. AniMela’s film program includes features “The Peasants,” “Slide,” “Josep,” “Calamity,” “Unicorn Wars,” “Hokkyoku Hyakkaten No – Concierge San,” “Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman” and shorts under the thematic headings “India Collection,” “Queer Collection” and “Diversity & Identity: Dutch Shorts.”

AniMela’s Knowledge Center hosts workshops, panel discussions and masterclasses with Indian and international stalwarts from the animation, VFX and gaming industries including Annecy Festival director Mickaël Marin, Annecy Film Market director Veronique Encrenaz, VFX Supervisor Srinivas Mohan and filmmaker and educator Nina Sabnani. Highlights include a behind the scenes look at Milind D. Shinde’s “Bandits...

Toronto-headquartered animation outfit Paperboat Animation Studios has revealed a new slate.

The slate is led by “Kabuliwala: Man from Kabul,” a 3D animated feature based on the classic short story by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. The story, which has already been adapted several times as live-action features, tells the story of the bond between a 6-year-old girl from Kolkata, India, and an immigrant hawker from Kabul, Afghanistan.

Paperboat co-founder and chief creative director Soumitra Ranade, whose credits include “Bombay Rose” and “The World of Goopy and Bagha,” adapted the story and will direct. The project won a script development award at the Asia Pacific Screen Academy, Brisbane, and was selected for the MPA-apsa-Busan International Film Festival project pitch.

Paperboat was recently acquired by Singapore-based media content and technology company Vistas Media Capital.

“Kabuliwala” is being shepherded by veteran Hollywood producer and financier Benjamin Waisbren, who recently joined Vistas to lead...

TollywoodThe film, directed by Venu Ugugula, has Rana Daggubati and Sai Pallavi in the lead roles. Digital NativeA few weeks ago it was reported that Virata Parvam is progressing well with the shooting happening in a forest in Kerala. The film, directed by Venu Ugugula, has Rana Daggubati and Sai Pallavi in the lead roles. And now we have the news that Nandita Das has joined the sets. The veteran actor confirmed the news with the tweet, “Now on the sets of Virata Parvam with @venuudugulafilm the director and @dancinemaniac the Dop. Despite the stress of speaking Telegu, being on set is always a pleasure!” She also posted some pictures from the sets. Now on the sets of Virata Parvam with @venuudugulafilm the director and @dancinemaniac the Dop. Despite the stress of speaking Telegu, being on set is always a pleasure! pic.twitter.com/rZmqbeAfrj — Nandita Das (@nanditadas) February 18, 2020 Tabu,...

TollywoodThe film, directed by Venu Ugugula, has Rana Daggubati and Sai Pallavi in the lead roles. Digital NativeA few weeks ago it was reported that Virata Parvam is progressing well with the shooting happening in a forest in Kerala. The film, directed by Venu Ugugula, has Rana Daggubati and Sai Pallavi in the lead roles. And now we have the news that Nandita Das has joined the sets. The veteran actor confirmed the news with the tweet, “Now on the sets of Virata Parvam with @venuudugulafilm the director and @dancinemaniac the Dop. Despite the stress of speaking Telegu, being on set is always a pleasure!” She also posted some pictures from the sets. Now on the sets of Virata Parvam with @venuudugulafilm the director and @dancinemaniac the Dop. Despite the stress of speaking Telegu, being on set is always a pleasure! pic.twitter.com/rZmqbeAfrj — Nandita Das (@nanditadas) February 18, 2020 Tabu,...

From Dhundiraj Govind Phalke’s 1915 stop-motion “The Game of Match Sticks” to Green Gold Animation’s May 10 3D stereoscopic release “Chhota Bheem Kung Fu Dhamaka,” Indian animation has been around for more than a 100 years.

The sector grew 10% in 2018 to a value of $272 million, per a 2019 Ey report, and is poised to reach $353 million by 2021. India has some 300 animation studios, but the majority of them are engaged in creating content for television, which accounts for 65% of the Indian toon market.

Animated feature films make up just 15% of the sector. From the highs of 2012 and 2013, with 10 toon features produced in each of those two years, to 2017, in which just one, Ruchi Narain’s “Hanuman Da’ Damdaar,” featuring the voice talent of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was released, it has been a steep drop. 2018 was marginally better with four releases.

“It’s still considered a children’s genre,” Narain told Variety. “As...

In 1980, Saeed Akhtar Mirza had directed a film, Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai?, based on his own story. The film, designed as a slice-of-life film, created ripples as a neo- realism film, during the parallel cinema movement and acquired a cult following.

Thirty-nine years later, keeping the same middle-class angst in mind and character names, writer-director Soumitra Ranade tries to replicate this classic, in his own style.

Narrated in a non-linear and dis-jointed manner, the film's initial act is bit disorienting and yet intriguing. Albert Pinto (Manav Kaul) is projected as a sensitive and caring man till one fine day, without any intimation to his family, he decides to go on a personal mission to eliminate two prominent politicians, who are the cause of his grief. What motivates him on this act of revenge and how he goes about this, forms the crux of the narrative.

Manav Kaul...

Cinema The characters in the remake will deal with the social, political and cultural issues relevant in today’s times. Tnm StaffThe official remake of Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata Hai?, a 1980s cult classic starring Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil is all set to hit the screens on April 12, 2019. A modern take on its original version, the remake features a stellar cast which includes Nandita Das, Manav Kaul and Saurabh Shukla. Much like its original version, the remake which is written and directed by Soumitra Ranade of the Jajantaram Mamantaram fame, will explore the theme of personal and societal struggles in today’s times. The '80s film dealt with the common man’s anger in the face of continued political, social and cultural breakdowns. He is angered by the rampant corruption, the ruling political class and the hypocrisy. But most importantly, he is angry at himself for being powerless.