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Mumbai, May 30, 2025: The hard-hitting Naxal-centric indie thriller ‘Ghaath’ (Ambush), directed by Chhatrapal Ninawe is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

This Marathi-language film features National Award winner Jitendra Joshi, Suruchi Adarkar (Baipan Bhari Deva), Milind Shinde, Janardan Kadam, and Dhananjay Mandaokar in pivotal roles.

Set in the jungles of central India – an area marked by Maoist rebel activity, the film explores the tense power dynamics between guerrillas, local villagers, and the police. As these forces confront one another, they face harsh truths about themselves and the systems they are a part of.

‘Ghaath’ had its World Premiere at Berlinale 2023, where Ninawe won the Giuseppe Becce Award for Best Director. The film was released theatrically last year and was also screened at several prestigious festivals, including the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival and the International Film Festival of Kerala 2023.

A self-taught filmmaker, Ninawe developed his skills by studying filmmaking independently...

Five Find Fresh Footing

The BBC, Moonage Pictures and Nicolas Winding Refn have begun production on a second season of “The Famous Five.” The 2 x 90′ instalment, created for television and executive produced by Refn and Matthew Read of Moonage, follows the success of the first series, which saw its premiere become Cbbc’s top-rated episode in 2023. The series, based on Enid Blyton‘s books, continues to follow the young protagonists’ adventures, now set against the backdrop of wartime.

The new season comprises two episodes: “Mystery at the Prospect Hotel,” directed by Asim Abbasi, and “Big Trouble on Billycock Hill,” helmed by Tom Vaughn. Both directors also serve as executive producers alongside Refn and Read.

Core cast members Diaana Babnicova, Elliott Rose, Kit Rakusen and Flora Jacoby Richardson reprise their roles, joined by Maria Pedraza, Amir Wilson and Jemima Rooper, who played George in the 1990s adaptation.

BBC Studios will handle international distribution,...

This year’s Star Wars Celebration drew to a close on Monday with the release of a trailer for Volume 2 of Star Wars: Visions, Disney+’s animated anthology series.

The nine shorts this time around hail from Rodrigo Blaas, the writer/director of El Guiri’s “Sith” from Spain; Paul Young, director of Cartoon’s Saloon’s “Screecher’s Reach” from Ireland; Gabriel Osorio, writer/director of Punkrobot’s “In the Stars” from Chile; Magdalena Osinska, director of Aardman’s “I Am Your Mother” from the UK; Hyeong-Geun Park, director of Studio Mir’s “Journey to the Dark Head” from South Korea; Julien Chheng,...

The Disney+ animated short anthology "Star Wars: Visions" will be back with its second season in early May. In season 1, we were shown some gorgeous shorts set in the "Star Wars" universe by Japanese studios. For season 2, "Star Wars: Visions" is going worldwide for inspiration. On the final day of "Star Wars" Celebration, fans were treated to a "Star Wars: Visions" panel, which gave us a new trailer for the nine new shorts, a few cast reveals, and key art. The filmmakers, including Rodrigo Blaas of Spain's El Guiri animation studio, were on hand to discuss their shorts and some of the things they wanted to get across.

Blaas's episode is the first one in the lineup, and it's entitled "Sith." Though we still have to wait for a little under a month to see these, you get enough of a glimpse from the new trailer to see how much...

Marathi film ‘Ghaath’ is heading to the upcoming edition of the Berlin International Film Festival for its world premiere. The film festival is set to be held from February 16 to February 26.

Written and directed by Chhatrapal Ninawe in his feature debut, the film is a slow-burn thriller set on the fringes of India’s Maoist-affected jungles and revolves around the tense interplay between guerrillas, civilians and the police.

The film stars acclaimed Marathi actors such as Jitendra Joshi, Milind Shinde, Suruchi Adarkar, Dhananjay Mandaokar and Janardan Kadam.

Commenting on the occasion, Jitendra Joshi said, “Shooting on location in the jungles of central India was certainly difficult and challenging, but this incredible news makes it seem all worth it. The whole cast and crew worked so hard on the film – so it’s a big win for the team, for Marathi cinema, and for Indian cinema as a whole.”

The film...

Written and directed by Chhatrapal Ninawe in his feature debut, the film is a slow-burn thriller set on the fringes of India’s Maoist-affected jungles and revolves around the tense interplay between guerrillas, civilians and the police. The new year is starting on a high note for film studio Platoon One Films, with their exciting new feature ‘Ghaath’ set to make its World Premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival, one of the world’s leading film festivals to be held in Berlin from 16-26 February 2023.

Excited and overwhelmed in equal measure, Chhatrapal says, “It was a long, hard and adventurous journey, but I’m so honoured to finally be premiering our film at the Berlinale, home to so many artists that have inspired us along the way. Ghaath is a film about trust, betrayal and ambush. It is a thriller which goes deep into the jungles and deeper into the psyche of its characters.

After it was pulled at the last minute from Berlinale 2021, Chhatrapal Ninawe’s debut feature “Ghaath” (“Ambush”) will finally show at the festival in 2023.

The Marathi-language film, a slow-burn thriller set on the fringes of India’s jungles occupied by Maoist rebels and revolves around the tense interplay between guerrillas, civilians and the police, will have its world premiere at the Berlinale’s Panorama strand.

The project, then co-produced by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Studios and independent producer Manish Mundra’s Drishyam Films, was selected for the work-in-progress lab at India’s Film Bazaar 2020 where it won the Lab Award.

“Ghaath” was selected as one of the Panorama titles in 2021, but was then pulled. In a social media post, which has since been deleted, Ninawe wrote:

“On Feb 4, 2021, Jio Studios sent a legal restraining order to Berlinale, effectively asking them to drop the film from the selection. We sent frantic emails.

Sepideh Farsi’s “La Sirène” (“The Siren”) is opening the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama strand.

The program, which comprises 35 films from 30 countries, including 28 world premieres and 11 debuts, includes new films by Patric Chiha, İlker Çatak, Frauke Finsterwalder, Maite Alberdi, Milad Alami and Apolline Traoré. They feature a galaxy of well-known protagonists and actors such as Joan Baez, Jafar Panahi, Payman Maadi, George MacKay, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Fan Bingbing, Sandra Hüller and Susanne Wolff.

Panorama Selections

“After”

by Anthony Lapia | with Louise Chevillotte, Majd Mastoura, Natalia Wiszniewska

France

World premiere | Debut film

“All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White”

by Babatunde Apalowo | with Tope Tedela, Riyo David, Martha Ehinome Orhiere, Uchechika Elumelu, Floyd Anekwe

Nigeria

World premiere | Debut film

“And, Towards Happy Alleys”

by Sreemoyee Singh | with Jafar Panahi, Nasrin Soutodeh, Jinous Nazokkar, Farhad Kheradmand, Aida Mohammadkhani

India

World premiere | Debut film | Documentary

“La Bête dans la...

London-set revenge thriller Femme, starring George MacKay and Candyman actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, has been selected for the Berlinale’s Panorama strand.

It was among a raft of fresh additions to the festival’s Panorama, Generation and Berlinale Special strands announced on Wednesday.

The picture is co-directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping and is based on their 2021 BAFTA-nominated short film of the same name.

Stewart-Jarrett plays a drag queen whose life is destroyed by a homophobic attack and then plots revenge on one of the perpetrators (MacKay) when he spots him in a gay sauna.

The 21 new Panorama titles also include France-based Austrian director Patric Chiha’s The Beast In The Jungle.

A contemporary adaptation of Henry James’s 1903 novella of the same name, the drama follows a man and woman who frequent a huge nightclub for 25 years in anticipation of a mysterious event.

The cast features Anaïs Demoustier,...

Har Har Mahadev is a narrative that leaves the audience spell bound with the raw display of bravery, faith, discipline, morals, dignity and above all – love for thy motherland. We have heard quite a few chapters from the history of Maharashtra and the great Marathas. Har Har Mahadev is yet another chapter from the many stories of bravery and valour. It re-instils the sense of patriotism and respect for those who did not blink before laying down their lives for the freedom of the motherland. We have read, heard, and seen stories about the freedom struggle, but what you see here is raw and has multiple layers in the struggle itself. Har Har Mahadev becomes the third film of 2022, based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the establishment of the Hindavi Swarajya, the earlier two being Pawankhind and Sarsenapati Hambirrao.

Let’s see what’s in store in Abhijeet Shirish Deshpande...

Marathi drama The Trap (Ghaath) is one of three films co-produced by Drishyam and Mukesh Ambani’s Jio.

Manish Mundra’s indie powerhouse Drishyam Films is moving into regional-language film with Marathi mystery drama The Trap (Ghaath), the third project under a three-picture deal with Jio Studios.

Directed by Chhatrapal Ninawe, the film is set on the fringes of India’s Maoist-affected tribal areas and revolves around the tense interplay between Maoist guerrillas and the police.

The cast includes acclaimed Marathi actors such as Milind Shinde (Babu Band Baja) and Jitendra Joshi, who starred in Netflix web series Sacred Games.

Director: Rajesh Pinjani, Actors: Mitali Jagtap Varadkar, Milind Shinde, Vivek Chabukswar

Somebody in the village has died and Baboo accompanies his father who is a local band-wallah to the funeral–the opening sequence of Baboo Band Baaja. It is established that Baboo’s father earns his living by playing on the occasions of births and deaths in the village. The same day, Baboo on his way back home from school loses his school bag, and thus begins a journey of penury and desperation. The school teacher won’t allow Baboo to sit in school without a uniform, school bag and books. Baboo Band Baaja unfolds as a tale of individual dreams and desperations: the kid’s innocent wish to go to school, his mother’s indomitable will to get him educated and his stubborn father’s mundane desire to absorb him in his band party.

Quite simple, isn’t it?...

Marathi film Babu Band Baja directed by Rajesh Pinjani will release on April 13. The film won three National Awards and travelled widely in the festival circuit in 2011.

It won the 58th National award for Best First Film of a Director, Best Actress and Best Child Artist.

Babu Band Baja was screened at Indian Panorama in International Film Festival of India (Iffi), Goa 2011.

It was also a part of the official selection at International Film Festival of Kerala 2011 and won the Best Film award at Pune International Film Festival 2011.

‘Babu Band Baja has been seen. Poignant story, simply told. Must watch,’ filmmaker Anurag Kashyap tweeted about the film.

IMDb describes the film as: A tug-of-war between fate and hope. It shows the irrepressible surge to soar in life, pitted against the vicious grip of circumstances. The film features Mitali Jagatp Vardkar, Milind Shinde and Vivek Chabukswar in lead roles.