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Rajkummar Rao, formerly Raj Kumar, is an Ftii graduate who made his break into Bollywood with a prominent character in Dibakar Banerjee’s 2010 film “LSD: Love, Sex aur Dhokha.” Since then, Rajkummar Rao’s career has curved upwards only – both poetically and politically, or to put it in other words, both commercially and aesthetically. He, of course, had been initially received by the audience as an actor who stars in the so-called urbane niche films, but Rao’s later choice of comedy-dramas established him in the popular discourse.

This discourse in Bollywood is currently trying to make itself free from the aesthetic and political remnants left by the popular cinema of the last few decades, especially the post-neoliberal Shah Rukh Khan’s romantic era. I won’t say radically but, somewhat fundamentally, the new comedy-dramas/black or dark comedies/pulp thrillers emerging from Bollywood are shifting popular film’s track...

Subhash K Jha revisits Lipstick Under My Burkha which released 8 years ago in a new instalment of This Day That Year.

An inherently murky claustrophobic air pervades this inconsistently brilliant hardhitting raunchy ‘ram’-com, very conscious of its responsibilities as post-feminist cinema on women’s empowerment.

Here is a film that deserves a rousing ovation for bringing out the sexual fantasies and other unspoken yearnings of four middleclass women in a non-metropolitan milieu eking each out an exciting existence from the hard brutal raw material of her inert life.

But the film falls short of being genre-defining. Shrivastava whose earlier and only film Turning 30 only hinted at the post-feminist explosion of Lipstick Under My Burkha, takes charge with an all-knowing confidence of four women from different walks of life and belonging to separate generations.

Perhaps to offset the mess that they make of their lives, the lineup of women is...

Not Dangal—Andhadhun Secretly Made 3.5x More In China(Photo Credit –Facebook)

Celebrated Indian actor Aamir Khan has delivered several massive box office hits throughout his illustrious career. His films hold the distinction of breaching the coveted 100-crore mark (with Ghajini), the 200-crore mark (with 3 Idiots), and the 300-crore mark (with Pk). But it’s Dangal, the widely acclaimed wrestling drama that outshines them all. After its domestic (₹538.04 crores) and international (₹1521 crores) theatrical run, Dangal amassed a staggering worldwide box office collection of ₹2059.04 crores.

Out of this, more than ₹1300 crores came from China’s box office alone, making it the highest-grossing Indian movie ever globally. But, here’s the real surprise: another cult Indian film quietly pulled off an even more impressive feat — earning nearly 3.5 times its domestic gross at the Chinese box office. Can you guess which film did that? Read on to find out.

The Indian Film That...

IMDb Top 250 Films Worldwide: Aamir Khan Rules 3 Out Of The 8 Spots (Photo Credit – Instagram/Netflix)

Aamir Khan is currently winning hearts at the box office with his latest release, Sitaare Zameen Par. The sports dramedy is 7.3 on IMDb and churning out good numbers for the actor, racing towards the hit mark. However, it is still a good distance from the hit mark!

Top 250 Films On IMDb (Worldwide)

Apart from Sitaare Zameen Par, Mr Perfectionist is currently ruling IMDb as well. In the list of the top 250 films of all time, 8 Indian films have found a spot for themselves. Interestingly, none of them feature in the top 50!

Aamir Khan Rules 3 Spots!

Aamir Khan has one film in the top 100, while he rules three spots in the top 250 films. These three films are 3 Idiots, Taare Zameen Par, and Dangal. Meanwhile, two South Indian Films claim a spot in the top 250 films worldwide.

Vertical has picked up North American rights to Fast And Furiousfranchise and Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin’s indie drama Last Days, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival.

Keanu Reeves is among the executive producers on the true story starring Sky Yang as ill-fated Christian missionary John Allen Chau. As Chau journeys to an uncontacted tribe on North Sentinel Island from the Andaman Islands archipelago in India, adetective races to stop him causing harm to himself or the tribe.

The cast includes Radhika Apte, Naveen Andrews, Ken Leung, Toby Wallace, Ciara Bravo, and Marny Kennedy. Lin directed from a...

Exclusive: Vertical has acquired North American rights to Last Days, the adventure drama from the Fast & Furious franchise’s Justin Lin, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, in a return to his indie roots.

The film, based on the Outside magazine article “The Last Days of John Allen Chau” by Alex Perry, will be released exclusively in theaters on October 24.

Based on a true story, Last Days centers on John Allen Chau (Touchdown‘s Sky Yang), a 26-year-old determined to fulfill his life’s mission, who embarks on a dangerous adventure across the globe to share his faith with the uncontacted tribe of North Sentinel Island, while a detective (Sister Midnight‘s Radhika Apte) from the Andaman Islands races to stop him before he does harm to himself or the tribe.

Written by Ben Ripley (Flatliners), the film also stars Naveen Andrews (The Dropout), Ken Leung...

Enjoyed Thug Life Vibes? This Underrated Revenge Drama Deserves Your Attention ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Thug Life, Kamal Haasan’s latest release, hit the big screen last month and received a mixed to underwhelming response from several critics. While the film’s lead performances and some other aspects earned praise, it was burdened by inevitable comparisons to Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s previous iconic collaboration, Nayakan (1987).

If you’re in the mood for a revenge-themed action thriller, then we recommend checking out one of the most overlooked films by Ram Gopal Varma. We are talking about the 2010 political action thriller Rakta Charitra and its sequel, Rakta Charitra 2. Read on to find out what they’re all about and where to watch them online.

Rakta Charitra 1 & 2 – Plot & Cast

Directed by maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, the film follows the journey of Pratap Ravi (played by Vivek Oberoi), who makes it his...

This week’s streaming premieres are a wide, diverse mix of new movies and TV shows, both big and small. Max boasts the long-awaited streaming service debut of one of the year’s biggest and most acclaimed films, while Netflix has both the second season of a major TV show and the sequel to one of its past film originals coming this week.

Elsewhere, Marvel’s best film effort in years has finally become available on demand, and the same happens to be true of one of 2025’s most underrated independent movies. Here are the eight best new movies and shows that you can stream this weekend.

Michael B. Jordan in “Sinners” (Credit: Warner Bros. “Sinners” (Max)

The biggest original movie of 2025 is finally making its way to streaming this week. Writer-director Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed vampire thriller “Sinners” makes its long-awaited premiere on Max on Friday. Coogler’s first...

Acclaimed dark comedy Sister Midnight, starring Radhika Apte, is set to arrive on VOD and digital streaming platforms later this month. Produced by Magnolia Pictures/Magnet Releasing, the film premiered at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight in 2024 and launched in U.S. theaters on May 16, 2025. It’s scheduled to debut digitally next week.

What is Sister Midnight About?

Written and directed by Karan Kandhari in his feature debut, the film follows Uma (Radhika Apte), a rebellious small-town misfit who arrives in Mumbai and finds herself ill-suited to the pressures of suburban housewife life. Battling prying neighbours, stifling heat, and mounting domestic expectations, Uma rebels against conformity and carves her own unpredictable—and often darkly comedic—path forward

Where to Watch Sister Midnight Online?

The film will be available for purchase and rental on major digital platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu, beginning on June 30, 2025.

When and Where Will Sister Midnight Stream?...

The feature-length directorial debut of British short filmmaker and cinematographer Karan Kandhari, “Sister Midnight” (2025), on the surface reads like textbook international festival bait—exactly the kind of India-set film global audiences love to indulge in. Nominated for the Caméra d’Or at Cannes in 2024 and winner of the Next Wave Best Feature at Fantastic Fest, the film is steeped in exactly the kind of issues we’re right to scrutinize in works of this nature.

The dialogues feel like they were piped through Google Translate, and it’s baffling that seasoned performers like Radhika Apte, Ashok Pathak, and Chhaya Kadam didn’t seem to flinch. The laborious attempt to orchestrate a black-comedic ballad leads to a third act that drags itself out. What we get is a half-westernised film unable to hold the full cultural weight of the country it so desperately wants to embody.

Yet, what pulls it all...

Can You Stream Radhika Apte’s Sister Midnight In India?(Photo Credit –YouTube)

Radhika Apte’s critically acclaimed and award-winning black comedy Sister Midnight is available to rent, but not in India. Currently, it is accessible in the United Kingdom on several platforms, including Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Sky Store. All platforms offer similar rental pricing, between £4 to £5 ($5 to $6 Usd), and the purchase price is the same across all platforms at £9.99 ($13.47 usd).

OTTPlay also reported that the film is available on Tubi, and Indian viewers can stream a censored version on the platform. However, Tubi is not currently available in India, and even in the US, Sister Midnight is not available for streaming. So, for now, those reports appear to be just rumors. The portal also reported that Prime Video is expected to acquire the film officially. If that happens, the uncensored version may be available for streaming by the end of the year.

I will be honest. I hated Sister Midnight. It is one of the most seriously loathsome films on slum-life, injected with heavy doses of sickening surrealism, and of course there is Radhika Apte, every Smita Patil fanboy-director’s favourite whacked dream.

I am tired of watching Ms Apte’s strong-woman-in-a-sticky-situation act (admittedly very competently staged) . There are weak women out there who also need a voice, as Apte’s actor-sisters Tillotama Shome and Amruta Subhash have recently showed us articulately .

Radhika Apte in Sister Midnight is choked with rage. She is like the pipe in washbasin, clogged with filth. She plays Uma, a fact that I didn’t know until we were much into morbid loose-motion picture. For lengthy patches writer-director Karan Kandhari doesn’t allow his characters to speak. Or is it that the characters don’t allow the director to have a say? They seem to take over...

Anurag Kashyap & Jason Blum’s Horror Film ( Photo Credit – Netflix )

Netflix has a massive collection of films and series from every genre, and horror is no exception. Some of its original horror titles include Stranger Things, Bird Box, Cargo, Gerald’s Game, and Midnight Mass, among others. But one criminally underrated Indian miniseries might have escaped your attention. And it’s backed by two giants from Bollywood and Hollywood – Anurag Kashyap and Jason Blum. Can you guess which one? We are talking about the 2018 horror miniseries Ghoul. Read on to know more about the show, its story, and why horror fans should definitely not miss it.

Ghoul – Plot & Cast

Based on the Arab folklore monster Ghoul and directed by Patrick Graham, the miniseries is set in a three-episode format with a runtime of around 45 minutes per episode. The series is set in a dystopian future against the backdrop of an authoritarian regime.

Karan Kandhari’s debut feature film, Sister Midnight, starring Radhika Apte and Ashok Pathak, is an absurd black comedy with unpredictable twists and turns that will keep you on edge. The film is quite the visual treat; from the very first frame, you can determine that the filmmaker is not interested in grounded portrayal—instead, the interpretation of reality is deadpan, comical, synchronized, and at times poetic. The Wes Anderson style of storytelling— hyperbolic characters, a storybook-like narrative, balanced frames—has also been an obvious influence. Cinematographer Sverre Sørdal captures the essence, or rather the chaos, of Mumbai aptly. It is pretty evident that Kandhari intended the film to be consumed by a global audience in the way he blends the very spatially rooted visuals with a broad range of music (Everything from Cambodian ballads to Iggy Pop and The Stooges). The usual narrative framework is disregarded, and what we witness is pure experimentation,...

Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during AFI Fest 2024. Magnet Releasing opens “Sister Midnight” in theaters Friday, May 23, 2025.

A woman sits alone in a dark room, staring at the wall in front of her. Days go by; the paltry sunlight shifts here and there, her outfit changes, yet her dull demeanor remains. She spills some rice, adds some plants, eventually makes space for a mop and bucket. On and on and on.

This is an accurate summary of Karan Kandhari’s “Sister Midnight,” but one that’s also woefully incomplete. The rest should be saved for seeing it yourself, to gain some context for what keeps the woman in that room, for the many birds (and the goat), and for where Chhaya Kadam from “Laapataa Ladies” fits in.

Kandhari wrote and directed the film about Uma (Radhika Apte), a woman who moves to Mumbai after marrying husband Gopal...

Radhika Apte’s Sister Midnight Bags Commendable Rt Score! ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

The upcoming dark comedy film Sister Midnight, starring the immensely talented actress Radhika Apte in the lead role, is all geared up for its theatrical release in India. One year after its Cannes world premiere, followed by screenings at various film festivals across the globe, the internationally acclaimed movie will be running in Indian theatres on May 23, 2025. Ahead of its theatrical release, read on to learn more about the film’s plot and critical feedback!

Sister Midnight: Plot & Cast

Helmed by Karan Kandhari in his feature directorial debut, Sister Midnight narrates the story of a newly married woman named Uma (played by Radhika Apte), who arrives in a small one-room home in Mumbai with her timid and polite husband Gopal (played by Ashok Pathak of Panchayat fame).

She resents doing regular household chores and other domestic duties...

When the movies became talkies nearly 100 years ago, it all but spelled the end for the popular silent comedian. But that talent still walks among us, largely untapped. Radhika Apte, who became one of India’s first Netflix stars with titles like the series “Sacred Games” and crime comedy “Monica, O My Darling,” gets to unleash those slapstick skills in “Sister Midnight,” now opening in New York before expanding to Los Angeles and other cities. As the disgruntled newlywed Uma, Apte has hardly anyone to even talk to at the start of the film. Uma hates cleaning. She can’t cook. And her husband (Ashok Pathak) doesn’t even have the character to be disagreeable, stumbling back to their one-room Mumbai abode each night, drunk and defeated.

What begins as a satire on arranged marriage then dashes off into amusing, far-flung territories, with Uma’s gloomy disposition becoming infused with a more surreal,...

After a stellar limited opening last weekend, A24’s Friendship jumps from 6 to 60 screens in top ten markets plus Detroit, the hometown of star Tim Robinson. The comedy bromance with Robinson and Paul Rudd soared to $451k on screens in New York and L.A., the top limited opening of 2025, with a per screen average of over $75k. Written and directed by Andrew DeYoung. With Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer. Robinson, the former SNL performer and writer is the face of his popular Netflix sketch comedy I Think You Should Leave.

Magnolia Pictures/Magnet Releasing opens Sister Midnight, the debut feature of London-based Indian artist and writer-director Karan Kandhari starring Radhika Apte, Ashok Pathak, Chhaya Kadam and Smita Tambe, at the Angelika Film Center in NYC. A rebellious small-town misfit Uma (acclaimed Indian actress Apte) arrives in Mumbai to find herself totally unsuited to life as a housewife.

In Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight, Radhika Apte plays a woman who gets married to a childhood crush only to realize married life isn’t everything she’d dreamed of. Early on in the film, you’re made to realize there’s nothing typical about this couple, even though this is the ideal of domesticity in the Indian context. Get married, move into whatever one-room house you can find, cook food for your hard-working husband, and live on. But Sister Midnight is an ambitious dark comedy that will make you have a visceral reaction to the plot that’s playing out in front of you. Or maybe you’ll be left wondering, “What the…” have I just watched?” I think either reaction is a success story for Karan, who’s made a profound film in the most comedic way possible.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you...

It’s a full eight-and-half minutes into Sister Midnight before newlyweds Uma (Radhika Apte) and Gopal (Ashok Pathak) even say a word to each other; conflict immediately ensues. Confined to a cramped, one-room apartment after moving to Mumbai, the spitfire Uma finds herself ill-suited to the rigid traditional roles expected of Indian brides. Her bashful husband, on the other hand, rebuffs her attempts to seduce him with a polite handshake. In this lonely arranged marriage of stifled desires and out-of-sync conversations, even bangles soon begin to feel like shackles. Despite this, Karan Kandhari’s Hindi-language directorial debut unfolds as a domestic drama […]

The post “I’m Not Interested in Horror Films”: Karan Kandhari on Sister Midnight first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

It’s a full eight-and-half minutes into Sister Midnight before newlyweds Uma (Radhika Apte) and Gopal (Ashok Pathak) even say a word to each other; conflict immediately ensues. Confined to a cramped, one-room apartment after moving to Mumbai, the spitfire Uma finds herself ill-suited to the rigid traditional roles expected of Indian brides. Her bashful husband, on the other hand, rebuffs her attempts to seduce him with a polite handshake. In this lonely arranged marriage of stifled desires and out-of-sync conversations, even bangles soon begin to feel like shackles. Despite this, Karan Kandhari’s Hindi-language directorial debut unfolds as a domestic drama […]

The post “I’m Not Interested in Horror Films”: Karan Kandhari on Sister Midnight first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Get ready for the third chapter of Netflix’s hit anthology series, Lust Stories, which is poised to enchant viewers with its distinctive storytelling and outstanding performances. The talented Vikramaditya Motwane, celebrated for his exceptional direction, will take the reins on one of the segments in this eagerly awaited series. Joining him are two of India’s most acclaimed actresses, Konkona Sensharma and Radhika Apte, who will shine in Motwane’s segment.

Radhika and Konkona have long respected each other’s craft, making this collaboration on Lust Stories 3 a match made in heaven. With Motwane’s brilliant writing, this project is set to deliver an unforgettable experience for both the actors and the audience alike.

The Lust Stories anthology has consistently highlighted some of the finest directors and actors in India. With Vikramaditya Motwane on board, expectations are soaring for this upcoming third volume. Each installment dives into themes of desire,...

Ever since Turn on the Bright Lights debuted in the summer of 2002, Interpol frontman Paul Banks has been the epicenter of cool. Trying his hand at a variety of musical projects––from solo albums to instrumental experimentations to, even, collaborations with RZA––he’s never not been trying new things. He now has one more item to add to his resume: film composer, making his Ost debut on the 2024 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight hit Sister Midnight. Karan Kandhari’s debut feature, opening in theaters this Friday, follows Radhika Apte as Uma, a wife who finds her own creative ways to rebel in the early days of an arranged marriage.

In Devan Suber’s review of the film, he said, “Sister Midnight unfolds with a particularly deadpan style in both humor and performance. Kandhari favors simple gags, like the aforementioned handshake or a bit where Uma flees from the beach after being...

Exclusive: Screen has obtained the first-look image of Jeremy Piven in the thriller Past Life, one of several new titles on the Cannes sales roster at Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment. The slate includes Cuba Gooding Jr. sci-fi Quantum Supremacy, thriller Speak Up, and horror 13 Souls.

Past Life follows an investigative reporter, played by Aneurin Barnard, who witnesses a murder through the eyes of a psychotic killer while under hypnosis at an event. He partners with the hypnotist (Piven) to use past life regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the 1980s, unwittingly reawakening a psychotic killer’s tendencies.

Written and Directed by Karan Kandhari Starring Radhika Apte, Ashok Pathak, Chhaya Kadam, Smita Tambe In Sister Midnight, the audacious debut feature from London based Indian artist and filmmaker Karan Kandhari, rebellious small-town misfit Uma (acclaimed Indian actress Radhika Apte) arrives in Mumbai to find herself totally unsuited to life as a housewife. At odds …

The post Sister Midnight Starring Radhika Apte, Directed by Karan Kandhari | Opening in NY Next Week on 5/16, in LA on 5/23 appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Crazy On You: Kandhari’s Strange Fantasy of Madness

It’s been nearly twenty years since director Karan Kandhari’s 2005 debut Bye Bye Miss Goodnight (since then working on short films and music videos, including Franz Ferdinand’s “Stand on the Horizon”). He’s back with the pseudo sinister Sister Midnight, a film which partially castigates the continued tradition of arranged marriage while also moonlighting as a portrait of a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown. A plum role for celebrated Indian actress Radhika Apte finds the performer digging into this characterization with relish, however, the jarring tonal shifts tend to undermine her prowess.…...

Recent times have been a boon for films by or about Indian women. On top of Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine As Light, 2024 also saw the premiere or release of Suchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls, Sandhya Suri’s Santosh, and Kiran Rao’s controversial Best International Feature pick Laapataa Ladies. Into that mix comes Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight, an offbeat black comedy partly about the difficulty of being a modern Indian woman.

The woman in question is Uma (Radhika Apte), a newlywed first seen on the train as she makes her way to her husband Gopal’s (Ashok Pathak) home. From the start, Kandhari is perfectly willing to let us sit in the silence of our main characters––until the day begins and both Uma and the viewer are thrown headfirst into the chaos of Mumbai. As a heroine, Uma is rather, shall we say,...

This Mother’s Day let’s celebrate the incredible women who shape our lives—not just as mothers, but as daughters, sisters, friends, and warriors. These five films highlight the strength, vulnerability, and resilience of women in all their forms. From laugh-out-loud moments to emotional rollercoasters, these stories will make you reflect on the amazing women around you and remind you to hug them a little tighter. Get ready to laugh, cry, and feel deeply for the women who inspire us every day.

1 Tarla [ZEE5]

Tarla celebrates the inspiring life of iconic chef Tarla Dalal, who broke societal stereotypes to become India’s first home cook to gain national fame. This feel-good biopic takes you through her journey from a homemaker to a culinary sensation, capturing the grit and warmth that defined her. With Huma Qureshi bringing Tarla’s story alive on screen, the film is a tribute to the power of dreams,...

There’s a primordial power to swear words, and you can feel it every time that Uma (Radhika Apte), the ferocious protagonist of Sister Midnight, unleashes an expletive. She swears so emphatically that non-Hindi speakers can feel the full force of the words even if they’ve got the subtitles turned off. Bong Joon-ho once urged us to overcome that “one-inch tall” language barrier, but Uma blasts right through it. And, frankly, she has plenty to swear about.

Writer-director Karan Kandhari’s black comedy begins with Uma being shipped off to live in a dingy, single-room apartment in a strange new city with her new husband, Gopal (Ashok Pathak). Their marriage was arranged by relatives who wanted the pair out of sight and mind, and their life together doesn’t look promising. Uma doesn’t know the first thing about running a household, while Gopal flees in terror whenever she threatens to undress.

Written and Directed by Karan Kandhari Starring Radhika Apte, Ashok Pathak, Chhaya Kadam, Smita Tambe Composer Paul Banks (Interpol) In Sister Midnight, the audacious debut feature from London based Indian artist and filmmaker Karan Kandhari, rebellious small-town misfit Uma (acclaimed Indian actress Radhika Apte) arrives in Mumbai to find herself totally unsuited to life as a housewife. …

The post Check Out Sister Midnight’s New Taxi Driver-Inspired Poster...

Shelter PR, the bi-coastal PR firm repping some of the industry’s top talent that’s also a key player in the awards space, has promoted four senior publicists across its Los Angeles and New York offices.

The promotees are Jenny Tversky, Jessica Sze, Stephanie Kazanjian, and Larissa Saenz, who (with the exception of Saenz), worked alongside Shelter PR’s founding Partners — Marla Farrell, Cara Tripicchio and Christine Tripicchio — during their earlier tenure at Wkt Public Relations, the firm now known as Wolf Kasteler PR.

Named Executive Vice President, Tversky will oversee company and staff relations across both coasts. A founding member of Shelter PR, Sze has been promoted to Vice President within the company’s New York office, as has Kazanjian. And then there’s Saenz, who has been named a Vice President of Shelter PR’s Los Angeles office.

In a statement on the promotions, the Shelter Partners said,...

Veteran publicists Jenny Tversky, Stephanie Kazanjian, Jessica Sze and Larissa Saenz have been promoted to new roles at Shelter PR.

The bicoastal PR firm was founded in 2014 by partners Marla Farrell, Cara and Christine Tripicchio after they separated from Wkt Public Relations, where they worked alongside one another for 13 years.

“As we reflect on the past decade since we formed Shelter PR, we attribute the company’s success to our dedicated, innovative and ambitious team,” stated Farrell and the Tripicchios. “It is with immense pride that we recognize the achievements of several of our senior executives with well-deserved promotions, including Jenny Tversky, Stephanie Kazanjian, Jessica Sze and Larissa Saenz, all of whom have established themselves as formidable publicists and trailblazers across both coasts and in the global market. We are excited to witness their continued growth in their new leadership roles.”

Tversky has been named executive VP, overseeing company and staff relations across both coasts.

Another month means another IP deluge. MCU. Karate Kid. Mission: Impossible. Final Destination. Even A Simple Favor. It just goes to show how many films get released every year that I can now pretty much ignore all the Hollywood Photoshop jobs and still be able to populate the below article without any trouble.

While they all worry about scheduling conflicts on the nation’s finite number of IMAX screens, we’re focusing on the bespoke poster art that seeks to catch those blockbuster patrons’ eyes and cajole them into a return visit for the road less-traveled.

Portraiture

A surefire way to stand apart: illustration. You can still be glossy and photo realistic, but a little character with a personal touch goes a long way.

That’s what Mocean delivers with The Surfer (May 2). It’s still just Nicolas Cage front and center, but the artistic style of his painted portrait...

If you’ve already scoured through our massive summer movie preview, then you’re already aware the season’s kick-off is one of the most eclectic months in some time, featuring high-wire blockbusters, the return of beloved auteurs, the year’s finest comedy, and more gems to discover.

16. The Surfer (Lorcan Finnegan; May 2)

After one of the most successful films of his career with last year’s Longlegs, Nicolas Cage returns this year with The Surfer, a beach-set psychological thriller directed by Lorcan Finnegan. Rory O’Connor said in his review, “In The Surfer, an exploitation film set to pressure-cook, a mild-mannered man is pitted against a group who even Andrew Tate might find a touch extreme. It’s set in South Australia on fictional Luna Bay, the kind of place where if the heat doesn’t get you, something else probably will. The water shines turquoise-blue but the beaches look like scorched earth.

Subhash K Jha looks back at 2011’s hard-hitting film noir Shor In The City, directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna Dk, aka Raj and Dk.

Gritty, witty, and pithy, this one paid a homage to the city of Mumbai through three inter-connected stories that jumped the gun, literally firing salvos at conventional storytelling techniques while creating a language that was cohesive in its own disembodied way. Does that make sense? Shor In The City{s directorial duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna Dk tried to make sense of the chaos of the city without resorting to exaggerations and gimmicks. And a whole of lot dark humour. Uniformly competent performances added a sheen of excitement to this on-the-edge drama-thriller.

In co-directors Raj Nidimoru and Krishna Dk’s scheme of things is that giant monster that consumes everything that moves. The characters are all casualties of that traffic-jam freedom that comes to a...

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) is thrilled to announce the expansion of Iffla Industry Days, a robust two-day forum set to take place on May 8 and May 9, 2025 at the Landmark Theatres Sunset in Los Angeles, CA. Passes are now available at indianfilmfestival.org.

Iffla Industry Days fosters connections between South Asian film and TV creatives and industry leaders. Key executives from Neon, SAGIndie, Netflix, Temple Hill Entertainment, Orion Pictures, Film Independent, Jaya Entertainment, Gaumont Television, Macro, Color Creative, NBCUniversal, and more will participate in a series of Iffla’s dynamic events, including the inaugural program titled Iffla Connect, the Launchpad: Pitch Competition with a $10,000 award, panels and a masterclass.

“Following the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural Industry Day, the expanded Industry Days offers a vital, curated space for visionary creatives from South Asia and its diasporas to connect, engage with prominent industry leaders, forge and nurture meaningful relationships,...

The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) will spotlight the acclaimed stage adaptation of “Life of Pi” during its expanded Industry Days program. The panel “Bringing Life of Pi to Life – From Page to Stage” will explore the journey of transforming Yann Martel’s beloved novel into groundbreaking theater featuring innovative puppetry and staging.

Cast members Savidu Geevaratne, Sharayu Mahale and Sorab Wadia will participate in a conversation about representation, adaptation and the cultural significance of a South Asian-led narrative on Broadway and beyond.

The panel is part of Iffla’s robust two-day industry forum scheduled for May 8-9, 2025, at the Landmark Theatres Sunset in Los Angeles, which has been expanded following last year’s successful inaugural edition.

“Following the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural Industry Day, the expanded Industry Days offers a vital, curated space for visionary creatives from South Asia and its diasporas to connect,...

Hunterrr Re-Release Might Change The Box Office History Of 2015! ( Photo Credit – Prime Video )

In the era of re-releases, April is gearing up for Hunterrr re-release. The adult comedy starring Gulshan Devaiah, Sai Tamhankar, Radhika Apte and others is all set for re-arrival in the theaters on April 4. Interestingly, the film, that was initially released in 2015 might change the box office history with its release!

Box Office 2015 For Hindi Films!

The year 2015, was the year of comedies! The year’s most profitable film was Tanu Weds Manu Returns, which churned out more profit than Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Kangana Ranaut’s film registered a profit of 390%, while Salman Khan’s film delivered a profit of 256%.

Hunterrr Box Office Collection & Profit!

Hunterrr was mounted on a budget of 6 crore and earned 13.50 crore in its lifetime! The adult comedy churned out a profit of 125% at the box office and was the seventh most profitable film...

In this throwback, Radhika Apte talked with Subhash K Jha right before the release of Hunterrr in 2015 and we have the scoop on this film that starred Gulshan Deviah.

In Harshvardhan Kulkarni’s quirky, cocky, sex comedy Hunterrr, producer Madhu Mantena took a huge risk as Gulshan Devaiah played a nymphomaniac with the wrong sex organ, a guy who thinks with his reproductive organ. Over-sexed and under-nourished he seduces frustrated aunties and insatiable bahenjis and doesn’t mind getting beaten up by guys who have more to do in life than have sex with every moving object in a dress.

Radhika Apte who played a liberal, unconventional woman had scored a success with Sriram Raghavan’s Badlapur just before Hunterrr, she spoke to me about the two different films. “I guess what really worked for me was that the two films and my characters in them were so different from one another.

“Sister Midnight” (2024) is a sharp and darkly humorous satire that explores the entrapment of women within the institution of arranged marriages in India, carried by Radhika Apte with her insanely brilliant performance. The film follows Uma (Apte), a boisterous young woman who arrives in a new city after her arranged marriage, stepping into unfamiliar ground filled with a judgmental environment. The opening sequence, with Uma on a train at night, haunted by a frightening dream waiting for her, sets the tone for her journey—one filled with isolation and disillusionment. By the film’s end, she departs again, but this time in daylight, carrying all her delusions on a different train.

Uma struggles to connect with her husband, Gopal, who is indifferent to her presence. He prioritizes work and drinking, showing no interest in intimacy. Uma, eager to forge a connection, even signals her willingness to start their marital life,...

A film for all the misfits who have also misplaced their instruction manuals for life and a filmmaker who first appeared on the Directors Notes pocast back in 2012 with his short film at the time, we sit down for an interview with Dn alum Karan Kandhari, writer/director of possibly the strangest film you’ll see this year ‘Sister Midnight’, to chat about following his characters’ lead in the writing process, the pushback he faced trying to make the film 10 years ago and why if Radhika Apte hadn’t accepted the role that could well have been the end of the project.

[Watch/Read the full interview]

Head to Directors Notes for more filmmaker interviews and to watch our daily selection of new films. If you’d like your film featured on Dn, submit it here.

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A remarkable performance from Bollywood star Radhika Apte as an unhappy new bride drives Karan Kandhari’s wildly audacious feature debut

This chewy, macabre, deliciously odd feature from British director Karan Kandhari is quite the palate cleanser. A UK-financed, India-set comedy that’s as sticky and dark as congealed blood, Sister Midnight is a bold, defiantly feral and immensely entertaining portrait of a newlywed bride who finds herself singularly ill-suited to her arranged marriage. The central character, Uma, is brought to angular, abrasive life by a sublime turn from Radhika Apte, a star in mainstream Bollywood cinema who co-starred with Dev Patel in Michael Winterbottom’s The Wedding Guest (2018).

Sister Midnight is a movie with a big personality; film-making that doesn’t just break the rules, it seems blissfully oblivious to the fact that there even are any. I have no idea how it got through the meat-grinder, low-budget production...

The look on Uma’s (Radhika Apte) face, as she raises her wedding veil to glimpse the noisy, litter-strewn city she will now call home, is one of abject horror. The failings of the marriage market have long proven artistically fertile but, unlike the Emma Bovarys before her, the combative Uma directly, and repeatedly, berates her bumbling husband, Gopal (Ashok Pathak). Anger radiates off her with such intensity that even her chewing seems defiant. The oppressive shack where she’s confined, absorbing the sounds and smells of Mumbai at all hours, only emphasises the excitement just out of reach. For Uma, sleeping rough (which she does on two occasions) is preferable to being there.

You’ve got to applaud Kandhari for having the guts to crack open his movie and reshape it.

Sister Midnight, writer-director Karan Kandhari’s BAFTA-nominated feature debut,initially plays like a marriage comedy. Much is made...

Radhika Apte is terrific as a woman preparing to settle down with a shiftless husband she barely knows when her world goes awry

British-Indian film-maker Karan Kandhari makes a stylish and offbeat feature debut with a black-comic horror set in Mumbai, elegantly shot by Sverre Sørdal and designed by Shruti Gupte – and if it runs out of road a bit before the end, and can’t quite decide what the point of everything has been … well, we’ve had a lot of laugh-lines, shocks and ingenious sight gags along the way. With its deadpan drollery and rectilinear tableau scenes, Sister Midnight takes something from Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch and also – at its most alarming – something more from Polanski’s Repulsion.

The movie’s satirical theme is the horror of arranged marriage, or maybe the intimate horror of marriage full stop – the feeling of being trapped, of suddenly and mysteriously...

Warner Bros.’ “Mickey 17” claimed the top spot at the U.K. and Ireland box office in its opening weekend, earning £2.1 million ($2.7 million), according to Comscore.

The sci-fi thriller from director Bong Joon Ho, starring Robert Pattinson, made a solid debut, though it faced strong competition from holdover hit “Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy.”

Universal’s “Bridget Jones” sequel continued its remarkable run, landing in second place with $2.6 million in its fourth weekend. The film has now amassed $52.2 million, making it one of the biggest releases of the year so far.

True Brit Entertainment’s “Marching Powder” opened in third with $1.3 million. The film marks the long-anticipated reunion of director Nick Love and lead Danny Dyer after 2007’s “Outlaw.” The filmmakers indicate that the film – a comedy-drama about addiction, violence and happy endings told through individuals with real lived experience – is on track to gross the equivalent of is...

The Cinevesture International Film Festival (Ciff) is set to return for its second edition in Chandigarh, India, from March 20-23, 2025. With an extensive lineup of international and regional films, as well as an expanded industry platform, the festival aims to solidify its place on the global cinema calendar.

French director Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” an Oscar-winning film, will be among the headliners of the World Canvas section, alongside Magnus von Horn’s Oscar-nominated Danish drama “The Girl with the Needle.” The festival opens with the Indian premiere of “A Normal Family,” the Korean drama by Hur Jin-ho that made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. The opening night will also include a special screening of the Punjabi short “The Cycle” by Arpita Mukherjee.

Ciff’s World Canvas section will showcase 15 international features, while the India Unveiled category will highlight 17 homegrown titles. Special screenings and student films will complement the festival’s programming.

The second edition of India’s Cinevesture International Film Festival (Ciff) has unveiled its CinéV-chd Market lineup featuring 22 diverse projects from established and emerging filmmakers, with more than half being women-oriented ventures.

The curated selection, which will run alongside the festival from March 20-23, in Chandigarh, spotlights creative forces who have made significant contributions to Indian cinema, spanning languages including Chinese, English, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Urdu, Gujarati, Telugu, Bengali, and Kannada.

“Sister Midnight” actor Radhika Apte steps into the director’s chair for “Koyta” (Sickle), produced by acclaimed filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane (“Black Warrant”). The Hindi/Marathi action-fantasy follows a young migrant sugarcane cutter who gains superpowers after a forced medical procedure and uses them to free her family from debt.

Veteran director Hansal Mehta, known for “Shahid” and “Scam 1992,” produces “Hanere De Panchi” (Birds in the Dark), a drama in the Punjabi, Urdu and Kashmiri languages, from emerging director Shashank Walia,...

Sister Midnight, the BAFTA nominated debut film from writer and director Karan Kandhari, featuring a stand-out performance by acclaimed actress Radhika Apte, will release the 14th March in the UK and Ireland.

A newly arranged marriage. An oddball couple shoved together in a small Mumbai shack with paper-thin walls. They are awkward and alone-together. Unpredictable Uma does her best to cope with the heat, her total lack of domestic skills, nosy neighbours and her bumbling spouse until the nocturnal world of the city and its inhabitants lead her to face her own strange behaviours.

Nominated for Outstanding British Debut at this year’s BAFTA Awards, Sister Midnight was a hot ticket at the Cannes Film Festival where it was nominated for the Golden Camera award and in Director’s Fortnight. Also nominated for four BIFA awards, Sister Midnight won Best Picture in the Next Wave Award at Austin’s Fantastic...

nitting Revisiting the striking Badlapur, Subhash K Jha takes a look back at the drama directed by Sridhar Raghavan’s which released 10 years ago on February 20th.

“The tree remembers, the axe forgets,” reads a proverb in the opening credits of a film that left me feeling like both the tree and the axe. While the film’s pain-lashed topography in the first overture is exceptional—with every vein on Varun Dhawan’s temples ringing a bell—the second overture gets audacious, tongue-in-cheek, subversive, and sometimes downright silly. As if the tree decided to get even with the axe by cutting off its own branches.

Cast in the mould of the greatest redemptive dramas Badlapur has an ambitious ambience of unmitigated doom irrigating almost every frame. It’s as if director Sriram Raghavan and his co-writer Arijit Biswas wants to shut out all light from his protagonist Raghavan’s life.

"Rebellion must come from within, like a viper hidden in a sock drawer." Magnolia Pictures has revealed a new trailer for an indie dark comedy titled Sister Midnight, from Indian filmmaker Karan Kandhari. This premiered in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar at the Cannes Film Festival last year, and also showed at the London, Denver, and Sitges Film Festivals. A woman is transformed into a disturbing & ruthless figure after entering an arranged marriage. An oddball couple shoved together in a small Mumbai shack with paper-thin walls. They are awkward & alone-together. Unpredictable Uma does her best to cope with the heat, her lack of domestic skills, nosy neighbours and her bumbling spouse until the nocturnal world of Bombay and its inhabitants lead her to face her own strange behaviors. Featuring an eclectic soundtrack (Interpol frontman Paul Banks is the film's composer) and a singular visual aesthetic. Starring Radhika Apte as Uma, with Ashok Pathak,...