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Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap has thrown his weight behind “Aakhri Ride” (The Last Ride), set to feature as one of the market picks at the upcoming Clermont-Ferrand short film market.

The film follows Aman, a Mumbai ride-share driver racing to secure dowry money for his sister’s wedding, whose night takes an unexpected turn when he picks up a mysterious passenger – a Chudail (demonic witch). The supernatural encounter forces him to confront deeper truths about urban survival and morality.

Several films directed by Kashyap have played at Cannes, including “Kennedy” (2023), “Psycho Raman” (2016), “Ugly” (2013), “Bombay Talkies” (2013) and “Gangs of Wasseypur” (2012). In addition, several films produced by him have made it to the Croisette, including “Masaan” (2015), “The Lunchbox” (2013), “Monsoon Shootout” (2013), “The Congress” (2013) and “Udaan” (2010).

“When I read the script, I quite liked it. It’s a story about characters whom we meet everyday in lives and yet maybe don’t stop to...

Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap has boarded Deepak Rauniyar’s “Pooja, Sir” as an executive producer, while Channel 4 has snapped up the film for the U.K. and Ireland.

The film debuted in the Venice Film Festival‘s Horizons strand competition earlier this year, and has subsequently played Hamburg and Busan, with the Mami Mumbai Film Festival up next. It is inspired by real events which took place in Southern Nepal during the 2015 race protests, involving the Madhesi community. In the film, when two boys are kidnapped in a border town in Nepal, Detective Inspector Pooja is sent from Kathmandu to solve the case. However, upon her arrival, the brewing political unrest and violent protests throw her off course, compelling her to seek help from Mamata, a local Madhesi policewoman. By putting aside systemic discrimination and pushing through everyday misogyny, the women attempt to solve the case.

The cast is...

Back in the day, crime dramas usually used to have corrupt cops. And even if the protagonist was a member of any law enforcement authority, they used to punch up instead of down. In case you’ve forgotten due to the Singham franchise’s recent trashy entries, the first one was actually about catching a corrupt politician, not doing the bidding of one. While movies like Ugly, Raman Raghav 2.0, Paan Singh Tomar, and Sonchiriya tried to show the real face of the law, films like Talaash, Mardaani (and its sequel), Raees, Dabangg (the entire trilogy), Murder Mubarak, Rautu ka Raaz, Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, Delhi Crime, and even the highly revered Article 15 kept portraying the police as the bastion of justice and righteousness. That said, slowly but steadily, directors and writers are starting to realize again that maybe celebrating the khaki uniform isn’t a good idea because it has some real-life consequences.

Anurag Kashyap’s 52nd birthday on September 10 is a moment to celebrate his significant contributions to Indian cinema. Over the years, Kashyap has been a trailblazer in the world of independent filmmaking in India, shaping the landscape with his innovative storytelling and fearless approach. Anurag Kashyap has indeed made a significant mark on Bollywood with his unique storytelling and bold filmmaking. While he may not be the “Og” filmmaker in the traditional sense, he is definitely a trailblazer in contemporary Indian cinema. Here’s a list of some of his most iconic and influential films:

Black Friday” (2004) – A gritty, powerful film based on the 1993 Bombay bombings. It showcases Kashyap’s knack for intense storytelling and real-life drama.

“Dev.D” (2009) – A modern, edgy reimagining of the classic Bengali novel “Devdas,” this film combines vibrant visuals with contemporary music and themes.

“Gangs of Wasseypur” (2012) – A two-part epic that delves into the criminal underworld of a small town,...

“I’ve felt that being called ‘niche’ is a compliment, actually,” Monkey Man star Sobhita Dhulipala tells Deadline.

It is nighttime in India when we catch up with the star, and we are discussing a recent profile that dubbed her a “niche Indian actress.”

“In India, there’s the conventional idea of a mainstream commercial film star where they love you because you entertain and give them escape, but you’re not really accountable as an actor to stand for anything,” she explains. “I guess my expectation from a different kind of actor who does films that reach my heart and travel with me would be somehow more personal, and that is a bit of a niche.”

Dhulipala’s choice of roles has reflected this mentality. Born in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, she followed the career pipeline that takes a person from beauty pageants to acting, a path trodden by Priyanka Chopra,...

Indian actor Vipin Sharma is earning global acclaim for playing a trans character in Dev Patel’s feature directorial debut “Monkey Man.”

Sharma plays Alpha, the leader of a trans community known in India as hijras, who is instrumental in providing a new lease on life to Patel’s character when he’s down and out in “Monkey Man.”

Aamir Khan’s “Taare Zameen Par” (2007) was Sharma’s breakthrough role, and since then he has won plaudits for “Paan Singh Tomar,” “Gangs of Wasseypur” and “Shahid” (all 2012), “Raanjhanaa” (2013), “Raman Raghav 2.0” (2016), “Paatal Lok” (2020) and “Dear Jassi” (2023).

When director Anthony Maras offered Sharma a role in “Hotel Mumbai” (2018), starring Patel, the actor accepted. “He said, ‘It’s not a very big part, but it’s a very interesting part.’ I immediately took it because it was going to make me meet Dev who I really wanted to meet,” Sharma tells Variety.

Anurag Kashyap, who is known for cult-classics like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Black Friday’, ‘Gulaal’ and others, is putting a price cap on the newer talents who want to meet him for a potential collaboration.

This action comes in the light of the filmmaker’s claims about random people meeting him and adding up nothing to his films or ending up giving mediocre work to him.

The filmmaker took to his Instagram on Saturday and shared a long note notifying his followers about the change in his approach.

Anurag wrote: “I wasted a lot of time trying to help newcomers and mostly ended up with mediocre s**t. So now onwards I don’t want to waste my time with meeting random people who think they’re creative geniuses. So I will now have rates.”

He further mentioned, “If someone wants to meet me for 10-15 minutes I will charge Rs 1 lakh,...

Lust Stories 2 Actress Amruta Subhash Says She Was Forced To A ‘Domestic Abuse’ Scene On TV For High Trp ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Time and again, we have seen actors calling out TV showmakers for its regressive content. Some time back, celebs like Radhika Madan, Kriti Kamra, Prachi Desai, and others, who moved to movies from TV, often made headlines for slamming television for its content. Well, the latest actress to talk about the same is Amruta Subhash, who recently opened up about the initial years of her career when she was forced to do a scene.

Amruta is a Hindi and Marathi actress who has been a part of numerous movies and web shows. She turned heads with her performances in Gully Boy, Raman Raghav 2.0, Ghost Stories, Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai, Dhamaka and recently in Lust Stories 2. She’s a part of ‘The Mirror’ episode, which is helmed by Konkona Sen Sharma.

The Marrakech International Film Festival has unveiled the 10 cinema figures who will participate in its In Conversation With program at its 20th edition running from November 24 to December 2.

They comprise Australian actor Simon Baker, French director Bertrand Bonello, U.S. actor Willem Dafoe, Indian filmmaker and producer Anurag Kashyap; Japanese director Naomi Kawase; Danish-u.S. actor and director Viggo Mortensen; U.K. actor Tilda Swinton; and Russian director and screenwriter Andrey Zvyagintsev.

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen and Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaïdi, who will receive the festival’s honorary Étoile d’or prize this year, will also participate in the program.

Baker’s was seen most recently in Toronto title Limbo and Tribeca 2022 selection Blaze, with early features including L.A. Confidential (1997), David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada (2006), and J. C. Chandor’s Margin Call (2011), followed by hit series The Mentalist (2008–2015).

Bensaïdi’s first feature A Thousand Months world premiered...

Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is known for ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Talaash’, ‘Sacred Games’ and Raman Raghav 2.0’, has started shooting for his next project titled, ‘Section 108’.

The teaser of the film has been released recently, and features Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the role of a lawyer. The actor shared a video from the sets on his social media. He wrote, “And the story begins… #section108”.

The video shows him getting off his vanity van all set to dive into the charged moment of action and sketch up a compelling performance.

Of late, Nawaz has been on a roll with an array of releases like ‘Tiku Weds Sheru’, ‘Afwaah’, and ‘Haddi’.

In addition to working in Hindi cinema, the actor is ready to make waves in the Telugu industry with his debut film, ‘Saindhav’. The Pan India film will feature him in a grey-shaded character and will be released in cinemas...

Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is known for ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Talaash’, ‘Sacred Games’ and Raman Raghav 2.0’, has started shooting for his next project titled, ‘Section 108’.

The teaser of the film has been released recently, and features Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the role of a lawyer. The actor shared a video from the sets on his social media. He wrote, “And the story begins… #section108”.

The video shows him getting off his vanity van all set to dive into the charged moment of action and sketch up a compelling performance.

Of late, Nawaz has been on a roll with an array of releases like ‘Tiku Weds Sheru’, ‘Afwaah’, and ‘Haddi’.

In addition to working in Hindi cinema, the actor is ready to make waves in the Telugu industry with his debut film, ‘Saindhav’. The Pan India film will feature him in a grey-shaded character and will be released in cinemas...

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is known for films like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ and many more, is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his biographical film ‘Manto’, in which he starred in the titular role of prominent Urdu author Saadat Hasan Manto.

The actor shared that to essay the character in its full glory, the trick was to tap into the honesty in himself.

“When one speaks the truth, and is honest, he starts to get closer to the character of Manto. Because, when I got into the character of Manto, I thought that if Nawaz had to become Manto, he would have to start speaking honestly. And that way, the characterisation of Manto will be easy,” the actor told Ians.

Written and directed by Nandita Das, ‘Manto’ also starred Tahir Raj Bhasin playing the 1940s Hindi film superstar Shyam Chadda.

Shyam was Manto’s friend, confidant,...

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who is known for films like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ and many more, is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his biographical film ‘Manto’, in which he starred in the titular role of prominent Urdu author Saadat Hasan Manto.

The actor shared that to essay the character in its full glory, the trick was to tap into the honesty in himself.

“When one speaks the truth, and is honest, he starts to get closer to the character of Manto. Because, when I got into the character of Manto, I thought that if Nawaz had to become Manto, he would have to start speaking honestly. And that way, the characterisation of Manto will be easy,” the actor told Ians.

Written and directed by Nandita Das, ‘Manto’ also starred Tahir Raj Bhasin playing the 1940s Hindi film superstar Shyam Chadda.

Shyam was Manto’s friend, confidant,...

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who is seen playing the character of Pramod Ahlawat in the crime drama ‘Haddi’, has opened up on his collaboration with actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the movie.

Directed by Akshat Ajay Sharma, the film stars Nawazuddin, Anurag and Zeeshan Ayyub in the lead. Nawaz plays the character of Haddi/Harika, while Zeeshan is seen as Irfan.

Anurag has directed Nawazuddin in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ and ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’, amongst others.

Anurag shared about working with Nawazuddin as a co-actor.

“Mujhe usko maarne me bahut maza aya, usko bhi mujhe maarne me bahut maza aya (I loved beating him and he also loved beating me). This is what our give and take was,” said Anurag.

Calling Nawzuddin a great friend, the 51-year-old director said: “Emotionally also I feel very close to him. There was no awkwardness. Hamne bhaut maze kie, usne bade shauk se mujhe mara, maine bade shauk se usko mara.

Film producer Madhu Mantena and author and yoga teacher Ira Trivedi officially tied the knot on Sunday night and the who’s who of Bollywood came to bless the newly-wedded couple. Mantena, who was previously married to fashion designer Masaba Gupta, and Trivedi kickstarted their wedding festivities with the mehndi on Saturday night. Their marriage ceremony was followed by a grand reception for their industry friends and colleagues.

The celebrities who came to bless the couple spanned generations. They included Aamir Khan, who was the lead star in Mantena’s ‘Ghajini’, Hrithik Roshan (with Saba Azad), Allu Arjun, Kartik Aaryan, Rajkummar Rao and Patralekha, Vivek Oberoi, Sara Ali Khan, Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha and Rakul Preet Singh.

The seniors were also there in full force: Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Anupam Kher, Rakesh and Pashmina Roshan, Subhash Ghai, Boney Kapoor, Sonali Bendre, Chunky Pandey and Goldie Behl. Madhur Bhandarkar and his wife were present too,...

EntertainmentKennedy received a seven-minute standing ovation at The Grand Lumiere Theatre where it was screened under the midnight screening section on May 25.Instagram/Sunny LeoneFilmmaker Anurag Kashyap is back at the Cannes Film Festival with his film Kennedy and has once again registered a resounding response like all his earlier films such as Raman Raghav 2.0, Ugly, Bombay Talkies and the two-part gangster drama Gangs of Wasseypur that made it to the festival. Kennedy received a seven-minute standing ovation at The Grand Lumiere Theatre where it was screened under the midnight screening section at 12.15 am on Thursday, May 25 (France local time). Kennedy follows the story of an insomniac cop who dwells in different circumstances while looking for redemption. Kashyap was joined at the festival by his friend and frequent collaborator Vikramaditya Motwane. The lead actors of Kennedy Rahul Bhatt and Sunny Leone, along with Shariq Patel, Ranjan Singh, Kabir Ahuja,...

Mumbai, May 25 (Ians) Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is back at the Cannes Film Festival with his film ‘Kennedy’ and has once again registered a resounding response like all his earlier films such as ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’, ‘Ugly’, ‘Bombay Talkies’ and the two-part gangster drama ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ that made it to the festival.

‘Kennedy’, which is a police noir film, received a 7-minute standing ovation at The Grand Lumiere Theatre where it was screened under the midnight screening section at 12:15 a.m. on Thursday (France local time).

‘Kennedy’ follows the story of an insomniac cop who dwells in different circumstances while looking for redemption. Kashyap was joined at the festival by his friend and frequent collaborator Vikramaditya Motwane and his actors Rahul Bhatt and Sunny Leone along with Shariq Patel, Ranjan Singh, Kabir Ahuja, Bhumika Tewari, Neeraj Joshi, Ashima Awasthi have joined the filmmaker at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Talking...

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is a regular at Cannes Film Festival as many of his films have been screened there, the latest being ‘Kennedy’, which has been selected for the Midnight Screening section at the festival this year.

The filmmaker is making the most of his time at the festival as he reminisced about old times with his filmmaker friend Vikramaditya Motwane, who has been receiving a lot of positive response for his streaming series ‘Jubilee’.

In a video, shared by Ranjan Singh, the producer of ‘Kennedy’, Anurag and Vikram can be seen engaging in a fun banter as Anurag asks the ‘Udaan’ helmer if the drinks will be on him.

In the video, Anurag can be seen saying: “2010 mein ‘Udaan’ aayi thi tabhi ye bechara bahut gareeb tha. Aaj ‘Kennedy’ hai to main bahut gareeb hoon, isne to fir bhi ‘Jubilee’ bana kar paise kama liye hain”.

He then turned...

Canadian-Indian-American actor Sunny Leone is making her Cannes debut with Anurag Kashyap’s “Kennedy.”

Presumed dead for years, Kennedy (Rahul Bhat) is an insomniac former cop who continues to work for a corrupt system while seeking redemption. Leone plays a pivotal character named Charlie.

“She’s a little bit of a complex character and she hides behind some of her motions. And one of the things she hides behind the most is this laugh. And I believe she’s a woman who’s caught in two different worlds – one is the one that she wants to live in and one is the one she has been deliberately caught up in. I really enjoyed playing this character. And I think she is someone who’s trying her very best to be as strong as possible at every moment of the day,” Leone told Variety.

Leone’s laugh in the film is...

Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap is back in Cannes with thriller “Kennedy,” starring Rahul Bhat in the title role.

The film, which also stars Sunny Leone, will play in the Midnight Screenings strand of the festival. Several films directed by Kashyap have played at Cannes, including “Psycho Raman” (2016), “Ugly” (2013), “Bombay Talkies” (2013) and “Gangs of Wasseypur” (2012). In addition, several films produced by him have made it to the Croisette, including “Masaan” (2015), “The Lunchbox” (2013), “Monsoon Shootout” (2013), “The Congress” (2013) and “Udaan” (2010).

The plot of “Kennedy” is being kept under wraps at the moment. “Kennedy is a ghost in the system looking for redemption,” is how Kashyap describes the film to Variety.

The filmmaker says that the character of Kennedy has been an obsession with him for years and was born when fellow Indian filmmaker Sudhir Mishra hired him to write a cop story set in the 1980s. That film never got made but the character stayed with Kashyap.

Sobhita Dhulipala, who’s best known for her part in “Raman Raghav 2.0”, talked about her transition to Tamil cinema and the portrayal of women in celebrated director Mani Ratnam’s period spectacle, “Ponniyin Selvan-2”.

Speaking with interaction with the media in the Capital on Tuesday evening, Dhulipala said: “This is my first Tamil film and the experience has been so exciting. I got a chance to work with Mani Ratnam sir and the amazing cast of the film. I relished every moment of it.”

She added: “The kind of work I did in this movie is very different from the previous ones. As actors we always want to do something different and this is what I got to do in this film.”

In the film, Dhulipala plays the character of Vaanathi, Princess of Kodumbalur. She is a shy but playful princess who is devoted to Ponniyin Selvan, or Rajaraja I,...

CinemaThe festival's Twitter handle made the announcement in the afternoon of April 13.Courtesy: Instagram/ sunnyleoneFilmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who is known for creating modern day cult classics such as the Gangs of Wasseypur, Ugly, Gulaal, and No Smoking, is once again set to visit the French Riviera as his next film Kennedy starring Sunny Leone has been selected for the Cannes Film Festival. The festival's Twitter handle made the announcement in the afternoon of Thursday, April 13. The film will be a part of the midnight screening section. Anurag has been a regular at Cannes. Kennedy by Anurag Kashyap #SéanceDeMinuit / #MidnightScreenings #Cannes2023 — Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) April 13, 2023 While his magnum opus Gangs of Wasseypur was screened at the 2012 Cannes Directors' Fortnight, an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival, the anthology film Bombay Talkies, on which he served as one of the directors, premiered under Special Screenings at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

Mumbai, April 13 (Ians) Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who is known for creating the modern day classic ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, the disturbingly dark and beautiful ‘Ugly’, ‘Gulaal’ and ‘No Smoking’, is once again set to visit the French Riviera as his next film ‘Kennedy’ starring Sunny Leone has been selected for the Cannes Film Festival.

The festival’s Twitter handle made the announcement on Thursday afternoon. They tweeted: “Kennedy by Anurag Kashyap #SeanceDeMinuit / #MidnightScreenings #Cannes2023.” The film will be a part of the midnight screening section. Kashyap has been a regular at Cannes.

While his magnum opus ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ was screened at the 2012 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, an independent selection of the Cannes Film Festival, the anthology film ‘Bombay Talkies’, on which he served as one of the directors, premiered under Special Screenings at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. ‘Ugly’ released a year after ‘GoW’ and was screened in the Directors’ Fortnight section...

Mumbai, Feb 21 (Ians) Actress Sobhita Dhulipala, who made her acting debut with ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ and is currently seen playing the mysterious role of Kaveri in the web series ‘The Night Manager’, recalled an experience in Sri Lanka during which Aditya Roy Kapur got terrified by fireflies.

She shared: “When we had gone to Sri Lanka, I was struck by its beauty, a beautiful tropical island, a new set, a whole new bunch of people and I couldn’t sleep first couple of nights so I went out for a walk in the vicinity. Aditya, me, Anil (Kapoor) sir, Sandeep (Modi), all our rooms were adjacent to each other and one night, I saw a swarm of fireflies outside Aditya’s room and I got damn excited.”

The actress is part of a spy thriller and she remembered how she got excited after looking at the fireflies outside Aditya’s room.

Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal (“Uri: The Surgical Strike”) has been revealed as the titular DJ in influential Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s “Almost Love” (“Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat”).

The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Marrakech Film Festival and Asian premiere at the Hainan Island International Film Festival. It is an India-u.K. co-production set across both countries and follows two love stories in parallel universes that face challenges of social status, caste, religion and inequality. It also marks the “Gangs of Wasseypur” filmmaker’s return to the romantic musical genre with composer Amit Trivedi, with whom he memorably teamed on “Dev.D” (2009).

Despite its festival outings, Kaushal’s star presence in the film has been a closely guarded secret so far. The two storylines in the film are interconnected by a podcast called Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat. The DJ talks about the need for love in times of hate.

Every now and then, a serial or psychopath killer emerges from the dark alleys and haunt the world with gruesome killings and their modus operandi. More recently, a serial killer in Madhya Pradesh murdered 6 people.

The accused, Shiv Prasad Dhurve, named ‘The Stoneman’, was arrested from Bhopal after 10 teams of Sagar police with 250 personnel were given the task of nabbing him. The accused was arrested on the basis of CCTV footage, a sketch and Gps tracking.

He has confessed to his crimes saying that he was on a mission to murder security guards who used to sleep during their duty hours. His modus operandi was to bludgeon the heads of his victims with a stone or a heavy blunt object.

Over centuries, there have been several serial killers such as Jack The Ripper, Ted Bundy, Charles Sobhraj and several others who have caught the fancy of filmmakers and storytellers.

The...

‘Kgf’ star Yash has praised actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and confessed that he would love to work with him. The pan-India star in a recent interview was asked which Bollywood actor he desires to work with and Yash said: “Nawazuddin Siddiqui”.

In the interview, Yash said: “I wish to work with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. I feel he is a wonderful actor.”

Nawazuddin is known for his work in films such as ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur’ franchise, ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’, ‘Mom’, ‘Manto’, ‘Serious Men’. He has also done web-series’ such as ‘McMafia’ and ‘Sacred Games’.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Nawaz has an interesting line-up of films which includes ‘Tiku Weds Sheru’, ‘Noorani Chehra’, and ‘Adbhut’ among others.

Yash, whose real name is Naveen Kumar Gowda, gained the spotlight as a leading actor of Kannada cinema with films such as ‘Googly’, comedy-drama ‘Raja Huli’, fantasy action ‘Gajakesari’, romantic comedy ‘Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari’, action...

By Akshay Acharya

Film: ‘Dobaaraa’ (Releasing in theatres). Duration: 132 minutes.

Director: Anurag Kashyap. Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Rahul Bhat, Pavail Gulati and Sukant Goel.

Ians rating: ***1/2

Anurag Kashyap has returned ‘dobara’ (once again) with ‘Dobaaraa’, two years after his last streaming movie ‘Choked’ on Netflix. The film not just marks his reunion with his ‘Manmarziyaan’ actress Taapsee Pannu, but also marks his return to the genre of thrillers, his last outing being the Vicky Kaushal and Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’.

The film is an official remake of the Spanish mystery-drama film ‘Mirage’.

Kashyap, who is known for his offbeat stories, doesn’t miss a beat in the film as he sketches up a fine thriller that will keep you hooked till the last frame and will linger in your thoughts long after you have stepped out of the cinema.

The treatment rendered to the film is such that you...

The ‘Serious Men’ and ‘The Lunchbox’ star Nawazuddin Siddiqui will be celebrating his birthday at the Cannes Film Festival for the seventh time, on Thursday. From his 2012 releases of ‘Miss Lovely’ and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, then 2013 releases ‘Monsoon Shootout’, ‘The Lunchbox’, ‘Bombay Talkies’ followed by the 2016 release ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ and 2018 […]...

Indian filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, a regular at Cannes, is currently in post-production on his next feature “Dobaaraa,” a Hindi-language adaptation of Oriol Paulo’s 2018 Spanish-language film “Mirage.”

Kashyap had read the script of “Mirage” before the film was made and was taken by it. This is the first time Kashyap has done a remake. “It is a nice, fascinating idea for me to delve into, I can’t come up with an idea like that,” Kashyap told Variety. “So I said, why not step outside my secure zone and attempt something.”

In “Mirage,” a 12-year-old boy witnesses a death during a thunderstorm and is killed himself. Twenty-five years later the woman who moves into the same apartment is connected to the boy through a television set during a similar storm and has the opportunity to save his life.

The film is headlined by Taapsee Pannu, one of India’s top actors,...

Sobhita Dhulipala will be starring in Dev Patel’s Hollywood directorial debut, Monkey Man. Talking about the project, Dhulipala reveals, "I had auditioned for it almost five years ago and I got a call back in a few days for a screen test with Dev. I remember, it was on the day I was leaving for the Cannes Film festival with my first film Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016)."

She added saying, "All these years later and many turns in the journey of the film and our individual lives later, looks like we belonged with each other all along. What appealed to me about the project is that it's a collaborative spirit, a young and rather eccentric approach to the story and most certainly the people involved. I knew it would be special from the get go. I really enjoyed my character's tender dilemmas, they were as glamorous as sorrowful."

With the pandemic last year,...

Top Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, star of series “Sacred Games” and several other Netflix originals, and a regular at Cannes, is currently wrapping feature film “Sangeen” in London.

Written and directed by Jaideep Chopra (“2016 the End”), the film, which also stars Elnaaz Norouzi (“Sacred Games”), is a two-handed thriller largely set in one room. Siddiqui was floored by Chopra’s script and describes his role as a “challenging part.” The action periodically breaks out into wintry London locales. This is Siddiqui’s first time shooting in London, a city currently in lockdown. “The city is completely deserted,” says Siddiqui.

Produced by Gurjit Singh and Ankit Khanna for Golden Era Films and Ak Projekts, the shoot is taking place under strict Covid protocols with a pared down crew in a bio-secure bubble, including two sealed off floors at the unit hotel.

A graduate of India’s prestigious National School of Drama,...

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who has made films like "Paanch" and "Raman Raghav 2.0" based on the life of serial killers, feels that truth is stranger than fiction.

Anurag was interacting with the media at the launch of author Anirban Bhattacharya's book titled "The Deadly Dozen: India's Most Notorious Serial Killers" here on Thursday.

Asked what is it about the mind of a serial killer that draws him to make films on them, Anurag said: "It's always inexplicable? I don't understand what makes them the way they are and that's what is very interesting because you can't make sense of it.

"I feel the logic, the intelligence and no kind of reasoning works there. It is just as it is and that is what is scary about them."

What kind of challenges does he face when he fictionalizes something that has already happened?

He said: "I feel we don't need to fictionalize it,...

Festival favourites tend to have a reputation for not doing well at the Indian box-office, as they come with a preconceived notion of being artsy and catering to a niche audience. “Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota”, however, has a lot going for it that could entice a larger, mainstream audience. For starters, its promos make it seem like a superhero or a martial arts film, unlike any Bollywood has seen thus far. Secondly, it features a fresh, young cast in film that’s infused with nostalgic retro sounds and look. Finally, it is the sophomore directorial feature from writer/director Vasan Bala, who, along with Anurag Kashyap, wrote the excellent character study that was the serial killer film “Raman Raghav 2.0”. The film had its premiere in the Midnight Madness section at the Toronto International Film Festival 2018, winning the People’s Choice Award.

“Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota” is screening...

The Amazon Prime Series Made in Heaven, is garnering rave reviews from critics and viewers a like. An Excel Entertainment production, aka Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, the special series created by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti features power-packed performances by Arjun Mathur, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Shashank Arora and Shivani Raghuvanshi. Adding to the mix are respected character actors Yashaswini Dayama, Ayesha Raza, and veterans Vinay Pathak, Neena Gupta and Deepti Naval.

Made In Heaven takes a closer look into the lives of the elite. It narrates the journey of two wedding planners Tara and Karan whose efforts at delivering the perfect wedding for crazy rich Indians, leads them on a journey of self-discovery. The show portrays today’s India as a potent blend where tradition jostles with modern aspiration, set against the theme of the ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding’. Indians believe marriages are made in heaven...

Actor Vicky Kaushal, who is riding high on success of his last release Uri - The Surgical Strike, says that he has toiled really hard to get this kind of work pressure on his shoulders.

At the launch of United Colours of Benetton's spring-summer collection 2019 on Monday here, speaking about his continued success the Manmarziyaan, Sanju and Raazi star said, "I have been really waiting to get this kind of pressure on my shoulders."

"I have worked really hard to get this pressure. It feels good when you get so much love and appreciation from audience. You can say to yourself that now you can't take anything for granted. So, I'm just focusing on working hard every day of my life."

Was he celebrating Valentine's Day, Vicky said, "I don't believe in giving one special day to love as its very beautiful emotion and for that, just one day is not enough.

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been praised for his portrayal of Bal Thackeray in Thackeray, but the movie, based on late Shiv Sena supremo who had a controversial political career, has been slammed by some critics for being biased. The critically acclaimed actor says Indian audiences do not like to see the protagonist in shades of grey and that if only the negative side of the protagonist is reflected on the big screen, this will severly impact the box office.

Addressing the critical reviews of the film, Nawazuddin told Ians in a telephonic interview: "For the past 40-50 years, we have been continuously presenting our heroes in a good light. The audience does not like to see the protagonist with grey shades. If I portray the only negative side of the protagonist, then it will not run at the box office."

"Our society is not ready to see the negative traits in the heroes.

TollywoodThe actor will make a guest appearance in the film, which is tipped to be a spy thriller.Digital NativeMadhu Shalini’s look in the Telugu movie Goodachari was unveiled a few days ago and has upped the curiosity levels of film buffs. Apparently, the actor plays a Raw agent and her look in the film is something to watch out for. Directed by Sashi Kiran Tikka, Goodachari has Adivi Sesh playing the lead role while Madhu Shalini will be making a guest appearance. The star cast includes Sobhita Dhulipala as the lead opposite Adivi, with Prakash Raj, Vennela Kishore, Ravi Prakash, Supriya Yarlagadda, Rakesh Varre and Anish Kuruvilla playing supporting roles. Bankrolled under the Abhishek Pictures banner, the film is slated for a worldwide release on August 3. Sricharan Pakala has composed the music for this spy thriller with Shaneil Deo cranking the camera and Garry Bh editing it. The...

TollywoodThe teaser was released by Samantha on Twitter.Digital NativeThe teaser for Goodachari was released on Wednesday. Starring Adivi Sesh and Sobhita Dhulipala, the teaser suggests that Adivi will be playing a Raw agent in the film. The actor in the trailer is asked why he wants to join Raw and if it's for the sake of his father. To which Adivi replies that his father is his strength and that the reason is his country. The film appears to be high on action and suspense. The teaser was released on Twitter by Samantha Akkineni. The film also stars Prakash Raj. Directed by Sashikiran Tikka, Goodachari also refers to the 1983 film Gudachari No.1 which was a spy film starring Chiranjeevi and Raadhika. The film was directed by Kodi Ramakrishna. The film became a blockbuster at the time. Have a look at this captivating teaser of #Goodachari https://t.co/iM5988uf92 | @AdiviSesh @AbhishekPicture @peoplemediafcy @sobhitaD @Deonidas @abburiravi #SashikiranTikka #SricharanPakala @AbhishekOfficl @AnilSunkara1 @UrsVamsiShekar #GarryBh @vivekkuchibotla — Samantha Akkineni (@Samanthaprabhu2) July 4, 2018 Adivi Sesh has acted in a few notable films, including Kshanam which was well-received. He also played a minor character in Baahubali, as Bhallaladeva's (Rana Daggubati) son, Bhadrudu. Sobhita made her debut with the Hindi film Raman Raghav 2.0. She is also acting in the Malayalam film Moothon, along with Nivin Pauly.

Vicky Kaushal, the actor who made his debut with Masaan in 2015, has an interesting array of projects lined up. While the actor won accolades for his debut performances and in Raman Raghav 2.0, the actor still thinks he has a long way to go. With Meghna Gulzar upcoming film Raazi, Vicky Kaushal is playingRead More

The post “She is extremely humble and she doesn’t take being a star for granted”- Vicky Kaushal on working with Alia Bhatt in Raazi appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

Anurag Kashyap is India's most visible contemporary filmmaker in the west, and that is with good reason. His international breakout film, Gangs of Wasseypur was a smash at the Cannes Director's Fortnight in 2012, and he's continued making excellent cinema since. Of his last four features since 2012, Ugly, Bombay Velvet, Raman Raghav 2.0, and Mukkabaaz, three have been critical hits, and he is one of the most controversial filmmakers in that country. This year sees Kashyap and his team at Phantom Films partnering with Netflix to release a serialized adaptation of Vikram Chandra's hit novel, Sacred Games. This marks Kashyap's first big foray into directing for the small screen, but it doesn't look like he's going to lose any of his punch by scaling...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

If you want to get into Indian films and TV but don’t know how, here are some of the best online offerings

For many of us, Bollywood cinema tends to be the invisible elephant of the UK film market. Vast in output and popularity alike, it’s nonetheless a difficult scene for dilettantes to keep pace with. Media coverage and criticism is scarce, not least because mainstream Indian releases are rarely screened for the press – or perhaps this cause and effect should be reversed – and breakout crossover hits are rare. That makes simply knowing what to see tricky before matters of access come to the fore. With marketing materials as one’s principal guide, one crystal-encrusted musical or strutting street-war thriller looks much like another.

The world of streaming, then, is an ideal way in for the Bollycurious. It may not make the mass of material much more critically navigable,...

Indian indie superstar Anurag Kashyap is back after his festival hit Psycho Raman with a brand new, slighty more polished and less grimy looking film, Mukkabaaz (The Brawler). The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and has already made numerous festival stops around the world with many more to come. The film is scheduled for a January domestic release in India, and to get the party started, the team have released the first song from the film with a video that acts as a de facto trailer for those able to pay close attention (and speak a little Hindi). Mukkabaaz centers around a poor boxer named Shravan, played by Vineet Kumar Singh, who falls in love with a mute girl named...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The Anurag Kashyap film Manmarziyan has been facing several woes since its inception. From Bhumi Pednekar to Sanya Malhotra, Ayushmann Khurrana to Nawazuddin Siddiqui, there are many names that are being tossed around for the film. However, now we now hear that Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal are being roped in as the leads. Interestingly, this would be the second time Vicky Kaushal would be collaborating with Anurag after Raman Raghav 2.0 in which he played a dark role of a cop. On the other hand, Taapsee Pannu will be collaborating with the gritty filmmaker for the first time.

The post Taapsee Pannu – Vicky Kaushal to come together for Anurag Kashyap’s Manmarziyan? appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

We pick our favourite scenes of Nawazuddin Siddiqui from his films Gangs of Wasseypur, The Lunchbox, Raman Raghav 2.0, Kick and Haraamkhor, and get him to tell us the story behind those characters.

We got Ram Sampath, composer of films like Delhi Belly, Talaash, Peepli Live and Raman Raghav 2.0, to list his top 5 all-time favourite Bollywood albums. He takes us down memory lane as he lists memorable songs by S D Burman, R D Burman and A R Rahman...

Ever since the time the talented Vicky Kaushal debuted with the quirky Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana, there has been no looking back for him. What followed after that, were his commendable performances in films like Masaan, Zubaan, Raman Raghav 2.0 etc… This time round, the talented young man has been signed up by MeghnaRead More

The post Vicky Kaushal to play Alia Bhatt’s husband in Meghna Gulzar’s film? appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

When the Cannes Film Festival unveiled its 2017 Official Selection, the lack of a single title by an Indian director marked the second year running that the biggest film industry in the world has been unrepresented in the main lineup (the last Indian movie in the Official Selection was Neeraj Ghaywan’s “Masaan” in 2015’s Un Certain Regard section).

Indian cinema has never been a complete non-entity at Cannes; ever since Chetan Anand won top honors with “Neecha Nagar” at the inaugural festival in 1946, Indian filmmakers have enjoyed some degree of exposure at Cannes, in or out of competition. In the last decade alone, screenings have included features and shorts from close to 30 Indian filmmakers, including Vikramaditya Motwani, who wowed audiences with “Udaan”; Ritesh Batra with his Grand Golden Rail-winning “The Lunchbox”; and Anurag Kashyap, whose “Ugly,” “Gangs of Wasseypur” and “Raman Raghav 2.0” all opened to applause at various Directors’ Fortnights.

The British Film Institute (BFI) is showcasing and celebrating the diversity of Indian filmmaking and films about India from Bollywood to Tollywood throughout 2017. This special programme titled ‘India on Film’ will include film screenings, discussions on music and movies and many other special events.

One of those special events is a panel discussion on April 3rd, titled ‘What is Bollywood 2.0? Current Trends and New Directions’. Featuring noted film experts, this talk will take a look at current trends in Indian cinema as well as discuss what may be coming in the future. Not only that they will address how issues of race, class, gender, sexuality and politics are being portrayed and how they will be shown in the movies of ‘Bollywood 2.0’.

The panel includes host Ashanti Omkar, of the BBC Asian Network show that showcases the latest music, arts and entertainment from South Indian and Sri Lankan communities, Cary Rajinder Sawhney...

Film Of The Year Happy Bhag Jaayegi Neerja Sarbjit Nil Battey Sannata Saala Khadoos Pink   Performer of the year (Male) Manoj Bajpayee (Aligarh) Irrfan Khan (Madaari) R Madhavan (Saala Khadoos) Shah Rukh Khan (Fan) Amitabj Bachchan (Pink) Nawazuddin Siddique (Raman Raghav 2.0) Randeep Huda (Sarbjit)   Performer of the year (Female) Aishwarya Rai BachchanRead More

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