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In 2025, a host of talented filmmakers are leading the charge in creating compelling female-centric stories across films and series. These directors are spotlighting women’s voices and experiences in narratives that span genres like drama, action, sports, and historical biographies. Here’s a closer look:

Hitesh Bhatia – Dabba Cartel

Known for his heartwarming directorial debut Sharmaji Namkeen, Hitesh Bhatia ventures into bold, uncharted territory with Netflix’s Dabba Cartel. The series, set in Thane, Maharashtra, revolves around five women who create a thriving drug cartel. This gripping narrative, created by Shibani Dandekar and produced by Excel Entertainment, features a powerhouse cast including Shabana Azmi, Jyotika, Sai Tamhankar, and Shalini Pandey. With this project, Bhatia crafts a unique blend of empowerment, suspense, and resilience, demonstrating how women band together to defy societal norms. Amrit Raj Gupta – Daldal

Director Amrit Raj Gupta, who brought relatable family stories to life with Gullak, now...

Abhishek Banerjee is a rising star in Indian cinema, recognized as one of the most talented actors in the industry. He’s delivered standout performances in hit series and films like “Stree,” “Mirzapur,” “Paatal Lok,” “Ajji,” and more. His latest role is in Nikkhil Advani’s “Vedaa,” where he plays Jitendra Pratap Singh, a self-appointed village chief who presides over matters of caste and marriage.

Zee 5 Global recently acquired the streaming rights of “Vedaa,” and we at HighonFilms had a chat with Abhishek, where he opened up about his character, his co-stars, and the powerful themes explored in “Vedaa.” It was a fascinating conversation that shed light on the depth of his role and the important messages the film conveys.

You can read the full conversation below:

Rishabh Shandilya: Hello, Abhishek Banerjee! My name is Rishabh Shandilya, I am a writer for “High on Films” and one of your most...

Taapsee Pannu and Kanika Dhillon reuniting for “Gandhari” is exciting news for fans of Bollywood’s action-thriller genre. Their previous collaborations, including “Haseen Dillruba” and its follow-up, were well-received, and it sounds like “Gandhari” will bring a fresh and intense storyline to the table.

The film’s premise—exploring the profound bond between mother and child against a backdrop of action and mystery—adds an emotional depth to the action-thriller genre. Taapsee Pannu’s return to action films after nine years, with a role that promises to be both challenging and deeply personal, is sure to be a highlight. Her excitement about portraying a fierce mother driven by revenge suggests that the film will have a strong emotional core.

Devashish Makhija’s involvement as director is another positive aspect. Known for his work on critically acclaimed films like “Ajji” and “Bhonsle,” Makhija’s direction could bring a unique and compelling vision to “Gandhari.

Devashish Makhija is a critically acclaimed writer-director of multiple award-winning films, including feature films like Joram (starring Manoj Bajpayee), Bhonsle (starring Manoj Bajpayee) and Ajji; and short films like Taandav, Agli Baar, Cycle, Cheepatakadumpa and others. He started his career as a researcher and assistant director on Anurag Kashyap’s feature film, Black Friday. He is also a bestselling author for numerous children’s books.

In this Interview, Devashish delves into his filmmaking career, his filmmaking choices, regrets, the state of the Indian film industry and much more. Check out the Full Interview below.

Talking Films: You have a bachelor’s degree in Economics. What made you develop the interest to pursue a filmmaking career? Was there a specific moment when you were like “I need to make films”, “I have to make films”, this is what I want to do with the rest of my life?

Devashish Makhija: Infact,...

Devashish Makhija is a critically acclaimed writer-director of multiple award-winning films, including feature films like Joram (starring Manoj Bajpayee), Bhonsle (starring Manoj Bajpayee) and Ajji; and short films like Taandav, Agli Baar, Cycle, Cheepatakadumpa and others. He started his career as a researcher and assistant director on Anurag Kashyap’s feature film, Black Friday. He is also a bestselling author for numerous children’s books.

In this Interview, Devashish delves into his filmmaking career, his filmmaking choices, regrets, the state of the Indian film industry and much more. Check out the Full Interview below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHbsdSlGqHw

Talking Films: You have a bachelor’s degree in Economics. What made you develop the interest to pursue a filmmaking career? Was there a specific moment when you were like “I need to make films”, “I have to make films”, this is what I want to do with the rest of my life?...

Abhishek Banerjee, who will soon be seen in a negative role in the film ‘Apurva’, has revealed how his first film ‘Stree’ was a huge risk in his career. Abhishek Banerjee wowed everyone with his performance in ‘Stree’, and now he will be seen in a dark shade in the upcoming film ‘Apurva’.

Talking about that one film where he was ready to take a risk in his career, he said: “Stree, my first film was a huge risk. It was difficult to play that character and not make it over the top caricaturish. It could have easily happened with that character, to keep it real and believable but to add elements of horror and comedy was risky.”

Before doing this film, I had done an Indie film ‘Ajji’ and on the first day of the shoot, our director Amar Kaushik told me in front of everyone that I need to come out of Ajji.

Abhishek Banerjee, who will soon be seen in a negative role in the film ‘Apurva’, has revealed how his first film ‘Stree’ was a huge risk in his career. Abhishek Banerjee wowed everyone with his performance in ‘Stree’, and now he will be seen in a dark shade in the upcoming film ‘Apurva’.

Talking about that one film where he was ready to take a risk in his career, he said: “Stree, my first film was a huge risk. It was difficult to play that character and not make it over the top caricaturish. It could have easily happened with that character, to keep it real and believable but to add elements of horror and comedy was risky.”

Before doing this film, I had done an Indie film ‘Ajji’ and on the first day of the shoot, our director Amar Kaushik told me in front of everyone that I need to come out of Ajji.

After his debut feature “Titli” bowed at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard strand in 2014, Kanu Behl is back on the Croisette with “Agra,” which has its world premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight.

” ‘Agra’ grasps the reality of patriarchy in India through the prism of male sexual misery,” is how the festival describes the film. It follows Guru, a young single call center employee who still lives with his parents. Consumed by frustration, he plunges into a fever bordering on insanity, between pathetic fantasies, dating apps and hysterical self-harm. The film also explores the role property can play in a young man’s emancipation.

After the theatrical release of “Titli” in India and France in 2015, Behl began thinking about what to do next. “I realized that I had felt a certain sexual repression or an inability to express myself sexually in my adolescent years,” Behl told Variety. The filmmaker realized that he...

Mumbai, Feb 3 (Ians) National Award winning actor Manoj Bajpayee is chuffed with the response to his film ‘Joram’ at the ongoing 52nd edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). The film is a survival-thriller and tells the story of a displaced indigenous man.

It stars Manoj Bajpayee, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Smita Tambe and Megha Mathur. It also features Tannishtha Chatterjee and Rajshri Deshpande in special appearances.

The screening was attended by the cast and crew including director-producer Devashish Makhija, Manoj Bajpayee, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Smita Tambe, producers Shariq Patel, Ashima Awasthi, Bhumika Tewari, and Anupama Bose.

Manoj Bajpayee said: “I am touched with the overwhelming response we received for ‘Joram’ at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. I am pleased to know that the riveting survival story of ‘Joram’ and its intricate characters struck a chord with those who watched it. It was an honour to have been a part of the grand event in Rotterdam.

Throughout his career, Indian filmmaker Devashish Makhija has been a chronicler of social inequities and “Joram” continues the trajectory.

Makhija’s short films examine subjects as varied as misogyny, corruption, land grab and patriarchy. Amongst his features, “Ajji” (2017) tackles rape and its aftermath, while “Bhonsle” (2018) looks at a host of subjects including loneliness, social justice and the plight of the migrant worker.

With “Joram,” Makhija returns to themes explored in his debut feature “Oonga” (2013). Eminent actor Manoj Bajpayee, who previously starred in Makhija’s 2016 short “Taandav” and played the title role in “Bhonsle,” plays Dasru, a tribal migrant worker in Mumbai whose past catches up with him and he must flee with his infant daughter Joram. Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub plays Ratnakar, the weary Mumbai cop in pursuit of Dasru. Also in the mix is sinister tribal lawmaker Phulo Karma, played by Smita Tambe (Netflix series “Sacred Games”).

Acclaimed actors Tannishtha Chatterjee...

There's a whole micro-generation who aren't afraid of clowns. Why? Because they grew up watching The Big Comfy Couch. Every week, these '90s-born millennials crowded around the TV set—this was well before streaming, kids—to watch Loonette and Molly (that's a clown and her dolly) tackle life's greatest problems. Well, greatest problems being those annoying dust bunnies and that damn clock stretch being near impossible to complete at home. That undeniably flexible superhuman was Canadian actress Alyson Court, who did a helluva lot more than just chat with Major Bedhead in Granny Garbanzo's garden. As it turns out, the woman underneath Loonette's curly-haired...

"Looney Tunes Cartoons", a reboot in the style of Warners classic 1940's cartoon shorts, is directed by David Gemmill, Ryan Kramer, Kenny Pittenger and Pete Browngardt, based on characters from "Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies", streaming Season Three November 25, 2021 on HBO Max:

The style of the series is reminiscent of classic Looney Tunes cartoon shorts directed by Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng and Robert McKimson.

The series brings together 'Bugs Bunny', 'Daffy Duck', 'Tweety', 'Sylvester', 'Porky Pig', 'The Gremlin', 'Elmer Fudd', 'The Gashouse Gorillas', 'Yosemite Sam', 'Granny', 'Beaky Buzzard', 'Mama Buzzard', 'Road Runner', 'Wile E. Coyote', 'Cecil Turtle', 'Sam Sheepdog', 'Ralph Wolf', 'Cicero Pig', 'Taz'...

...'Gossamer', 'Dr. Frankenbeans', 'Petunia Pig', the 'French Horse', 'Rocky', 'Mugsy', the 'Irish Policeman', the 'Russian Dog', the 'Rich Lady', 'Foghorn Leghorn', 'Barnyard Dawg', 'The Weasel', 'Hector the Bulldog', 'Marvin the Martian', the 'Dead End Kid',...

Exclusive: Bollywood star Suniel Shetty, who has more than 100 film credits to his name, will make his debut web series with noir action thriller series Invisible Woman.

The project comes from Yoodlee Films, which has been making a name for itself in the Ott space with feature films such as the Netflix hits Axone and Chaman Bahaar. The company said it is eyeing further work in the web series space.

Invisible Woman will star Shetty alongside Esha Gupta. Tamil director Rajesh M. Selva will helm the series. It follows the story of a cop who gets a chance to clean up his past when falsely implicated for the murder of an old woman, but his path to redemption of the soul is littered with physical pain.

“A web series today must have something to set it apart from the barrage of narratives that already exist, and the story of Invisible Woman immediately captured my attention.

The characters from Young Justice are bonafide heroes. Strong, agile, experienced, and resourceful, they face danger regularly and always manage to come out on top. Indeed, this group of gifted individuals included martian telepaths, world-renowned acrobats, expert deadeyes, and a couple of super boys.

Related: Which Hogwarts House Best Suits Your Favorite Young Justice Character?

If for some reason, this lot would find themselves inside a Hunger Games arena, the spectacle would be so intense that the Capitol would probably die of excitement. After all, the Team is highly experienced, having already faced the League of Shadows and even Granny Goodness. The Hunger Games would be a walk in the park for most them.

200 Halla Ho (Zee5)

Directed by Sarthak Dasgputa/Alok Batra

Just the fact that we get to see the ever-dependable Amol Palekar back doing what he knows best after so long, is reason enough to watch this real-life gruesome melodrama about a mass rapist brought to task by a horde of angry women. Angry Dalit women. The difference is vital and it changes the narrative in life as it does in art.

200 Halla Ho is too rough at the edges to be considered art. When we see shouting hooting wailing women swoop down on the culprit armed with knives and red chillies, we are forced to recall Ketan Mehta’s neo-classic Mirch Masala. The women here are not half as beautiful as the ones in Mirch Masala….yeah yeah, I can see those scary women throwing the Dalit card at me.

“Jaati ki kyon na yaad dulaaon jab humein har...

From Warner Bros. Animation, the new "Looney Tunes Cartoons" TV series with 'Daffy Duck', 'Porky Pig, 'Foghorn Leghorn' and a whole lot more star in a fresh 'Back To School' special, streaming August 19, 2021 on HBO Max:

...'Daffy' learns that cheaters never prosper, 'Foghorn Leghorn' discovers the pencil is mightier than the sword and 'Beaky' masters how to be a better buzzard..." 

Voice cast includes Eric Bauza ('Bugs Bunny'/'Daffy Duck'/'Tweety'/'Marvin the Martian'), Bob Bergen ('Porky Pig'), Jeff Bergman ('Elmer Fudd'/'Sylvester'), Fred Tatasciore ('Yosemite Sam'), Candi Milo ('Granny') and Michael Ruocco ('Beaky Buzzard').

Click the images to enlarge...

At this point, you’ve probably decided whether or not Space Jam: A New Legacy is going to be your cup of tea. Fans of the original looking for nostalgia, Looney Tunes fans, and kids all have their reasons for wanting to see this sequel 26 years in the making. I just doubt those reasons included seeing Granny […]

The post ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ Clip: It’s Time to Slam Now, Whether You Like It or Not appeared first on /Film.

For seven years, Disney's Once Upon A Time oscillated between being truly good and original content to being a trainwreck of what-the-hell-was-that?

Once Upon A Time Season 1 had a great hook and kept many people interested through Once Upon A Time Season 3. After that, fans started to taper off.

I saw it through to the end, and while I'm glad I did, it meant I had to suffer through what I would argue was not only the worst season of the show but the worst season of any show ever: Once Upon A Time Season 5.

Yes, the Frozen arc was flawed, yes, Once Upon A Time Season 6 was directionless, and yes, Once Upon A Time Season 7 threw out the timeline, but Once Upon A Time Season 5 is the season that nearly led me to quit the show.

What made Once Upon A Time Season 5 so bad?

Let me break it down.

The frequently impossible conditions women have to face in India has been a recurring motif in local cinema, resulting in a number of excellent titles, with “Sexy Durga”, “Ajji” and “Shadow of Water” being some of the first that come to mind. Sajin Baabu follows on the same footsteps, by showing how this oppression comes from very different sources, and does not only apply to women.

Biriyaani is screening at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles

Khadeeja, a very beautiful woman from a conservative Muslim family is married into a family where her mother-in-law is the absolute boss, and her husband a mouthpiece who just seems to follow her every whim. Khadeeja, however, manages quite well despite the circumstances, and the family lives a relatively good life, with her only issue being that her husband cannot satisfy her in bed. However, when she is informed that her brother has been...

A couple of DC movies are no longer moving forward at Warner Bros. Ava DuVernay's The New Gods and James Wan's Aquaman spin-off The Trench have, at least for the time being, been scrapped by the studio. Both projects had been in development for several years. The studio had this to say about the decision in a statement.

"As part of our DC slate, some legacy development titles including New Gods and The Trench will not be moving forward. We thank our partners Ava DuVernay, Tom King, James Wan and Peter Safran for their time and collaboration during this process and look forward to our continued partnership with them on other DC stories. The projects will remain in their skillful hands if they were to move forward in the future."

The projects were brought to a halt for various reasons. For one, DC's slate is jam-packed for the next few years,...

Deadline has confirmed that DC Films no longer is developing the properties New Gods, which had Ava DuVernay attached to direct, and Aquaman spinoff The Trench, which Noah Gardner and Aidan Fitzgerald were penning for James Wan possibly to helm.

I hear The Trench is shelved due to Wan’s busy schedule with Aquaman 2, while New Gods, created by Jack Kirby, was stopped as the parameters of that project far exceeded a feature stand-alone structure. The Trench, which was to have a horror bent, was based on the creature Aquaman battles.

Warner Bros and DC Films released this statement today in regards to the projects:

“As part of our DC slate, some legacy development titles including New Gods and The Trench will not be moving forward. We thank our partners Ava DuVernay, Tom King, James Wan and Peter Safran for their time and collaboration during this process and look...

Warner Bros.’ DC Films unit has pulled the plug on Ava DuVernay’s “New Gods” and James Wan’s “Aquaman” spinoff “The Trench,” the studio announced on Thursday.

The projects had both been in development for the last three years.

“As part of our DC slate, some legacy development titles including New Gods and The Trench will not be moving forward,” Warner Bros. and DC said in a statement. “We thank our partners Ava DuVernay, Tom King, James Wan and Peter Safran for their time and collaboration during this process and look forward to our continued partnership with them on other DC stories. The projects will remain in their skillful hands if they were to move forward in the future.”

“I’m upset that the saga of Barda, Scott, Granny, Highfather and The Furies ends this way. Diving into Kirby’s Fourth World was the adventure of a lifetime. That can’t be taken away,...

Bhonsle (SonyLiv)

Starring: Manoj Bajpayee, Ishita Chakraborty Singh, Virat Viabhav, Abhishek Bannerjee, Santosh Juvekar

Directed by Devashish Makhija

Strightaway, this is a persuasive and powerful film that shouldn’t be missed by anyone who has watched any film set in the cultural-political dynamics that govern life in the Mumbai chawls. As relevant as Saeed Mirza’s Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro and N Chandra’s Ankush (the two films that are most decidedly the reference points) Bhonsle has a gut-wrenching immediacy to it.

A palpable sense of infinite injustice seeps into a world and a culture rapidly being taken over by goons. Most unexpectedly the retired cop Ganpath Bhosle takes on the role of an unlikely hero, as he protects a young Bihari girl and her kid-brother from the wrath and disdain of a political henchman who want to use the ‘Marathi Manoos’ card to send all migrant labourers back to Bihar.

Probably one of the best independent Indian films of the year, Devashish Makhija’s “Ajji” takes a dark (noir) approach to the “Red Riding Hood” fairytale, by placing it in the Indian slums and inducing it with violence to the point of gore, and a number of pointy social remarks.

“Ajji” screened at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles

When little Manda fails to show up after being sent for a small chore in the night, her grandmother and a local prostitute begin to search for her, only to find her raped and dumped in a trash heap in her slum. As soon as they arrive home, the family informs Dastur, the local policeman of the sexual assault, with the girl almost immediately identifying the perpetrator as Dhavle, the son of the local governor. However, Dastur is not only unwilling to help, but actually threatens them to drop the whole thing,...

Devasish Makhija was born in Kolkata and studied economics at St. Xavier’s College before embarking on a career in advertising. His first film work was as an assistant on Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday, and as writer for the director’s Doga. He is also a published author. His films include Absent (2016), Taandav (2016) and Ajji (2017).

On the occasion of his latest film, Bhonsle, having its world premiere at Busan International Film Festival, we speak with him about the film and the festival, Manoj Bajpayee, his future projects and many other topics.

Once more, a film of yours premiered in Busan. How do you feel about that and how do you think Biff has shaped your career?

I always saw my films as ‘Indian’ before Busan Biff happened to me last year with ‘Ajji’. ‘Ajji’ was celebrated as an ‘Asian’ film more than an Indian one, and this opened me up to the contemporary cinema,...

Devasish Makhija’s feature debut, “Ajji” was one of the most impressive productions to come out of India in 2017. As we have so often witnessed in cinema, following up on a great first film is quite a hard task, and Makhija found himself in that exact position, one year after his last film premiered in Busan. “Bhonsle” roughly follows the same paths “Ajji” did, including the Busan premiere, but instead results in a much more “Indian” movie than its predecessor. Let us take things from the beginning, though.

Bhonsle is having its world premiere at Busan International Film Festival

Bhonsle is a Marathi constable on the brink of a forced retirement, who tries to renew his contract with the police but finds himself repeatedly told to be patient. Furthermore, he lives a secluded, dead-end, lonely life, having no social interactions whatsoever, despite the respect his position commands among citizens. Eventually,...

Nine films chosen from Busan’s A Window on Asian cinema strand will vie for the festival’s annual Kim Ji-seok award this year.

Japan’s Kazuya Shiraishi, whose debut feature “Lost Paradise in Tokyo” was a Busan New Currents award nominee in 2009, is in the running for the Kim Ji-seok prize with “Dare to Stop Us,” pictured above. Award-winning Singaporean director Daniel Hui (“Snakeskin”) is in contention with “Demons”; China is repped by Zhan Wei’s “The Rib.”

India’s Devashish Makhija, whose “Ajji” premiered at Busan in 2017, is a nominee for “Bhonsle” this year, alongside compatriot Praveen Morchhale (“Walking With the Wind”) for “Widow of Silence.” Celebrated Sri Lankan filmmaker Asoka Handagama (“Let Her Cry”) is nominated for “Asandhimitta”; Indonesian filmmaker Ravi Bharwani (“The Rainmaker”) has “27 Steps of May” in the running.

Jamshid Mahmoudi, whose 2014 film “A Few Cubic Meters of Love” was Afghanistan’s entry to the foreign-language Oscar race,...

Probably one of the best independent Indian films of the year, Devashish Makhija’s “Ajji” takes a dark (noir) approach to the “Red Riding Hood” fairytale, by placing it in the Indian slums and inducing it with violence to the point of gore, and a number of pointy social remarks.

When little Manda fails to show up after being sent for a small chore in the night, her grandmother and a local prostitute begin to search for her, only to find her raped and dumped in a trash heap in her slum. As soon as they arrive home, the family informs Dastur, the local policeman of the sexual assault, with the girl almost immediately identifying the perpetrator as Dhavle, the son of the local governor. However, Dastur is not only unwilling to help, but actually threatens them to drop the whole thing, by hinting on the fact that Manda’s parents have illegal jobs.

Singapore- and India-based global film and media production and distribution company is launching the First Look of their latest feature, Bhonsle now in post-production, starring Manoj Bajpayee an actor familiar with Cannes and Director’s Fortnight. The film’s directed by none another than Devashish Makhija who made waves with his multi-award winning short film Tandaav , as well as his feature film Ajji, whose world premiere was at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival 2017 and which just won a Prize at Beaune Film Festival in France.

Bhonsle was produced by Abhayanand Singh, Piiyush Singh, Saurabh Gupta, Shabana Raza, Sandiip Kapur (Promodome Motion Pictures) and Namita Lal (Nutzaboutme Productions).

Abhayanand Singh and Piiyush Singh are the founders of Muvizz , a media-tech venture which offers an online streaming platform with content from all over the world. It also produces content for itself such as iconic shorts like Kriti and Taandav , as well as,...

The veteran Marathi actress on what went into portraying a vengeful grandmother in Yoodlee Films' Ajji and why she’d like to work with director Devashish Makhija again...

The Busan International Film Festival is about a month away and with their recent lineup announcement we are starting to see lots of exciting promotional material for the upcoming films. India is very well represented in this year's Busan lineup, with eleven films altogether, including new projects from Anurag Kashyap (Mukkabaaz/The Brawler), Hansal Mehta (Omerta), Shlok Sharma (Zoo) and SS Rajamouli's worldwide blockbuster Baahubali: The Conclusion. However, one of the most exciting for me is the world premiere of Devashish Makhija's sophomore feature, Ajji (Granny). In 2012, Makhija directed a little film called Oonga, about a young boy inspired by a performance of the Ramayana who turns himself into Lord Ram and his attempt to save his town from Maoist Naxalite rebels. The story is...

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