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Fan favourite actress Shweta Tripathi is all set to don a new hat as she ventures into production, marking an exciting new chapter in her illustrious career. Known for her powerful performances and distinctive choice of roles, Shweta has carved a niche for herself in the film and Ott space. With her upcoming move as a producer, audiences are eager to see the kind of unique and groundbreaking projects she will bring to life.

Shweta has always been associated with pathbreaking cinema and non-stereotypical narratives, evident from her work in critically acclaimed films and series such as Masaan, Cargo, Mirzapur franchise, Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhein franchise, Haraamkhor, Gone Kesh, Kaalkoot amongst others. These projects, spanning diverse genres, have not only showcased her talent but also reflected her commitment to meaningful and unconventional storytelling.

Talking about her decision to step into production, Shweta expressed, “As an actor, I’ve been fortunate to receive immense love,...

Actor-writer Gopal Datt, who is known for ‘Shubh Mangal Saavdhan’, ‘Love per Square Foot’, ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan’, ‘Delhi Crime’ and ‘Kaalkoot’, has shared that his teleplay ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ is a contemporary adaptation of a Shakespearean story.

Explaining why he was drawn to the project, the actor said that even when comedy is slapstick, it can be nuanced and intelligent. ‘Yeh Shaadi Nahi Ho Sakti’ exemplifies smart writing that infuses Indian flavour in a Shakespearean comedy, and that’s what appealed to the actor in him for the project.

He said, “Akarsh Khurana comes from a film and theatre background that made him bring the best elements from both formats into the teleplay. He also improvises a lot and gives a lot of freedom to the actors which is why I loved working with him”.

Explaining why this story is still relevant, Datt said, “This is a...

Actor-writer Gopal Datt, who is known for ‘Shubh Mangal Saavdhan’, ‘Love per Square Foot’, ‘Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan’, ‘Delhi Crime’ and ‘Kaalkoot’, has shared that his teleplay ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ is a contemporary adaptation of a Shakespearean story.

Explaining why he was drawn to the project, the actor said that even when comedy is slapstick, it can be nuanced and intelligent. ‘Yeh Shaadi Nahi Ho Sakti’ exemplifies smart writing that infuses Indian flavour in a Shakespearean comedy, and that’s what appealed to the actor in him for the project.

He said, “Akarsh Khurana comes from a film and theatre background that made him bring the best elements from both formats into the teleplay. He also improvises a lot and gives a lot of freedom to the actors which is why I loved working with him”.

Explaining why this story is still relevant, Datt said, “This is a...

Mumbai, Aug 11 (Ians) Filmmaker Karan Johar is very impressed with Vijay Varma as he could not stop himself from praising the actor and his performances at the 14th edition of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (Iffm) which commenced on Friday.

Vijay recently traveled to Melbourne for the Indian Film Festival. The actor was the only member of the industry to receive nominations for Best Actor in Films for Darlings and Best Actor in a Web Series for Dahaad at the famous film festival.

At the film festival, Karan Johar acknowledged Vijay Varma’s talent and said: “I just watched him in a series called Kaalkoot last night, and I was like, he can do anything, and if an artist can do anything, that means that his versatility can take him to all kinds of places in the world, Congratulations.”

Vijay has won over audiences with his talent and variety by...

Mumbai, Aug 5 (Ians) Actor Vijay Varma, who was most recently seen in the streaming anthology ‘Lust Stories 2’ and ‘Kaalkoot’, is celebrating the first anniversary of his streaming film ‘Darlings’. Vijay played the character of an abusive and alcoholic husband ‘Hamza’ in the film, opposite Alia Bhatt, who made her debut as a producer with the film.

While the film went on to garner a lot of praise, Vijay’s performance too was well received starting a chain wherein he was seen in negative roles until his recent release of ‘Kaalkoot’ in which he plays a righteous cop.

Vijay took to social media on Saturday to share a snippet from the movie. In the caption, he wrote, ” One year of #Darlings. So proud of this crazy story and the twisted relationships it explored. Cheers to my lovely team and to the audience”.

Speaking about the film, the actor said, “One...

Behind every powerful story lies the masterful penmanship of talented writers. In the entertainment world, some extraordinary individuals have emerged from humble beginnings in small towns, capturing hearts and leaving an indelible impact on audiences worldwide.

Here is a list of seven small-town writers and their inspiring journeys of soaring to great heights.

Sudip Sharma

Born in Guwahati, Sudip pursued an Mba from Iim-Ahmedabad in 2002. He then moved to Mumbai and joined major Fmcg companies. However, his passion for screenwriting led him to explore this field further, and after writing a short film in 2006, he immersed himself in learning the craft.

In 2014, Sharma made his mark in feature screenwriting with the gripping thriller ‘NH10’, drawing inspiration from real-life honor killing cases. Continuing his success, Sudip collaborated with director Abhishek Chaubey, writing the dialogues and screenplay for the crime drama ‘Udta Punjab’ and ‘Sonchiriya’. Recently, he co-wrote and created ‘Kohrra’, featuring Barun Sobti and Harleen Sethi,...

New Delhi, July 30 (Ians) An eight-part crime drama, written by Arunabh Kumar and jointly by director Sumit Saxena, KaalKoot is a hard-hitting series without the regular embellishments that adorn web series on Ott platforms. It’s unsparing but not entirely uncompromising.

Sub-Inspector Ravi Shankar Tripathi (Vijay Varma) is the kind of young cop who you’ll not easily come across not just in small towns such as Sirsa in Uttar Pradesh (not to be confused with the Haryana town), but even in bigger cities and metropolises.

Such ordinary people with a streak of honesty and commitment may be few and far between. Essentially, such modest and obscure men often are mistaken for being average and having low self-esteem.

He lives with his widowed mother (Seema Biswas) for whom he is the be-all-and-end-all. Her married daughter being away, she has pinned all her hopes on him.

Things are not what they seem though.

The ‘Weekend Ka Vaar’ on ‘Bigg Boss’ are the two special days when everyone waits for host Salman Khan to bring special moments of ‘full-on entertainment’ for everyone.

The housemates, the audience, the followers and fans, everyone eagerly wait to see the ‘Dabangg’ host don the stage in his own unique style. From getting fierce to making us roll on the floor laughing, Salman has done it all throughout the season.

This week, Salman and ‘Bigg Boss Ott 2’ will welcome the star cast of investigative drama ‘Kaalkoot’ Vijay Varma and Shweta Tripathi Sharma.

The leads will share the stage with Salman and talk about the crime drama that has been soaring high on reviews. The level of fun, action and drama are all going to rise for sure when the guests enter the house and meet the contestants.

The session promises to be full of serious allegations, some confessions, and...

New Delhi, July 27 (Ians) With Ott platforms dishing up an overflowing platter of options, it’s hard to put together a must-watch list, especially if it’s limited to five. Here are the five new titles that have caught the attention of Ians:

From an investigative crime drama to a gripping thriller, to a love story, Ians has put together a slate that should grab the interest of diverse audiences, spanning interests and languages.

This week’s must-watch array of multi-genre content includes Urvashi’s 700th movie ‘Appatha’ to Vijay Varma and Shweta Tripathi’s investigative drama ‘Kaalkoot’. We also have Tamil political thriller ‘Maamannan’ to ‘Choona’, a thrilling heist drama loaded with perfect comic punches.

And, don’t forget Raveena Tandon and Milind Soman’s ‘One Friday Night’, which explores the complexities of relationships.

Kaalkoot

The investigative drama stars Vijay Varma and Shweta Tripathi Sharma, along with Yashpal Sharma,...

Actor Vijay Varma has challenged the stereotypical notion of being an “Asli Mard” or a “real man” in a society plagued by toxic patriarchy as he highlighted the need for breaking free from the rulebook of masculinity and embracing a more inclusive and empathetic definition of manhood.

In a teaser for his next ‘Kalkoot’, Vijay is seen holding a book for being an ‘asli mard’.

The first rule he shared is that an ‘asli mard’ does not apply cream face wash , body moisturiser and if one does an ‘asli mard’ questions their manhood.

He reveals the second rule, where he says a real man does not cry, instead he makes another breakdown in tears.

Thirdly he points out that women can cover themselves up if they want as he adds “Humara toh khoon hi garam hai. Kisi ke kaaboo main nahi hum jazbaaton mein behte hai jo apni marzi chalaye...

Actress Shweta Tripathi revealed how she got emotional while getting her make-up of an acid attack done for the first time for ‘Kalkoot’. There was a poignant moment during the make-up test when she first saw herself transformed into the character, complete with the hauntingly realistic makeup of an acid attack survivor. Overwhelmed by the reflection in the mirror, tears welled up in her eyes.

In that instant, she couldn’t help but contemplate how actual survivors would feel in real life, facing the permanent consequences of such horrific acts.

Talking of the incident, Shweta says: “As I embodied the role of an acid attack survivor, the gravity of the character and narrative grew more tangible with each passing moment. During the makeup test, a profound and vulnerable instance occurred when I beheld my transformed appearance as the survivor.”

Shweta was overwhelmed. “Emotions overwhelmed me, and tears flowed freely as...

New Delhi, July 20 (Ians) This week Ott platforms have lined up a must-watch array of multi-genre content from a war love story to a slice-of-life drama to sci-fi mystery and more, giving viewers an opportunity to get immersed in captivating narratives.

From Varun-Janhvi’s ‘Bawaal’ to Genelia Deshmukh and Manav Kaul’s ‘Trial Period’, to Vijay Varma’s ‘Kaalkoot’, Ott has caught the pulse of its audience and is delivering– raw, resonant and moving content.

Here’s a list of this week’s unmissable titles:

1) Bawaal

Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor starrer touches upon the themes and events surrounding World War 2.

It’s an extraordinary love story set in the backdrop of WW2, powered by brilliant performances by Varun and Jahnvi. Set in the heartland of India, the gripping narrative takes viewers on a never-seen-before journey through Europe.

Directed and co-written by Nitesh Tiwari, it is produced by Nadiadwala Grandsons.

Actor Vijay Varma, who takes a break from serial killer characters and can be seen essaying the role of a righteous cop in the upcoming crime drama series ‘Kaalkoot’, has shared that “it feels good to be on the other side” with regard to his character in ‘Kaalkoot’.

He also shared that whenever people walk up to him and say that they hated him as a particular character, he takes such comments from the audience as a compliment.

The series follows a police officer, played by Vijay Verma, constantly facing bullying and pressure from his superiors while also dealing with the expectations from his mother and society to get married.

However, the world around them is filled with dark secrets, as the girl chosen for him by his mother, portrayed by Shweta Tripathi Sharma, becomes a victim of a brutal acid attack.

Speaking about his experience playing a cop after...

The trailer of the upcoming streaming crime drama, ‘Kaalkoot’, which was unveiled on Monday, shows actor Vijay Varma, essaying the role of a righteous cop as he goes to investigate a case of acid attack. The trailer begins with Vijay’s character putting down his papers as he is done with the unjust law and order system.

The trailer of the series shows the colleagues of Vijay’s character ridiculing him over putting in his resignation. The acid attack survivor is revealed to be Shweta Tripathi Sharma’s characte, Parul. Ravi’s perspective changes when he discovers that the victim of the brutal attack, Parul, is the same girl his mother wanted him to marry.

Commenting on the premise and themes of the series, Vijay said: “‘Kaalkoot’ is a coming-of-age story of Ravi, the character I portray, and I believe it will undoubtedly be a transformative experience for anyone who watches it.

Mumbai, July 12 (Ians) Actor Vijay Varma, who is basking in the success of his recent releases such as ‘Darlings’, ‘Dahaad’ and ‘Lust Stories 2’, is set to step into the shoes of a newly-recruited cop for his upcoming streaming release ‘Kaalkoot’.

The promo for the crime drama was unveiled on Wednesday, which shows Vijay as a cop battling social challenges and marital pressure. He constantly faces bullying and pressure from his superiors while also dealing with the expectations from his mother and society to get married.

However, the world around them is filled with dark secrets, as hinted in the first look that ends with the revelation that the girl chosen for him by his mother is portrayed by Shweta Tripathi.

Directed by Sumit Saxena, ‘Kaalkoot’ is set to stream on Jio Cinema from July 27.

–Ians

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