Tag: Shahid Kapoor

Michael Douglas to receive the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award; Catherine Zeta-Jones, Salman Khan, Karan Johar and others to attend IFFI 2023 : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama

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The 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be hosted in Goa from November 20th to 28th. While more than 250 films are being showcased across the various sections of the festival, all eyes are set on the gala opening ceremony being hosted on November 20th at Shamaprasad Indoor Stadium, Panaji, Goa. The opening ceremony is headlined by Shahid Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit along with Shriya Saran, Nushratt Bharucha, Pankaj Tripathi, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal and Sukhwinder Singh, while the ceremony is being hosted by Aparshakti Khurrana and Karishma Tanna.

Michael Douglas to receive the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award; Catherine Zeta-Jones, Salman Khan, Karan Johar and others to attend IFFI 2023

Several dignitaries are expected to be present, along with eminent personalities from Indian cinema, including Sunny Deol, Vijay Sethupathi, Sara Ali Khan, Karan Johar, at the 54th IFFI opening ceremony, recognized as one of the biggest film and cultural extravaganzas in the world. Viacom Media Pvt. Ltd. is the exclusive media and broadcasting partner of the opening and closing ceremonies for the second consecutive year and will broadcast the ceremonies on India’s leading general entertainment channel COLORS and its OTT platform JioCinema. The star-studded ceremonies are produced by Wizcraft Entertainment Agency, the country’s leading producers of live events.

Speaking about IFFI, Hon’ble Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur said, “IFFI has been growing every year thanks to the passion of our filmmakers from across the country and the collaboration that we have been able to forge with the directors and producers from across the world. As we take forward Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of strengthening India’s global position across all sectors, cinema, arts and culture can empower our youth to foray into the world stage with stories that are global in essence and local at heart. Indeed, IFFI has become the perfect platform for establishing collaborations, joint productions and cutting-edge technology.”

Says, Shri Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, “The Indian media and entertainment industry has been growing at an average of 20 per cent annually over the last three years with a special focus on original stories for a global audience and use of state-of-the-art technology. This year, IFFI received a record number of 2926 entries from 105 countries, three times more than last year. While working along with the country’s film industry, our team’s efforts are aimed at pushing the boundaries to make the festival bigger and better with every new edition.”

Kevin Vaz, CEO – Broadcast Entertainment, Viacom18 said, “The world’s largest democracy is a fertile breeding ground for stories that cut across social, political, economic, and geographical boundaries. As the country’s foremost storytellers and entertainers, we believe it is our duty to take every story to its audience and every audience to their story. It is with this belief that we are partnering with IFFI for the second year in a row. This partnership aims to celebrate and unite cultures across the country and entertain, educate and empower the world in the ethos of India.”

This year, IFFI has invited Indian actors and filmmakers to promote their upcoming films at the opening gala. Karan Johar and Sara Ali Khan with the team of Ae Watan Mere Watan will unveil the first look of the drama-thriller. Sukhwinder Singh will sing the film’s inspiring title track during the showcase. The film chronicles the journey of Usha Mehta who during the 1942 Quit India Movement started an underground radio station, Congress Radio, which for a few months broadcast uncensored and even banned news.

Pankaj Tripathi, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal and Taba Chake will step into the spotlight to introduce the crime-thriller Kadak Singh directed by National Award winner, Director Aniruddha Roy Choudhary. The film captures the story of AK Shrivastav, an officer in the Department of Financial Crimes who while battling retrograde amnesia exposes the truth behind a Chit Fund Scam. Actor Pankaj Tripathi maintains, “The IFFI festival has always offered a platform for inspiring stories and storytellers who unmask corruption and clean the system, thereby inspiring and empowering us.”

Vijay Sethupathi would unveil the trailer of the black comedy Gandhi Talks, a silent film in a present-day setting revolving around four characters, played by Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swami, Siddharth Jadhav and Aditi Rao Hydari.

For its star acts, IFFI has roped in Madhuri Dixit to recreate a medley of her chartbusters. “Cinema has given me so much, it’s time to give something back in return. What better way to do so than through song and dance which is integral to not just Indian cinema, but Indian culture as well,” asserts the Bollywood diva. Madhuri Dixit was recognised as the Indian Film Personality of the Year at last year’s edition of the festival.

Shahid Kapoor will set the stage on fire with his superhit parade. “Doing great work comes naturally when you’re passionate about what you do. And performing in front of a live audience is something I’ve truly loved ever since I can remember… Thanks to IFFI I get to do that one more time in Goa on November 20th. See you there!” he says.

The naach-gaana continues with Nushrratt Bharuccha and IFFI celebrating ‘The India Story’. While RRR’s “Naatu Naatu” brings back Oscar glory, Pushpa’s “Sami Sami” represents the growing popularity of South Indian cinema. “Jhoome Jo Pathaan” and Jawan’s “Not Ramaiya Vastavaiya” celebrate the resurrection of Hindi cinema while 83’s “Jeetega Jeetega” celebrates Chandrayaan 3’s successful landing and India’s Asian Games wins.

From rustic celebrations to classy soirees and regional fiestas, Shriya Saran shows us how India parties with the Tamil song “Allegra Allegra”, the Kannada chartbuster “Ra Ra Rakkamma”, the Malayalam hit “Kalapakkarra”, “Boss Party” from the Telugu film Waltair Veeraya and “Show Me The Thumka” from Bollywood’s Tu Jhooti Main Makkaar.

The celebrations will continue over a week. Shri Prithul Kumar, Festival Director- IFFI (Jt. Secretary (Films) & MD/NFDC) informs, “This IFFI will have 13 World Premieres, 18 International Premieres, 62 Asia Premieres and 89 India Premieres. These films, which transcend all borders and cultures, represent the best of Indian and world cinema. This carries forward the compelling obligation to continue the legacy of showcasing cinematic excellence at the 54th IFFI. The Festival Team is working tirelessly to make sure that the participants enjoy the outstanding films, engage in thought-provoking discussions and leave with memories that will last a lifetime”

The festival would be graced by Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Salman Khan, Vidya Balan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Anupam Kher, Vicky Kaushal, Siddharth Malhotra, Aditi Rao Hydari, AR Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal, Shantanu Moitra, Sukhwinder Singh, Amit Trivedi, among celebrated filmmakers. The closing ceremony will be headlined by Ayushmann Khurrana and renowned music composer Amit Trivedi. Ayushmann will deliver an energetic performance and will pay tribute to Michael Douglas, the recipient of the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award. Amit Trivedi will curate a special rendition of the Sounds of Bharat, alongside a medley of his superhit songs.

There will be a specially curated performance by the ‘Harmony of the Pines’ orchestra of the Himachal Pradesh police arousing nationalistic fervour. At the closing ceremony, several awards and special honours will be presented for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Male) and (Female), ‘Special Jury Award’, ‘Best Web Series on an OTT Platform’, ‘Indian Film Personality of the Year’, ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal.

The opening ceremony on November 20th and the closing ceremony on November 28th will begin with a red carpet hosted by Karan Chhabra and Nashpreet Kaur. The showcase that follows will celebrate our icons and the rise of popular South Indian cinema in pan-India and global markets. The lively performances featuring different dance styles, set to popular film songs, underline the festival’s theme of ‘India through the movies’, showcasing the unity and diversity of our culture.

ALSO READ: Tiger 3 fan event: Salman Khan ‘kisses’ Emraan Hashmi; brings the house down

Tags : 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Aditi Rao Hydari, Amit Trivedi, Anupam Kher, AR Rahman, Ayushmann Khurrana, Bollywod, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Hollywood, IFFI, IFFI 2023, International, International Film Festival of India (IFFI), International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2023, Madhuri Dixit, Michael Douglas, Music, News, Salman Khan, Satyajit Ray, Shahid Kapoor, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal, Siddharth Malhotra, Sukhwinder Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Vidya Balan

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Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023 nominations revealed: Darlings, Kantara, Agra, and more take the lead; check the list here : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama

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The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) has announced the nominations for its highly anticipated 14th edition. As the largest Indian film festival outside of Indian soil, IFFM continues to captivate audiences worldwide. This year, the festival proudly welcomes a new addition to its esteemed jury panel, the Oscar-winning Australian filmmaker Bruce Beresford, renowned for directing acclaimed films such as Driving Miss Daisy and The Contract. 

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023 nominations revealed: Darlings, Kantara, Agra, and more take the lead; check the list here

IFFM is the only Indian film festival outside of the Indian soil that is backed by the government of another country and with that IFFM stands as a remarkable celebration of Indian cinema and cultural exchange. With its finger on the pulse of the industry, the festival has embraced the changing landscape of film consumption by introducing the OTT Awards in 2021. Now in its third year, the OTT Awards will honor outstanding achievements in three categories.

The IFFM advisory committee after meticulous consideration of hundreds of films and series from across Indian cinema, have finalized the nominations of films and series which have released between 1st June 20222 to 31st May 2023. Leading the pack in the film categories, including Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress, are notable productions such as Darlings, Monica O My Darling, Ponniyin Selvan, and Kantara. These films have captivated audiences with their stellar performances, engaging storytelling, and artistic excellence. The nominations reflect the diversity and richness of Indian cinema, acknowledging the blockbusters and the indie gems on the same platform.

In the OTT category, series such as Trial By Fire, Jubilee, and Delhi Crime Season 2 have garnered the highest number of nominations. These exceptional series have made a significant impact with their compelling narratives, outstanding performances, and remarkable production values. For OTT nominations, only series on platforms which are available to be streamed in the Australian market have been considered.

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne has consistently pushed boundaries and showcased the best of Indian cinema to a global audience. With the support of its dedicated jury and industry professionals, the festival continues to champion innovation, creativity, cultural diversity and inclusivity.

Here is the complete list of nominees:

Best Film

Bhediya – Hindi

Brahmastra – Hindi

Darlings – Hindi

Jogi – Punjabi

Kantara – Kannada

Monica, O My Darling – Hindi

Pathaan – Hindi

Ponniyin Selvan 1 and 2 – Tamil

Sita Ramam – Telugu

Best Indie Film

Aatma Pamphlet – Marathi

Agra – Hindi

All India Rank – Hindi

Family – Malayalam

Gulmohar – Hindi

Hadinelentu (Seventeeners) – Kannada

Joram – Hindi

Pine Cone – Hindi

The Storyteller – Hindi

Tora’s Husband – Assamese

Zwigato – Hindi

Best Director

Anant Mahadevan – The Storyteller

Anurag Kashyap – Kennedy

Ashish Avinash Bende – Aatma-Pamphlet (Autobio-Pamphlet)

Devashish Makhija – Joram

Don Palathara – Family

Kanu Behl – Agra

Mani Ratnam – Ponniyin Selvan 1 and 2

Nandita Das – Zwigato

Prthivi Konanur – Hadinelentu (Seventeeners)

Rima Das – Tora’s Husband

Siddharth Anand – Pathaan

Vasan Bala – Monica, O My Darling

Best Actor (Male)

Dulquer Salmaan – Sita Ramam

Kapil Sharma – Zwigato

Manoj Bajpayee – Joram

Manoj Bajpayee – Gulmohar

Mohit Agarwal – Agra

Paresh Rawal – The Storyteller

Rajkummar Rao – Monica, O My Darling

Rishab Shetty – Kantara

Shah Rukh Khan – Pathaan

Vijay Varma – Darlings

Vikram – Ponnyin Selvan 1 and 2

Best Actor (Female)

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – Ponniyin Selvan 1 and 2

Akshatha Pandavapura – Koli Esru

Alia Bhatt – Darlings

Bhumi Pednekar – Bheed

Kajol – Salaam Venky 

Mrunal Thakur – Sita Ramam

Neena Gupta – Vadh 

Rani Mukherjee – Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway

Sai Pallavi – Gargi

Sanya Malhotra – Kathal 

Best Series

Dahaad

Delhi Crime Season 2

Farzi

Jubilee

SHE Season 2

Suzhal: The Vortex

The Broken News

Trial By Fire

Best Actor (Male) –  Series

Abhay Deol – Trial By Fire

Abhishek Bachchan – Breathe – Into The  Shadows Season 2 

Aparshakti Khurana – Jubilee

Prosenjit Chatterjee – Jubilee

Shahid Kapoor – Farzi

Sidhant Gupta – Jubilee

Vijay Sethupathi – Farzi

Vijay Varma – Dahaad

Best Actor (Female) – Series

Rajshri Deshpande – Trial By Fire

Rasika Dugal – Delhi Crime Season 2

Shefali Shah – Delhi Crime Season 2

Shriya Pilgaonkar – The Broken News

Sriya Reddy – Suzhal: The Vortex

Tillotama Shome – Delhi Crime Season 2

Wamiqa Gabbi – Jubilee

Best Documentary

Against The Tide

Dharti Latar Re Horo – (Tortoise Under The Earth)

Fatima

Kucheye Khoshbakht (And, Towards Happy Alleys)

To Kill A Tiger

While We Watched

The winners of the prestigious IFFM 2023 Awards will be announced during the festival, at their annual gala night on 11th August 2023 which is set to be hosted at the iconic Hamer Hall in Melbourne, one of the world’s most sophisticated concert halls.

Also Read: R Balki directorial Ghoomer starring Abhishek Bachchan and Saiyami Kher set for world premiere at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023

More Pages: Kantara Box Office Collection , Kantara Movie Review

Tags : Aatma-Pamphlet (Autobio-Pamphlet), Abhay Deol, Abhishek Bachchan, Agra, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshatha Pandavapura, Alia Bhatt, Anant Mahadevan, Anurag Kashyap, Aparshakti Khurana, Ashish Avinash Bende, Bheed, Bhumi Pednekar, Breathe: Into The Shadows Season 2, Dahaad, Darlings, Delhi Crime Season 2, Devashish Makhija, Don Palathara, Dulquer Salmaan, Farzi, Gargi, Gulmohar, IFFM, IFFM 2023, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne (IFFM), Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2023, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023, Joram, Jubilee, Kajol, Kantara, Kanu Behl, Kapil Sharma, Kathal, Koli Esru, Mani Ratnam, Manoj Bajpayee, Mohit Agarwal, Monica, Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway, Mrunal Thakur, Nandita Das, Neena Gupta, News, O My Darling, OTT, OTT Platform, Paresh Rawal, Pathaan, Ponniyin Selvan 1, Ponnyin Selvan 2, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Prthivi Konanur, Rajkummar Rao, Rajshri Deshpande, Rani Mukherjee, Rasika Dugal, Rima Das, Rishab Shetty, Sai Pallavi, Salaam Venky, Sanya Malhotra, Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor, She Season 2, Shefali Shah, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Siddharth Anand, Sidhant Gupta, Sita Ramam, Sriya Reddy, Suzhal – The Vortex, The Broken News, The Storyteller, Tillotama Shome, Tora’s Husband, Trial By Fire, Vadh, Vasan Bala, Vijay Sethupathi, Vijay Varma, Vikram, Wamiqa Gabbi, Zwigato

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Director Gowtam Tinnanuri reflects on ‘Malli Raava’, the National award winning ‘Jersey’ and its Hindi remake as he works on his next with Vijay Deverakonda

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Gowtam Tinnanuri is among those filmmakers who would be happy to stay away from the spotlight, quietly working at his desk while writing or behind the camera on a movie set. “I have directed only two films, and one remake. I do not know enough to talk about filmmaking,” he says hesitantly when the conversation begins. Those two films — the coming-of-age Telugu romance drama Malli Raava and the sports family drama Jersey— continue to be fondly recalled by movie buffs. As the conversation progresses, the director opens up to share his journey into cinema and how he embraced both writing and direction.

Edited excerpts from the conversation:

Directors’ Take
This series of interviews shines the spotlight on the newer crop of directors who made their mark in Telugu cinema in recent years. The series is an attempt to discuss how the larger-than-life Telugu films that capture nationwide attention co-exist with refreshing small and medium budget films.

Edited excerpts from the conversation:

You usually shy away from interviews. Is it because you are an introvert or do you prefer to lie low when there is no film release? 

It is a bit of both. If it is a film promotion the conversation is contextual. If it is a larger conversation about cinema I feel inferior to come in front of the camera and talking. My exposure to cinema is limited; there are more informative interviews out there featuring directors such as Ram Gopal Varma or Puri Jagannadh. 

When your new film with Vijay Deverakonda was announced, it created a buzz on social media. What can you tell us about the film?

I am happy that people are looking forward to the film and hope it will be worthy of that excitement. Anything I say about the film will be diluted since we haven’t released any content so far.

Sumanth and Akanksha Singh in Gowtam Tinnanuri’s debut film ‘Malli Raava’

Sumanth and Akanksha Singh in Gowtam Tinnanuri’s debut film ‘Malli Raava’

Malli Raavawas a coming-of-age relationship drama and Jersey was the story of a talented but failed cricketer, treated like a biopic. These are not regular masala dramas. What made you believe in these stories initially?

Every film begins with the intention of wanting to tell a good story. An idea emerges, you work on it for six months or a year and it develops into a full-fledged story. The idea has to be exciting enough to work on the script. Then begins the task of getting the right people — actors and technicians — to make the film. Malli Raava is a love story where someone is so close yet so far. He (the male protagonist) likes the girl in school and meets her years later at work when he can make life decisions. However, they move apart. They meet for the third time years later and the story explores what happens next. At the time of writing the story I was looking forward to the journey of these two characters. The screenplay, camera, music and other aspects came later. Sometimes ideas that seem interesting fizzle out because without life experiences, you cannot flesh out every idea into a feature film.

Jersey began with the idea of a 36-year-old, a father, wanting to get back to playing cricket. I liked the line where the friend character asks Arjun (Nani) why he wants to play professional cricket at an age when he should be playing with his son. What you saw on screen is the ninth or the 10th draft. The story went through changes. In the initial drafts, the coach Murthy (Sathyaraj) was the father of the girl (Shraddha Srinath) and there was some friction between him and Arjun. The story evolved with each draft. 

Nani and Sathyaraj as cricketer Arjun and coach Murthy in ‘Jersey’

Nani and Sathyaraj as cricketer Arjun and coach Murthy in ‘Jersey’

Your love for writing brought you to cinema. What do you enjoy about writing? 

Calling myself a writer is overburdening. I know my literature skills and the limitations; I have read very few books and I feel lucky to be called a writer in this medium. A friend of mine wanted to be a director; he was working in an IT firm. Once, during lunch, he told me that he wants to direct a film. Before that, we had discussed our entrepreneurial dreams and we considered starting an Internet business. Suddenly he said he wants to direct a film and that he had this interest for a long time. He told me a one-line story and then we began figuring out how to write the story and screenplay.

We had both quit our jobs and for the first time, I went to a film set. My friend wanted a scene changed and gave me the responsibility to do it. I worked on it from 5pm to 1am and gave it to the assistant director. The next morning when I saw the scene taking shape through the actors, it was exciting. That gave me a high. There’s a dialogue by Brahmanandam in Ready where he says he can create a world if he wants to. Even today, the most exciting thing is to watch what I have written being translated on screen. Now I enjoy both writing and direction.

So did your friend’s film turn out to be your learning ground for editing, digital intermediate and other post-production processes?

It was a learning ground for several aspects of filmmaking. We had a rough story but did not know how to write a structured screenplay. I looked up online resources, read books for nearly eight months and wrote the screenplay. A director needs to know how to convey emotions with the camera, what is the role of editing, sound design, colour grading… in short, have a good understanding of the audio visual medium. I learnt that the script has to be written with an understanding of these crafts. I am grateful to editor T S Suresh and sound designer Radha Krishna who allowed me into their workspaces in Chennai and let me observe the editing and sound design processes. All this changed how I write scripts.

Malli Raava shaped after you met Rahul Yadav Nakka, who until then had no prior experience in film production. Did you also pitch the story to others? 

I had a script and wanted to sell it. But I realised slowly that no one was interested in reading it, let alone buying it. Then I thought I should direct it. I met several producers over six years. I called production offices. The treatment was similar to how we dismiss calls that pitch loans. I also visited a few offices. The first big producer who gave me time was Suresh Babu. I emailed the story but did not hear back from his office. My search continued.

In this process I met Rahul and learnt that he is an angel investor for small businesses. He read the story and said he would invest 30%. Even then I could not find other producers. It was not about whether a film needed 10 lakh or 10 crore, no one wanted to risk it with a first timer. Then Rahul offered to produce it. 

Since both of us were new, I decided to shoot a three-minute scene and work on the post production, so that we assess the footage before going ahead with the film. This process worked well and we gained some confidence. Malli Raava fared decently and helped me make my next film, Jersey.

Child actor Ronit Kamra and Nani in ‘Jersey’

Child actor Ronit Kamra and Nani in ‘Jersey’

Jersey was not only appreciated by the audience but also won the National Award for Best Feature Film (Telugu) and for Best Editing. Did that further bolster your confidence? 

In my school days, I had heard about Anjali (by Mani Ratnam) winning National Awards (the film won three awards – best child artist, audiography and feature film in Tamil). I did not know of National Awards for films until then. 

When I wanted to become a director, I aspired to win a National Award. I had heard that they (the government) give the winners air tickets to New Delhi and one gets to wear a formal suit and collect the award from the President of India. I was fortunate that Jersey won that year. There were several other good films. Naveen Nooli truly deserved the award for editing. He has the ability to view things from a different perspective. If an emotion does not work, he is upfront about it. 

The National Awards gave me both confidence and credibility. But I am aware that I need to prove myself all over again for my next film.

Shahid Kapoor in the Hindi remake of ‘Jersey’

Shahid Kapoor in the Hindi remake of ‘Jersey’

You also remade Jersey in Hindi at a time when language boundaries had begun to blur post Rajamouli’s Baahubali.

I took up the opportunity to make the film in Hindi since I could take the story to a wider audience, work with actors such as Shahid Kapoor, Pankaj Kapur, cinematographer Anil Mehta and others. In addition, it would give me further time to work on my next script. Looking back, I was satisfied with my work for Jersey’s Hindi version. It was depressing when the film did not do well commercially. I calmed down only after a friend reminded me that I had made the Telugu film without big expectations and should be happy with the progress I had made.

How do you look at this phase in which directors can dream big and their stories can cut across languages? 

It is a good time to be making movies now. The audience is more accepting and forgiving. I grew up in Rajahmundry watching films such as Titanic in Telugu. Now every film is accessible in different languages. 

The most important aspect is to try to narrate a good story. Then the other factors need to fall in place — budget, actors, cinematographer, music composer, release date… You cannot plan it all. Personally speaking, I want to make good films and if they turn out to be memorable, it is a win.

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Jio Studios Announces 62 Indian Movies and TV Series: The Full List

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Jio Studios has unveiled its expansive lineup of new movies and web series, marking the single largest slate ever produced by an Indian studio. While the production company notes over 100 fresh projects in its lineup, it has only teased 62 for now, spanning several languages and genres, and starring the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, R Madhavan, Kriti Sanon, Shraddha Kapoor, Randeep Hooda, and more. None of them has any release details for now, but they will be spread evenly across theatres and direct-to-app (OTT). Jio Studios also dropped a sizzle reel for its upcoming movies and shows, with all content expected to eventually land on the JioCinema app.

“We are in the most exciting and eventful phase of Indian entertainment, with storytelling taking centre stage in an era of explosive digital disruption,” Jyoti Deshpande, President, RIL Media and Content Business said in a prepared statement. “We have actively partnered with some of the best names in the business and newcomers alike to reach this day, when a staggering and exciting 100 content assets have been produced, ready to be showcased to the world. Our vision is to power stories that are from, by and for India and Bharat, tell stories that not only entertain but also have a purpose, partner with storytellers in every Indian language and take these stories mainstream.”

Leading the lineup is Rajkumar Hirani’s (3 Idiots) Dunki, which is reportedly based on the concept of donkey flights — a method used by Indian immigrants to illegally move to foreign countries. The film is slated to release this year and stars Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee Pannu in the lead roles. It also marks the first collaboration between Khan and Hirani, the latter of whom is known to incorporate dark comedy in his films. Meanwhile, Shahid Kapoor (Farzi) has two films lined up from Jio Studios.

Up first is Bloody Daddy, an Indian adaptation of the 2011 French film Nuit Blanche — or Sleepless Night — where a police detective gets off on the wrong foot with a drug dealer, causing his son to get held as a hostage. The film will reportedly release on Jio Cinema. Then there’s an untitled romance film with Kriti Sanon, brief glimpses of which can be seen in the sizzle reel.

Dinesh Vijan’s absurd horror-comedy universe is being expanded with sequels for both Stree and Bhediya, bringing back the original cast members. 2022’s Bhediya saw Varun Dhawan as a werewolf looking to navigate his newfound powers while trying not to devour his close friends. The film’s mid-credits scene tied into 2018’s Stree, which followed Shraddha Kapoor as a witch who hunts unsuspecting men at night. We’ve also got the Amitabh Bachchan starrer Section 84, Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan-led Zara Bachke, and Hisaab Barabar, in which R Madhavan appears to be playing a lawyer.

Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan to Rendield, 10 biggest Movies Releasing in April

Randeep Hooda in a still from Inspector Avinash
Photo Credit: Jio Studios

Nana Patekar makes his OTT debut with Laal Batti, a political thriller helmed by Prakash Jha (Gangaajal), whereas Randeep Hooda appears in Inspector Avinash, which charts the real-life super cop Avinash Mishra’s struggles against the rise of crime in 1997 Uttar Pradesh. Even Indian rapper Raftaar is making his debut in a streaming series with Bajao, which seems to be a unique blend of hip-hop culture and street crime, set against the backdrop of disco lights at a club.

Jio Studios is set to dominate in the regional space as well, offering movies and TV series in multiple languages including Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, and what the press release calls ‘South’. It also announced a multi-year collaboration with SVF Entertainment to create a ‘new era of blockbusters’ in Bengali cinema.

Jio Studios upcoming movies

Dunki — from Rajkumar Hirani, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee Pannu
Bloody Daddy — starring Shahid Kapoor
Untitled Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon film
Bhediya 2 — starring Varun Dhawan
Stree 2 — starring Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao
Section 84 — from Ribhu Dasgupta, starring Amitabh Bachchan
Hisaab Barabar — starring R Madhavan and Kirti Kulhari
Zara Hatke Zara Bachke — Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan
BlackOut — starring Vikrant Massey
Mumbaikar — starring Vijay Sethupathi
The Storyteller — starring Paresh Rawal & Adil Hussain
Dhoom Dhaam — starring Yami Gautam and Pratik Gandhi
Empire — from Vijay Lalwani, starring Taapsee Pannu
Trial Period — starring Genelia D’Souza
Bhagwat: Chapter One: Raakshas — starring Arshad Warsi
One Friday Night — from Manish Gupta, starring Milind Soman and Raveena Tandon
Blind
Baramulla
Mrs.
Sumo Didi — starring Shriyam Bhagnani
Happily Ever After
Rumi Ki Sharafat
The Film That Never Was
I Love You
Sarvgunn Sampann — from Dinesh Vijan, starring Vaani Kapoor
Kacchey Limbu — from Shubham Yogi, starring Radhika Madan
Khwaabon ka Jhamela
Pooja Meri Jaan — from Navjot Gulati, starring Mrunal Thakur and Huma Qureshi
Sector 36 — from Dinesh Vijan, starring Vikrant Massey and Deepak Dobriyal
Ghamasaan — starring Arshad Warsi
Boo — starring Manjima Mohan and Nivetha Pethuaraj
Kun Faya Kun — from Kushan Nandy, starring Harshvardhan Rane and Sanjeeda Shaikh
Aachari Baa
Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani
Ikroop — from Ali Abbas Zafar
Jo Tera Hai Woh Mera Hai
Ishq-e-Nadaan
Four Blind Men (Marathi)
1234 (Marathi)
Kharvas (Marathi)
Kaata Kirrr (Marathi)
Khashaba (Marathi)
Baipan Bhari Deva (Marathi)
Bachubhai (Gujarati)
Chaandlo (Gujarati)
Ghulam Chor (Gujarati)

Jio Studios 16 upcoming series

Laal Batti — from Prakash Jha, starring Nana Patekar and Sanjay Kapoor
Union: The Making of India — starring Kay Kay Menon and Ashutosh Rana
Inspector Avinash — starring Randeep Hooda and Urvashi Rautela
Rafuchakkar — starring Maniesh Paul
Bajao — starring Indian rapper Raftaar
The Magic of Shiri — starring Divyanka Tripathi
Doctors — starring Sharad Kelkar
A Legal Affair — starring Barkha Singh and Angad Bedi
Ishq Next Door — starring Abhay Mahajan and Natasha Bharadwaj
Do Gubbare — starring Mohan Agashe and Siddharth Shaw
Hajamat — Sanjay Mishra and Anshumaan Pushka
Moonwalk
UP65 — starring Rishabh Jaiswal and Satyam Tiwari
Kaalsutra (Marathi)
Eka Kaleche Mani (Marathi)
Aga Aai Aho Aai (Marathi)

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Farzi Review: Vijay Sethupathi Sets The Bar High, Shahid Kapoor’s Performance Is Remarkable In Its Restraint

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Vijay Sethupathi and Shahid Kapoor in Farzi. (courtesy: shahidkapoor)

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Kay Kay Menon, Raashii Khanna, Amol Palekar, Kubbra Sait, Regina Cassandra, Bhuvan Arora, Chittranjan Giri, Zakir Hussain and Jaswant Singh Dalal

Director: Raj and DK

Rating: Three and a half stars (out of 5)

Money makes the world go round. In Farzi, set in post-demonetisation India, it sets off a spiral that pits the protagonist, an exceptionally skilled but struggling artist, against the law and an underworld kingpin. He prints his own cash, cocking a snook at a system at the mercy of the wealthy and the powerful. The battle of attrition that ensues forms the spine of a solidly crafted, superbly acted series.

The anti-hero of the eight-episode show created, produced, directed and co-written by Raj & DK represents that segment of the Indian population that is crushed under the weight of loans and repayments. He resorts to crime as an act of rebellion.

Scripted by the directing duo with Sita R. Menon and Suman Kumar, every episode hovers around the one-hour mark. However, thanks to a gripping storyline, the uniformly-paced series sustains its momentum within the individual chapters and across all its eight parts.

Farzi, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, isn’t the sort of show that strings together action sequences and shootouts simply for mere visceral effect. It factors into the narrative an examination of the nature of need and the dynamics of greed and places it on a canvas of constantly shifting emotions and relationships.

A bromance involving two orphans who have grown up together, a grandfather-grandson relationship drama, a tale of a disintegrating marriage, a story of a cop seeking redemption, and a portrayal of a committed young professional finding her way in a set-up that doesn’t sit up and take instant notice of her worth – Farzi blends several real, believable strands in a narrative that delivers thrills and poses questions.

Shahid Kapoor, in his streaming debut, is cast as Sunny, a gifted street artist who produces knockoffs of the likes of Van Gogh and rustles up five-minute portraits for a pittance. He believes he deserves better.

He also works on the staff of his grandfather’s anti-establishment magazine, Kranti. The older man, interpreted wonderfully well by Amol Palekar, has had run-ins with the rulers of the land on account of his outspoken views. The seasoned rebel stands in sharp contrast to the mutinous grandson. The latter has no qualms. His dissension is both illegal and amoral.

Sunny’s impatience and defiance puts him in the crosshairs of an anti-counterfeiting unit led by a tough but troubled cop, a criminal network run by a ruthless gangster who smuggles fake Indian currency into the country and a bright young security printing expert determined to contribute her mite to the nation’s war on financial terrorism.

It is need that pushes Sunny into a life of crime. The publishing business has run up huge debts and is on the verge of folding up. The hero figures out that waiting for money to come his way is not an option. So, with the help of his childhood buddy Firoz (Bhuvan Arora), he generates his own counterfeit cash and bails out the magazine.

That one daring crime – it is a revolt against a system that helps the rich become richer and pushes the poor further and further into poverty – whets Sunny’s appetite. He enlists the help of his grandpa’s manager, the avuncular Yasir (Chittaranjan Giri), as his counterfeiting business grows.

What starts out as a plan to salvage a printing press soon turns into full-fledged operation driven by avarice and adventure. A small-time operative is sucked into a cross-border fake currency smuggling racket run from the safety of an unnamed country in the Middle-East. As the stakes rise and Sunny and Firoz begin to roll in money, the risks multiply.

A covert government operation in Kathmandu to nab counterfeiter Mansoor Dalal (Kay Kay Menon) goes awry and the target escapes. The police officer leading the charge, Michael Vednayagam (Vijay Sethupathi, in his Hindi debut and his first foray into the streaming space) is determined to live down the setback. His inner demons threaten to get in the way but he keeps going.

Michael arm-twists a cynical and corrupt minister (Zakir Hussain) to set up a new anti-counterfeiting task force under his supervision. He reassembles his Kathmandu team, which is soon joined by Megha Vyas (Raashii Khanna), A Reserve Bank of India recruit who has devised a cash-counting machine chip that can detect fake currency bills.

Mansoor Dalal’s world of organised crime and Sunny’s homegrown racket intersect. It takes the face-off between the law-breakers and the sleuths to another level. Somebody likens Mansoor to a poisonous snake. He is equally an aggressive mongoose. Sunny now has his hands full.

He makes a foolproof “supernote”, impossible to detect. But Sunny isn’t a super-criminal nor is Michael a supercop. The two are palpably flawed men grappling with emotional challenges. The criminal and the cop struggle to hold on to the people closest to them.

Childhood pal Firoz, a grandfather he looks up to and senior co-worker Yasir are key people in Sunny’s life. A mother who died when he was a boy resurfaces when he and his grandpa cast their minds back to the heavenly varan bhaat that she would cook. The void in Sunny’s life.

The hard-drinking, tough-as-nails Michael makes awkward efforts to regain lost ground with his estranged wife (Regina Cassandra) and his seven-year-old son. Michael wants to be a regular family man, but he is no Srikant Tiwari. His back story, which is revealed only about halfway through the series, has hard-to-erase scars.

Farzi is studded with impressive performances. The presence of Vijay Sethupathi lends the series a great deal of heft and sets the bar very high. The other actors match the naturalistic effortlessness that Sethupathi brings to the table. The only one who is allowed to be a tad flashy is Kay Kay Menon, who comes up with an act that is balanced and impactful.

Shahid Kapoor digs his teeth deep into the meaty central role and delivers a performance that is remarkable for its sustained restraint. Besides Amol Palekar, who is splendid as an embodiment of a moral compass that the protagonist must contend with as he breaks the law, Raashii Khanna, Chittaranjan Giri and Bhuvan Arora etch out characters that we would certainly love to see more of.

The difference between a masterpiece and a mess is a single wrong stroke, Sunny’s grandpa tells him. Farzi tests the aphorism on itself and lives to tell the tale with most of its bearings firmly in place – not a mean feat at all.

Farzi is a thriller packed with everything that the genre demands and then some. It is a tangled tale of transgressions that is never ever in danger of veering off course. Binge-worthy all the way.

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