Soumitra Chatterjee, the legendary Bengali actor who gave face to auteur Satyajit Ray’s Apu and Feluda, breathed his last at a private hospital in Kolkata on Sunday.
He was 85.
With the death of Chatterjee, the curtains dropped on the last generation of what is heralded as Bengali cinema’s ‘glorious days’.
Soumitra Chatterjee as Feluda. Photo source: Half Samosa
“We declare with heavy heart that Shri Soumitra Chattopadhyay breathed his last at 12-15 pm at Belle Vue Clinic today (15 November 2020). We pay our homage to his soul,” a press statement from the hospital read.
The actor was admitted on October 6 after he tested positive for Covid-19. He was put on life support in the days leading to his death, as more complications developed.
Born to Mohit Kumar Chatterjee and Asha Chatterjee in Krishnanagar in West Bengal’s Nadia district in 1935, Chatterjee graduated from City College and secured a master’s degree in Bengali literature from University of Calcutta.
He had a penchant for acting and actively participated in theatre from an early age. After encountering pioneer Sisir Bhaduri’s play, a young Chatterjee decided to become an actor under Bhaduri’s tutelage. Chatterjee debuted with Ray’s 1959 film Apur Sansar and collaborated with almost every eminent director in Bengali cinema, except Ritwik Ghatak and Buddhadeb Sengupta. Some of the yesteryear directors he worked with include Mrinal Sen and Tapan Sinha. In the recent years, he had worked with filmmakers Aparna Sen, Rituparno Ghosh, Goutam Ghose, Shiboprasad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy, etc. to name a few.
Chatterjee was best known for featuring in Oscar Award-winning director Satyajit Ray’s films. The duo collaborated in 14 films including the Apu Trilogy and Feluda films- Sonar Kella (1974) and Joi Baba Felunath (1979). While writing the Feluda series, Ray is said to have modelled the young private detective along the physique of a younger Chatterjee. Ray’s kinship with Chatterjee is often equated to the several collaborations between Hollywood director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo Dicaprio as well as Martin Scorsese and actor Robert DeNiro.
Their collaboration lasted till Ray’s second last film Shakha Proshaka (1990).
With a career spanning over six decades and 300 films, the actor lived through the transition of Indian cinema- from theatre, to black and white films and colour cinema.
SoumitraChatterjee-900×506
The thespian was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third highest award given to a civilian by India, in 2004. He is the only Indian actor to have been conferred with the Ordre dres Arts et des Lettres, France’s highest award for artists.
His last release was the 2019 film Sanjhbati, co-starring Lily Chakravarty, Paoli Dam and Dev.
Even during the pandemic, the artist recorded his voice for the Bengali animated series Abol Tabol. The first episode from the series was released on YouTube on November 14, on the occasion of Children’s Day. The series consisted of a collection of 53 rhymes, written by Ray’s father Sukumar Ray. The collection was first published in 1923.
Chatterjee was reportedly working on Abhijaan, a biopic of his own life directed by Parambrata Chatterjee, when he fill ill. His film Belashuru, sequel 0f Belasheshe, was supposed to be premiering this summer but the release had to be postponed because of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.
Chatterjee is survived by his wife Deepa Chatterjee, daughter Polulami Bose and son Sougata Chatterjee.
Requesting privacy in a Facebook post, his daughter wrote:
“With deep grief I must inform you that my beloved father … my Bapi left us this morning. As a family, we are devastated.
Please say a prayer for his soul.
I humbly and earnestly request you all please do not come over to our place right now …my mother and my sons health is fragile at best… please do not put them at risk… PLEASE KEEP THE PANDEMIC IN MIND AND PRAY FROM THE SAFETY OF YOUR HOMES… If you all are truly concerned please respect what my father would have wanted…
please do not call me or text me… I will speak to everyone when I’m ready… please give me the space and the privacy that I so desperately need right now…
If anyone wishes to meet my mother or my brother please call them…
Please please dont contact me now.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Bose at the hospital and later told media persons that he would be given full state honours at his funeral. Tweeting her condolences, she wrote that ”Apu has said goodbye”.
Feluda’ is no more. ‘Apu’ said goodbye. Farewell, Soumitra (Da) Chatterjee. He has been a legend in his lifetime. International, Indian and Bengali cinema has lost a giant. We will miss him dearly. The film world in Bengal has been orphaned 1/2
Chatterjee’s body was taken to his residence in Golf Green and was then taken to Technician’s Studio in southern Kolkata. From there, his body will be kept at Rabindra Sadan for two hours, for the public to pay their last respects. From there, a procession will take his body to Keoratola crematorium, where he will be cremated with full state honours.
The film will mark Karthi’s 22nd film and is expected to be an action thriller. It will be produced by S Lakshman Kumar under the banner Prince Pictures. According to a report by The Times of India, Karthi will be seen playing a dual role in the film. Karthi last played a dual role in the 2016 film Kaashmora, alongside Nayanthara, and Sri Divya.
The information on the rest of the cast is yet to be disclosed and the film is expected to go on floors soon.
The actor wrote on Twitter:
Let’s make it memorable! Need all your best wishes for our next 🙂
Karthi was last seen in the 2019 films Thambi and Kaithi for which Karthi won praises from the audience and critics for his performances.
His upcoming release includes Sulthanwith Rashmika Mandanna. The film is slated for a theatrical release during Pongal next year. The actor is also currently shooting for period drama Ponniyin Selvan, directed, written, and produced by Mani Ratnam.
PS Mithran’s last directorial was the 2019 film Hero starring Sivakarthikeyan, Abhay Deol, and Kalyani Priyadarshan. He has also directed Vishal’s Irumbu Thirai in 2018.
The teaser of actor Silambarasan’s upcoming Tamil film Eeswaran was released on Saturday morning.
Taking to Twitter to announce that the teaser will be released during Brahamamuhurtham, an auspicious time period that falls early in the morning, Simbu sought the blessings of goddess Lakshmi.
The teaser was released at 4:32 am on Diwali.
With the blessings of goddess Lakshmi #Eeswaran Teaser will be releasing tomorrow early morning #BRAHMAMUHURTHAM @ 4.32 am
The 1-minute and 29 seconds long teaser features veteran director Bharathiraja alongside Simbu. The film also stars Niddhi Agerwal as the female lead and Nandita Swetha in a supporting role. Touted to be an action drama set in a rural background, the teaser shows Simbu engaging in multiple tussles. The film is slated to release for Pongal, next year.
Earlier this month, the stills of the actor from the film went viral after reportedly, the actor lost a significant amount of weight for his role. Simbu was also praised by his fans for the transformation. Major portions of the film were shot in Dindigul in Tamil Nadu.
The film is helmed by director Susiethiran who has also directed films, including Naan Mahaan Alla and Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu. The music will be composed by S Thaman and the editor is Anthony. Produced by Balaji Kapa, Eeswaran marks Simbu’s 46th film.
The actor was last seen in director Gautham Vasudev Menon’s short film Karthik Dial Seytha Yen earlier this year.
Apart from Eeswaran, the actor is also expected to star in Maanaadu featuring Kalyani Priyadarshan. Directed and written by Venkat Prabhu, reportedly, the film is billed to be a political thriller. SJ Suryah, Bharathiraja, and Premji Amaren will also feature in the film.
As India inched towards its seventh month under partial lockdown due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Netflix India through its Twitter handle announced Navarasa, a Tamil anthology conceived by directors Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan (co-founder of Qube Cinema) on October 28.
Similar to other anthologies announced by big players in the OTT space, this production saw well-known filmmakers including Gautham Vasudev Menon, Karthik Subbaraj, Ponram, Rathindran Prasad, Halitha Shameem, Arvind Swami, Karthick Naren, KV Anand and Bejoy Nambiar, making the cut.
Ten days before this announcement, Putham Pudhu Kaalai, an anthology showcasing the works of established directors Sudha Kongara, Gautham Menon, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, Rajiv Menon and Karthik Subbaraj premiered on Amazon Prime Video.
PuthamPudhuKaalaiSeriesFeature
Around the same time, Netflix also announces Paava Kadhaigal, an anthology featuring the works of directors Gautham Menon, Sudha Kongara, Vetrimaaran and Vignesh Shivan.
When Bhargav Prasad, a filmmaker who has pitched several shows to these OTT platforms, heard of these announcements, he said that he was frustrated.
“All the anthologies have the same few names. Five years ago, I was excited about the arrival of new OTT platforms in regional languages, as it looked more democratic and accessible than mainstream cinema. However, after making two shows and having worked on a few more, it all seems like a façade. It is just that the box office numbers have been replaced by algorithms and engagement,” he said.
Bhargav is not alone. Many aspiring filmmakers like him who have been approaching OTT platforms with scripts of feature films, short films and web series, say that although these platforms are encouraging content, the process is long and tedious.
Many filmmakers say that the process, starting from pitching, begins only after three months of approaching OTT forums and can go on for a long time. Some filmmakers do not receive legitimate reasons on why their scripts were dropped, while others barely get a chance to receive replies from these forums.
However, this seems easier for established filmmakers who have recently been part of multiple projects, they say.
Promises
Two years ago when filmmakers Drishya Gautham and Tarana Reddy wrote an anthology series with young people talking about topics like love, gender sensitivity and sex, it seemed like a hopeful time to collaborate with OTT platforms.
Creators Drishya and Tarana Reddy’s film ‘B. Selvi and Daughters’
Drishya says that it was when OTT platforms were exclusively looking for original content, both in terms of web series and films.
“OTTs created a space for content, that did not belong anywhere else. This is particularly true for those which could not be mainstream feature films or other content which could be better packaged than a YouTube series. They also initially picked up independent films like Revelations by Vijay Jayapal, which made the project (monetarily) worthwhile for him. It started off well. However, with platforms feeling that they can get better viewership with bigger stars and banners, the tide has shifted,” she says.
There are other functional problems to the world of pitching ideas to OTT platforms as well.
Vinu Karthikeyan who directed Kadhal Settings, a six-episode mini web series with over six lakh views in its first episode during the lockdown, says that it is easier for more established directors to secure their first-level meeting to discuss stories with these platforms.
Vinu Karthikeyan’s ‘Kadhal Settings’, a mini webseries on YouTube.
Requesting anonymity, a source says that just like in cinema, the culture of “connections” and “agents” exists in the corporatised world of OTT platforms too. “It is so much easier to get responses and set up meetings when one chooses to employ or pay agents. However, in order for these middlemen to accept and endorse the script, they must like it too. They act as the first level of censorship and often reject off-beat content. The agents continue to be stuck in time, disallowing corporates to see the full extent of talent,” the source says.
Joe Arputhan, creative producer of Topless, a show that aired on Zee 5, says that many filmmakers are unaware of how to approach platforms regarding their scripts. “Unlike mainstream cinema, there is no narration to producers or stars. The corporates are yet to establish a cadence regarding what must be sent in a filmmaker’s first story pitch,” he says.
Bhargav says that many platforms seek stories that would appeal to a pan-India audience. He says that stories on topics such as crime and sex tend to be more accepted by these platforms. Platforms tend to play safe and go with tried and tested formulas, he says.
“Since they know that anthologies have gained acceptance in the Tamil language category, they are not looking to experiment immediately. Due to this, almost all stories sound exactly alike. They have the same tone, similar characters and repetitive aesthetic. There is hardly any diversity. All people on screen are cis-gendered upper caste men and few upper caste women, since they are the ones making the content,” he says.
Bhargav Prasad’s short film Idam Porul Uyir
Tarana says that though a number of organisations are receptive to having discussions regarding ideas, it takes some time to get the ball rolling.
“Platforms have taken their time with respect to addressing new work in the world of regional cinema. There is lots of exciting and empowering work happening here and they will be missing out if they do not pay attention,” she says.
Freelance writer and creative producer Durgesh Haridas says that since the national offices of some major OTT platforms are headquartered in Mumbai, most executives do not understand hyperlocal content and viable stars.
“They do not realise that the budgets are much smaller here and we can sometimes not afford big Kollywood stars to be part of the project. This causes agony among new filmmakers who produce content with intimate stories of the areas where they live and the slang in which they speak,” he says.
Owing to a larger audience, reach and considerably higher budgets, the number of newcomers getting a break in Hindi cinema is much higher, he says. However, in the south, people are still expected to produce content with big creators and artists who have already made a debut, he adds. Although the trend is changing, the lag remains, he says.
Drishya says that shows like Fleabag, Ramy and I May Destroy You became popular only because OTT platforms were brave enough to back independent voices. “I would love that in India too,” she says.
Silver lining
Vinu Karthikeyan says that he feels both joyful and confused about having the names of bigger directors enter the OTT market.
“Earlier, the world of OTT was looked at as a step below feature films. As more and more popular directors enter this space, it will give many of us the confidence that we too can switch between mainstream and OTT,” he says.
Others add that a larger subscriber base would allow for more viewership in the future as well.
Both Vinu and Bhargav say that YouTube is easier and a more accessible space than all other OTT platforms.
“YouTube is one of those few platforms which has a semblance of democratic value in it. However, this will not work unless one is confident about the number of views it will receive,” Bhargav says.
Vinu says that YouTube is turning into an OTT platform of its own. Several hundred Tamil creators have uploaded their work on the site during the lockdown, he says and adds that it is likely to become bigger in the future.
Contrast
Filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon, who was part of Amazon Prime Video’s Putham Pudhu Kalai and will soon be seen in Netflix’s Paava Kathaigal and Navarasa, says that it has not been easy for both new and established filmmakers to put their work out during this time.
“We have approached a lot of platforms with content. I still have not heard back from many of them. There is procedure in place with respect to these platforms. It may be easier for established filmmakers to get that first meeting. However, it all depends on the content which is put out there and it is not the ‘name’ that first stands out,” Menon says.
He adds that the process is similar to that of making a feature film, where novice directors need to have A-list actors on board and deliver two-three good films in order to be noticed.
“I think that the avenues have just opened up. I am not saying that anyone is complaining, but there is no point in saying that the ‘bigger guys’ have gotten the opportunity,” says Menon.
He adds that there is very little focus on Tamil content right now but is growing and hopes to see more opportunities in the future.
A spokesperson for Netflix India says that since only two Tamil projects have been announced by Netflix, the organisation will not comment on trends just yet. “Overall, Netflix is an organisation which looks forward to working with new talent, both in front and behind the camera. We have worked with 12 women writers, three first-time writers and eight first-time directors this year. Good stories get the green light. We are just looking to tell different and unique stories,” she says.
The article will be updated when representatives from Amazon Prime Video respond.
The teaser of actor Vijay’s upcoming Tamil film Master was released on the occasion of Diwali at 6 pm on Saturday.
Released by Sun TV, the one-and-a-half minute-long teaser has already garnered over 15 million views on YouTube.
The teaser introduces Vijay as JD, a tough professor who frequently engages in physical fights. Seen as a heavy drinker, Vijay’s character is shown standing up for his students. While the makers have not revealed the details of the film, it is touted to be action-packed, focusing on campus politics.
Actor Vijay Sethupathi will also play a crucial role in the film, marking Master, the first collaboration of both the actors. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, the film is expected to be released during Pongal next year.
The film also features Malavika Mohanan as a fellow professor. Other cast members include Andrea Jeremiah, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, and Arjun Das, who will appear in supporting roles.
While the film’s music has been composed by Anirudh Ravichander, songs, including Vaathi Coming, Vaathi Raid, and Kutti Story, have topped the music charts ever since they have been released.
The cinematographer of the film is Sathyan Sooryan and Philomin Raj will be on the edit. Produced by Xavier Britto under his banner, XB Film Creators, the film was supposed to release in April but has been postponed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. However, the makers of the film have confirmed that it will not be released on OTT platforms and will have a theatrical release only.
Meanwhile, director Lokesh recently announced that he will be directing actor Kamal Hassan in his next venture titled Vikram. The film’s first title teaser was released on the actor’s birthday on November 7. The film is expected to go on floors by the end of November and will be released in 2021.
Rohena Gera’s film Sir after debuting at the Cannes Critics’ Week, a sidebar event at the Cannes Film Festival, has theatrically released in over 24 countries and travelled through 45 film festivals before coming home to India this month. Sir released in theatres across India on Friday.
The homecoming, Gera says, was scheduled for March, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
“This was always the plan. We were supposed to release it in March and the reason it took us this much time is because I was busy travelling with the film,” she says.
“It’s an interesting film. People have this idea about what a big screen movie is and how it has to be a certain kind of film for the big screen. But I feel it is the kind of film that could benefit from being on the big screen because you can go on this journey with these characters. It is a very gentle but emotional film and I think it would really benefit from not having your phone buzzing in the middle or somebody coming and talking to you or somebody disturbing you. It’s a very intimate story and I think it is nice for you to be in the dark with the movie to enjoy it and to really take that leap because the film asks you to take that leap of faith and to really follow along. So, I feel that that journey is pretty well served if you are in the dark with strangers instead of on your sofa with a hundred things happening around you,” she says.
Exploring class differences through a love story
Sir explores class differences through a love story- between a live-in domestic help (Tillotama Shome) who wants to become a fashion designer and a man (Vivek Gomber) who comes from an affluent family and feels a bit trapped by his life and career.
Sir
“It’s a story of true love where two people really bring out the best in each other. They are sort of inspired by each other, they become the best they can be because of the other person. It’s almost like a friendship and the attraction to the other person comes from that relationship, from getting to know them, really getting to understand them. And then it so happens that that person– who is making you shine, making you feel better, who understands you—is from a different part of the world or a different place in society. How much does that matter? Can love break through those barriers? That’s really what the film is about,” says Gera.
Gera feels a love story helped her explore the barriers that stem from class differences right in our homes. Having grown very close to the domestic help at her home, Gera says she was always aware that there was something problematic about the way things functioned.
“I have grown up with a domestic help and I was always very close to the woman who was around when I was a child and helped take care of me when I was little. So, I was always aware that the way that we live-it’s a bit problematic. There’s so much intimacy-the person knows you so well, they know your moods and everything. Yet, they can’t use the same mug as you to drink water or chai and there are these kinds of barriers that we put up and it was something that really bothered me, even as a child. It’s not something that is easy to talk about. I am part of the system. For me to say something is very difficult. After I made my documentary What’s Love Got To Do With It, I was talking a lot about love and the idea of love, is love important. I suddenly had the idea of approaching this topic, of class differences, as a love story. That’s where it was born,” she says.
The spirit of Mumbai in Sir
Even the city that the two lead characters live in, says Gera, looks different to each of them.
“Bombay, for him, is the ivory tower he lives in, extremely privileged, he has come back from abroad and he feels a bit trapped by his family. But for her, she comes from a village, she’s a widow and she is making her own life. In many ways, Bombay is a place of opportunities, of dreams for her. The way each of them sees the city is so different and that’s enriching for him, to see something different, to see somebody else’s point of view. To me, a love story suddenly opened up a lot of opportunities to really explore a relationship of two equals. As human beings they are equal-financially they may not be equal,” she says.
“Films about India, films that often take on subjects in India, it’s like we treat these two worlds as completely separate- this upper-class world in which he lives and her world of- someone who takes a local train and is out and about on her feet. Films usually tackle one or the other world. But Bombay is really all about these worlds brushing up against each other. That’s the beauty of the city. That’s what is really interesting for me about the film- there’s no artificial wall created that says, ‘this film will only show a certain type of crowd’ or only show the jhopadpatti (slums).”
Gera feels the spirit of Mumbai, especially that of the women of the city, has shone through in her film.
“I find the people in Bombay very inspiring. The city has a real spirit and particularly the women, you see them out and about and just doing their thing. And people find a way. Yes, it is a patriarchal society, yes it is a tough society, and it’s really difficult to survive in that city, but the women- they just get up and go. I find that extremely inspiring and I feel Bombay is also particular in the way it is mixed, there’s all these different kinds of people,” she says.
“It’s a city of dreams but it’s also a city of hardship and struggle. And I love that,” she says.
Let’s get one thing out of the way. RJ Balaji‘s (co-directed with NJ Saravanan and written with “friends”) Mookuthi Amman is nothing to write home about in terms of filmmaking. If you are looking for shots, framing or anything to do with form and technique, you are in the wrong zip code. And this is not unexpected. What’s expected though are laughs, at the expense of many – hopefully not offensive – and some comedy that punches up in the form of biting satire. In LKG, RJ Balaji’s earlier film in the same genre, he rode on the political climate of that period in Tamil Nadu. The situation was presented to him on a platter and Balaji ran with it, his hand held by the existence of memes and political comedy that was daily news then.
In Mookuthi Amman, he’s after self-styled godmen, the allusion to land grabbing in fertile parts of Nagercoil, suggesting someone like Jaggi Vasudev, and religion and belief as something that divides rather than unites. For what it is worth, Kamal Haasan’s lines on the same subject across any number of films make for a better stand-up routine than this film from RJ Balaji.
RJ Balaji and his friends don’t have anything imaginative up their sleeve, which is again expected considering how LKG turned out. He plays Engels Ramasamy and claims that he was named after Friedrich Engels and EV Ramasamy. For someone named after Engels and Periyar, our Engels is god-fearing to a fault. He’s so staunch in his belief and religion that he suspects his youngest sister is getting converted by the convent school she attends. She rubs off the ashes her mother (Urvashi in a role that doesn’t deserve her) applies on her forehead and crosses self before going to sleep. He is bewildered by his own assumption that his sister is converting and asks the school authorities about it. So much for Engels and Periyar. The first half is a set of disjointed, unfunny gags that could be found in the dust bins of a writers’ room of any late-night sketch comedy show.
In predictable turn of events, he is granted the vision of their family goddess, Mookuthi Amman (Nayanthara in an extended cameo that doesn’t deserve her), who elaborates to him that people aren’t devout towards god, they only fear it. There is a brief moment where Amman slips into what we call Madras Tamil, but it lasts just a line. Now how great it’d have been to have Amman speak like that in a spoof of the genre? Nothing fresh about this new iteration of Tamil cinema’s Amman.
There is a random insert of a few black shirts holding forth on a stage and Amman tells Ramasamy, “One who says there is no god is good. But the one who says one god is better than the other? He is danger.” Your guess is as good as mine as to whom this is directed at. In the attempt to take potshots at everybody and be an equal opportunity satirist, RJ Balaji loses any form of coherence in his story. This scene that lasts a few seconds and appears out of nowhere is also ironic considering Mookuthi Amman herself is initially cross with Ramasamy’s family, because they keep harping on about going to Tirupathi, having ignored their family goddess for decades. But I guess consistency in writing is another thing that’s not to be expected.
From here, Mookuthi Amman only gets worse. The godman Bhagavathi Baba (Ajay Ghosh), his cult and their antics are too cartoon crazy to be taken seriously as antagonists. It’s clear why Balaji got away with LKG. The events in LKG seemed like something serious is being satirised, something that looked like a lived reality that didn’t require any form of exaggeration to be laughed at.
Here, Balaji and Saravanan have no meat in their material. Balaji and Urvashi seemed to have had a wager during filming as to who can yell louder. There is a nice joke on Samuthirakani and his films but there is also preaching directly at the camera. Clearly, Mookuthi Amman doesn’t care for irony. There is an offensive joke though about security guards and Nepalis. And another one about mistreated blue collar workers looking like characters out of a Bala film. Again, nothing unexpected from RJ Balaji.
*****
Mookuthi Amman is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
*****
The Mookuthi Amman review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Silverscreenindia.com and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.
The film explores the harmful effects of children’s addiction to mobile phones and video games. The trailer was launched on Saturday, on the occasion of Children’s Day.
This film marks Chatterjee’s second venture with the director, after hit Bengali crime thriller Proloy (2013).
For Ganguly, who is also Chakrabarty’s wife, Habji Gabji will be her first film after her maternity break. The film went on floors in January and was supposed to have a theatrical release in May. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the film’s release was halted and has now been scheduled for a Christmas premiere date.
Chakrabarty, a successful commercial film director, last worked on Parineeta (2019), starring Ganguly and Ritwick Chakraborty. His other films include Bolo Dugga Maiki (a 2017 film and a partial adaption of Malayalam film Oru Vadakkan Selfie), Adventures of Jojo (2018) and Shesh Theke Shuru (a 2019 remake of a 2016 Telugu film Siddhartha). He also has Dharmajuddha in the pipeline.
Chatterjee, who made his debut into Bengali cinema in 2002 has done over 80 films and has directed almost 10 films and telefilms. The Bengali actor has also starred in a few Hindi films including Vidya Balan-starrer Kahaani, Satish Kaushik directed Gangs of Ghosts (remake of Bengali film Bhooter Bhobishyot), Traffic(remake of Malayalam film of the same name), Anushka Sharma-starrer Pari, and Bulbbul(a Netflix original co-starring Tripti Dimri, which released earlier this year). The actor had four releases this year- Sraboner Dhara, Dwitiyo Purush, Case Jaundice, and Bulbbul. He has a number films in his pipeline such as Bony, Holud Boni (an Indo-Bangladesh film), Balley Troupe, Durgo Rahashya, Shokuner Lobh, Senapati, Antardhaan and Chakdaha Express (Hindi).
Ganguly made her debut into the film industry with an Odia film and then ventured into Bengali cinema. She last appeared in Parineeta. She will be starring in Chakraborty’s upcoming film Dharmajuddho and will be making her debut in Tamil cinema with Maane Thaene Paeye, a romantic comedy film written and directed by N Krishna, co-starring Aari and Daniel Balaji.
Makers of the upcoming Telugu film starring Naga Shaurya and Ritu Varma in lead roles announced on Friday that the film is titled Varudu Kaavelenu and released a first glimpse video.
Production of the film had resumed on October 12 in Hyderabad.
The production house, Sithara Entertainments, took to Twitter to make the announcement.
మా అపరంజి బొమ్మకు తగిన #వరుడుకావలెను. ఎలా ఉండాలి అంటే….?🤔
Both the actors and the directors also took to Twitter to post the same.
Directed by debutant director Lakshmi Sowjanya, produced under the banner of Sithara Entertainments, this Telugu entertainer marks the eighth production of the house. Other films under this production are Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo and Bheeshma, which released earlier this year and Jersey, and Ranarangam from 2019. Venky Atluri’s Rang De (starring Nithiin and Keerthy Suresh in lead roles) is also being bankrolled under the production house.
Naga Shaurya made his debut in 2011 with Cricket Girls and Beer. He also starred in the 2014 National Award-winning anthology film Chandamama Kathalu. He starred in films like Oohalu Gusagusalade (a 2014 Telugu romantic comedy, written and directed by Telugu actor Srinivas Avasarala marking his directorial debut), Kalyana Vaibhogame (a 2016 Telugu romantic comedy film starring Malavika Nair in the lead role, with Raasi, Aishwarya, Raj Mudhiraj and Anand in supporting roles), Jyo Achyutananda (a 2016 Telugu comedy-drama film co-starring Nara Rohit and Regina Cassandra in the lead role), and Chalo (a 2018 Telugu romantic comedy film co-starring Rashmika Mandanna).
Varma has predominantly worked in Telugu as well as Tamil cinema since 2013. She was last seen in Kannum Kannum Kollaiyadithaal(a 2020 Tamil-language romantic heist comedy film opposite Dulquer Salmaan), and Putham Pudhu Kaalai (a 2020 Tamil anthology film, consisting of five short film segments, directed by Sudha Kongara, Gautham Menon, Suhasini Maniratnam, Rajiv Menon, and Karthik Subbaraj). Varma’s upcoming films include Dhruva Natchathiram, Tuck Jagadish, Ninnila Ninnila, Khiladi, among a few others.
Mysteries never fail to intrigue and pique the audience’s interest. This is especially true if they are crime documentaries and drama series. As shows based on real crime have seen a surge in popularity in recent times, Silverscreen India curates a list of seven shows that focus not just on murders, but are also packed with shocking revelations, that will keep viewers on the edge of their seat.
The Keepers (2017)
Credits: Netflix
In 1969, Cathy Cesnik, a Catholic nun and school teacher in Baltimore goes missing. It takes almost two months before people discover her murder. As her students set out to unearth the cause behind her mysterious death, they discover decades of rampant sexual abuse among the Baltimore police and church. Even as more and more harrowing revelations come to light, Sister Cesnik’s murder continues to remain unresolved.
Bad Boy Billionaires: India (2020)
This Netflix documentary series aims to showcase the rapid rise and downfall of Indian business tycoons: Vijay Mallya, Subrata Roy, and Nirav Modi. The series depicts their extravagant lifestyles and fraudulent scams and shocking financial deceit. Both Mallya and Modi are also fighting extradition cases apart from being held accountable for financial fraud.
Originally touted as a four-part series, Netflix was restrained from airing its episode on Ramalinga Raju (known for the 2009 Satyam Scam) by a court in Hyderabad. Raju had filed a petition saying that the series was maligning his reputation.
The Act (2019)
Credits: Hulu
Starring Joey King and Patricia Arquette, this true crime drama series is based on the story about Gypsy Blanchard, who conspired and murdered her mother, along with her boyfriend. It is soon revealed that her mother manipulated her daughter into believing that she was sick. Confining her daughter to a wheelchair and fabricating stories about her illness and disabilities for years, their relationship began to sour after Gypsy started yearning for freedom and slowly began to suspect that her mother was lying about her illness.
This Emmy-nominated show goes back and forth in time to show the events that led to Dee Dee’s murder and Gypsy’s trial.
Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020)
SonyLiv’s latest web series about the infamous Harshad Mehta Scam of 1992 opened to rave reviews when it was released in October. Tracing the stockbroker’s life, the show delves into how Mehta rose to fame in Dalal Street in Bombay and his downfall after he was accused of orchestrating a Rs 5,000-crore scam. Whether Mehta was solely responsible for the scam or was he was just a puppet at the hands of big players still remains unknown.
Presented as an anthology series, each season focuses on a different crime event that took place in the US. Produced by Ryan Murphy, the first season focused on the murder trial of former football star OJ Simpson. Simpson was accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron.
The second season showcases the murder of famous designer Gianni Versace by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. Cunanan was reportedly obsessed with Versace and was known to exaggerate his meetings and relationship with the designer. A third season that is said to be about Bill Clinton’s impeachment in 1998 is currently under production.
Tiger King (2020)
Credits: Netflix
This true crime documentary show is about Joe Exotic, a tiger collector, and conservationist. The culture of having private zoos in the US is well-known. Tiger King explores this eccentric man’s once-famous tiger zoo, his accusations against Carole Baskin (she accused him of animal abuse), and how he ended up in prison.
This miniseries is one of Netflix’s most successful ventures and has spawned off memes, Tik Tok videos, and multiple conspiracy theories. However, the core idea of this show was to portray the deep underbelly of breeding such exotic animals.
The Confession Killer (2019)
Credits: Netflix
A Netflix documentary about how in the 1980s, serial killer Henry Lee Lucas confessed to over 200 unsolved murders in the US. However, things are not what they seem. Set in Texas, the show dives into how the Texas Rangers accepted the serial killer’s confessions as a means to cover up shoddy murder investigations. Since the DNA evidence was improper, people begin to question whether Henry was telling the truth or whether the authorities let him take the fall on purpose.
Actor Nazriya Nazim Fahadh is set to make her Telugu debut alongside actor Nani in Vivek Athreya‘s next directorial venture, the makers of the untitled film announced on social media on Friday.
The film’s title will be released on November 21 and the trio will be working together for the first time.
Predominantly seen in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries, Nazriya wrote on Instagram:
So this one will be my first telugu film guys ❤️
Super excited for this one 😬with this amazing team !
Circle this date and tune in !!
Happy Diwali !
Telugu actor Nani took to social media to announce his 28th film and wrote:
This one ❤️
Curtain Raiser on November 21st :)) @nazriyafahadh 🤗
Calling the lead actors a ‘dream combo’ Vivek wrote on Instagram:
A dream combo on cards, Excited!!
This Diwali, we have a new addition to our Telugu film family, let’s welcome Nazriya Fahadh!!
The ladi has been lit for the CURTAIN RAISER and its going to blast on 21 November 2020.
Circle this date. And tune in!
Happy Diwali!
By the looks of the poster that features an airplane flying from a tagged location, the film is believed to be based on travel and culture. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, information on the rest of the cast and final crew is awaited.
Nazriya who debuted in the 2006 Malayalam film Palunku, was last seen in the 2020 Malayalam film Trance. She also produced the 2020 computer screen film C U Soon that premiered on Amazon Prime Video.
The teaser shows Sibi as a traffic police who takes up an intense case and starts to investigate it. While his attempts to pursue the case are being stopped by the higher officials, Sibi is determined to solve the case, despite all odds. Sibi will be playing a cop for the fourth time after Naaigal Jakkirathai, Jackson Durai, and Walter.
Talking to Silverscreen India, G Dhananjayan, producer of the film, confirmed that the film will have a theatrical release in December.
“We have completed the film and coming to theatres in December. It is adapted from Kannada and we made it to the sensibilities of the Tamil audience. It is an emotional and intelligent thriller. It has come off good and we’re happy and excited to release the film in theatres,” the producer said.
Directed by Pradeep Krishnamoorthy, the film features Nandita Swetha, Nassar, Jaya Prakash, J Sathish Kumar, and is bankrolled by Dhananjyan Govind under the production banner Creative Entertainers and Distributors. Kabadadaari is Sibi’s second film with the director after the 2017 film Sathya.
The film is a Tamil remake of the Kannada film Kavaludaari, which starred Anant Nag. The film is simultaneously being released in Telugu as Kapatadhaari starring Sumanth. The teaser of the Telugu film was released in October by actor Rana Daggubati.
Kapatadhaari features an ensemble cast of Nassar, Nandita Swetha, Jayaprakash, Vennela Kishore, Suman Ranganath, and Sampath. While the music for both Tamil and Telugu films have been composed by Simon King, Rasamathi has handled the cinematography.
Both films have been written by Hemanth Rao. The dialogues and screenplay adaptations have been penned by John Mahendran and G Dhananjayan.
Robert Rodriguez's WE CAN BE HEROES, starring YaYa Gosselin, Pedro Pascal, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Christian Slater, comes to Netflix globally January 1, 2021. pic.twitter.com/KQWPED07ZN
Sharing the photos on Instagram, Chopra Jonas wrote, “Wohooo! It’s finally here! Presenting the first look for – We Can Be Heroes!!!! It’s directed by the incredible Robert Rodriguez, and is coming to Netflix on New Year’s Day!!! A kids classic. Robert pretty much created this genre of movies. I’m so excited about introducing you to the tangled world of my character. More on this coming soon…”
The film will also feature Akira Akbar, Andrew Diaz, Andy Walken, Boyd Holbrook, Hala Finley, Isaiah Russell-Bailey, Lotus Blossom, Lyon Daniels, Nathan Blair, Sung Kang, Vivien Lyra Blair, Adriana Barraza, and Christopher McDonald.
According to a report by Entertainment Weekly, the film is also written by Rodriquez and is on similar lines as his previous film Spy Kids. The story revolves around the members of the team Heroics, including Pedro Pascal and others, who get kidnapped and their children are left to save them. Chopra Jonas plays the role of director of team Heroics. What follows is a journey of 11 children devising a plan to save their parents, while they explore their powers.
Chopra Jonas has a slew of projects and will be next seen in the film adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s book The White Tiger. She also has Amazon Prime Video’s series Citadel.
The film is produced by Rodriquez under the banner Troublemaker Studios.
Animated feature film Dhira will see names such as Vijay Sethupathi, Vivek Oberoi, Bengali actor Jeet, and other big stars lending their voice to the titular character in respective languages, announced director Arun Kumar Rapolu.
Dhira will be released across the country in 12 languages. Sethupathi will lend his voice for the Tamil version while Vivek Oberoi, Bellamkonda Sreenivas, Dhruva Sarja, Askar Ali, Jeet, Pratik Gandhi, Yuvraj Hans, Swwapnil Joshi, Sabyasachi Mishra, Sri Nagesh, and Ashish Bhandari will be lending their voice for Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Marathi, Odia, Bhojpuri and English versions of the film respectively.
Dhira is based on the life of legendary poet Tenali Rama. Directed and produced by Arun Kumar Rapolu, Dhira is promoted as India’s biggest motion capture feature film to date.
Taking to Twitter to announce the project, Sethupathi wrote, “Bringing all the diverse centres of Indian film industry together, Dhira.”
The actor had previously lent his voice for the character of Tony Stark aka Iron Man in the Tamil dubbed version of Avengers: Endgame. Last seen in the Ka Pae Ranasingam, that released in October as a pay-per-view-watch on ZeePlex, the actor’s upcoming works include Master and Tughlaq Darbar. He is also set to make his Hindi debut alongside Aamir Khan inLaal Singh Chaddha.
Master has an ensemble cast of Vijay, Malavika Mohanan, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Andreah Jeremiah, Antony Varghese, Sriman, and many other known actors. The film is expected to release on Pongal 2021. More details will be available after the teaser release on Saturday.
Oberoi was last seen in the biopic based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi titled PM Narendra Modi, which released last year. Next up he will be seen in the horror-thriller Rosie: The Saffron Chapter. The film also stars Palak Tiwari, daughter of television star Shweta Tiwari.
Vijay Antony released the first look poster of his upcoming Tamil film Kodiyil Oruvan on social media on Friday.
The Telugu version of the film is titled Vijaya Raghavan.
Sharing the poster on Twitter, Vijay wrote, “Beyond Ecstatic to reveal the 1st look of #KodiyilOruvan #VijayaRaghavan From director of METRO.”
On Thursday, he announced on Twitter that he would be sharing the first look poster of his film and had written, “Get ready #VijayAntony14 1st look tomorrow @10:11 AM. From the director of METRO.”
Helmed by Ananda Krishnan, Kodiyil Oruvan is billed to be a political thriller. The film will be bankrolled by Infinity Film Ventures and Chendur Film International. It will also feature Aathmika, who has also starred in Meesaya Murukku, alongside Vijay. Nivas K Prasanna will compose music and NS Uthayakumar will handle the camera.
Vijay recently finished shooting for his upcoming film Agni Siragugal in Kolkata. The film is helmed by Naveen who has also directed, written, and produced Moodar Koodam in 2013. Agni Siragugal features Arun Vijay and Akshara Haasan in lead roles and is said to be a Tamil-Telugu bilingual. Natarajan Sankaran will compose the music and KA Batcha will be the cinematographer.
Vijay was last seen in the Tamil action thriller film Kolaigaran along with Arjun Sarja. Helmed by Andrew Louis, the film is based on the book The Devotion Suspect X, written by Keigo Hagashino.
His other current projects include Yogeswaran’s Thamezharasan and Senthilkumar’s Khaki. Vijay had announced earlier this year that he will be starring in Pichaikkaran 2, the sequel to his 2016 movie by the same name. The sequel will be directed by Priya Krishnaswamy, who won the National Award last year for her social drama Baaram.
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nushrat Bharucha, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Saurabh Shukla, Ila Arun, Jatin Sarna
In an early scene in Chhalaang, directed by Hansal Mehta, the protagonist and his friends, having nothing else to do, ambush couples in a park. They ask an elderly couple who’re holding hands to “not do in the public what they should be doing in the bedroom”. Apparently, the film narrates not the coming-of-age tale of an everyday underdog, but the reformation of one of the vilest kind of Indians, who are misogynist and viciously against personal freedom. Only, the storytelling is run-of-the-mill and fluffy to a fault.
Chhalaang belongs to the category of Bollywood comedies that emerged roughly in the beginning of last decade, set in chaotic north Indian small-towns, where characters could be freely petty or artless, where masculinity and youth weren’t sculpted and perfected but caught between the traditional and the modern, unable to find a footing anywhere. These films vaguely resemble the urban comedies of the 70s, where Amol Palekar played an artless and ordinary young man struggling to thrive and prosper in an increasingly competitive world. But unlike the latter, most of the new Bollywood small-town comedies feature women who, regardless of their background, are clones of each other. Exotic, woke and one-dimensional, they are perfect foils to the small-town men who want to court them.
In Chhalaang, Rajkummar Rao plays a loose reworking of his characters from Stree, Bareilly Ki Barfi and Behen Hogi Teri, who had to overcome their fear, ego and laxity to earn the approval of the society. His character, Montu, is as ordinary as his name. In order to find love, he has to find himself first. It’s neither the girl’s (Nushrat Bharucha) parents nor a Goliath villain that poses him the hardest challenge, but his surroundings that has conditioned him to stay mediocre like an irrecognisable speck in a herd.
Montu, who was a talented athlete in his teenage, stands to lose his job as a physical education teacher at the town’s school when a confident and more qualified trainer (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub) arrives. Refusing to be degraded to the position of an assistant, Montu stands up for himself, probably for the first time in life, and asks the amiable school principal (Ila Arun) to conduct a multisport competition to select the right candidate.
The film has a great sub-cast who bring aboard a lot of genuineness and warmth, but they play characters rooted in cliches﹣a quiet and wise father with a good sense of humour, a nagging mother who wants to see his laadla married and settled in life, and a bunch of friends, like Saurabh Shukla’s retired teacher and Jatin Sarna’s sweetshop-wala, who carry the small-town sass and mirth. None of them get a memorable moment.
In Chhalaang, romance doesn’t bloom out of a chemistry between individuals. Neelima (Bharucha) might be idealist and smart, but she can’t help being used as a bone of contention between Montu and his rival. Over a bunch of unreasonable and bland scenes, she oscillates between the two men who are no better than each other.
The chaos, the jokes and the predicaments the characters face are familiar too. Montu selects the math nerds in the school for his kabaddi and basketball teams, and magically prepares them to fight the naturally talented players of the rival team. Simultaenously, he grows as an individual. All in a month’s time. Like the recent Malayalam hit Thanneer Mathan Dinangal, Chhalaang features imperfect teachers, who humiliate each other and cut a sorry figure in front of the students instead of being “role models”. But it lacks any self-awareness to invest on this subject. It coolly moves to the climactic sequence where the school children are forced to fight it out on the court on behalf of two man-babies. The film is set almost entirely within a school compound, but it doesn’t look at the teenager students as human beings who hold opinions and emotions. And most of all, for a film set amidst young people, Chhalaang is acutely boring and unimaginative.
To compare Chhalaang to Mehta’s Shahid or the recent Scam 1992 would be an act highly inappropriate. If those were films with a sturdy vision, this looks like a prank or a cheap thrill he committed in between real work. Mehta gives up the slightest chance to go beyond the superficial or go against the streotypes. At best, his film is a neatly shot costume drama, where actors dressed up as small-towners indulge in 130-minutes of multiplex-friendly tomfoolery.
*****
Chhalaang is streaming on Amazon Prime Video
*****
The Chhalaang review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Silverscreenindia.com and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.
Marvel Studio’s original series WandaVision will premiere on Disney+ on January 15, 2021. The series will kickstart the fourth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Marvel announced the arrival of WandaVision on Thursday night on social media. Sharing a video of the announcement, Marvel Studio wrote, “A new era arrives. Marvel Studios’ @WandaVision, an Original Series, is streaming Jan. 15 on #DisneyPlus.”
The six-hour long series will also be Marvel Studios’ first ever creation specifically for Disney+. The announcement of WandaVision coincided with the first-year anniversary of Disney+. WandaVision will be Disney+’s high profile series after The Mandalorian. With the new show to air soon, Disney+, which had announced that it had more than 60 million subscribers in August, can look forward to an increase in its subscription base.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, Marvel Studios had to push back the dates of several movies and shows, including Black Widow and Thor: Love and Thunder. WandaVision will mark Marvel’s first outing in a year following the pandemic.
Billed as a fantasy series set within a sitcom-inspired universe, WandaVision is about two super-powered beings, Wanda Maximoff and Vision, who begin to suspect that not everything is what it seems like in their ideal suburban lives.
The show stars Elisabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany as Vision. The two had made their debut in the MCU with Avengers: Age of Ultron. They had later made their appearance in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: End Game.
Marvel announced the fourth phase of the MCU, which will follow where it left off in End Game. The lineup includes several Disney+ exclusive shows, including WandaVision, Loki and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Disney+ also has LEGOStar Wars Holiday Special coming up this month. The streaming platform will also be premiering the Pixar movie Soul, which will premiere on December 25.
Kakababur Protyabortan, a Bengali film starring actor Prosenjit Chatterjee and directed by Srijit Mukherji, will be releasing on Christmas, announced production house Shree Venkatesh Films on Twitter on Thursday.
The film also stars Aryann Bhowmick and Anirban Chakrabarti in the lead.
এই বড়দিনে আফ্রিকার রাজাকে টেক্কা দিতে আসছে আমাদের রাজা রায়চৌধুরি, #Kakababu!
Based on Jongoler Moddhey Ek Hotel by Sunil Gangopadhyay, this film will be the third installment in the director’s Kakababu series, after Mishawr Rawhoshyo and Yeti Obhijaan.
Kakababur Protyabortan‘s story will revolve around Raja Roy Chowdhury, aka Kakababu, and his nephew Santu. The pair go on a trip to Nairobi in Kenya and is hosted by a Bengali couple. Kakababu and Santu are invited by African-based Indian businessman Ashok Desai and his partner Mr Ninjane to visit their hotel at the Maasai Mara forest. Just before their arrival, some German tourists go missing from the hotel and what happens next is the crux of the plot.
The film has been extensively shot in Kenya. A report in India Bloomsquoted Mukherji saying, “Kakababur Protyabortan is an adventure trip to the jungles of Africa. This time, Kakababu, along with Santu, reaches Kenya for a night’s stay before their trip to the great Masai Mara Game Reserve and a string of thrill starts from there. Alongside the story, the USP about Kakababur Protyaborton is the amazing location that the film has been shot in. I am sure the audience will get to witness the extravaganza of Africa’s wildlife through this film.”
According to the report, the director said that the cast and crew faced several challenges while filming wild animals. The shooting, however, was a fun experience, he said.
Meanwhile, Chatterjee is set to don the directorial hat next year. Talking to The Times of India, the actor said, “I will start directing next year. It is based on a historical novel. So, I am spending a lot of time on the script and pre-production.”
Days before the theatrical release of Tamil adult horror comedy Irandam Kuththu, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the filmmakers to remove the film’s teaser from social media.
The court, while hearing a public interest litigation, observed that teasers with obscene content will ruin the minds of the young.
Talking to Silverscreen India, Irandam Kuththu’s director Santhosh P Jayakumar said that he was yet to receive the order and further action could only be taken after it arrived. Asked if removing the teaser from social media would affect the film’s promotions, he said: “My teaser was removed from the official site (YouTube) four weeks back. I don’t think many people are aware of that. It was my personal opinion and so I removed it. I did this even before the case came into the hearing.”
According to Puthiya Thalaimurai, a division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice B Pugalendhi said: “The dialogues and scenes from the movie are explicit and use double meaning without any decency and morality. With the increase in crimes against children and women, such teasers getting shared on social media will not do any good. It may lead to an increase in such crimes.”
After the teaser of Irandam Kuththu was released in October, many people, including veteran director Bharathiraja, condemned the film for its explicit content. Following the director’s condemnation, Panangattu Padai Katchi’s leader A Hari Nadar filed a police complaint on October 9 against the makers of Irandam Kuththu, requesting action be taken against them.
After major Indian digital cinema service providers like UFO Moviez and Qube Cinema decided to waive Virtual Print Fee for films releasing in November, Irandam Kuththu was cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with 32 cuts and given an ‘A’ certificate. According to The Times of India report, a petitioner originally sought to restrain the release of the film but the court refused to do so as it cannot act in place of the (CBFC).
The Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) 2020 Film Benefit, presented by fashion brand Chanel, is set to honor actor George Clooney. Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting artists who have been impacted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the tribute comes ahead of the December release of Clooney’s film The Midnight Sky on Netflix. MoMA’s film collection already includes eight Clooney films- Out of Sight, Three Kings, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Spy Kids, Intolerable Cruelty, Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, and The Good German.
Chief curator of film at MoMA Rajendra Roy said that Clooney was selected for his philanthropic activity, apart from his contribution to cinema.
The event will also benefit the Artist Relief, an emergency initiative created by a coalition of national arts grantmakers to offer financial support and informational resources to artists across the United States amid the pandemic.
For the first time, a $25 ticket will be offered for those looking to attend, with the proceeds going directly to the Artist Relief. There are pricier options as well, with tickets ranging from $5,000 to $75,000 and those that include “dinner and a movie” for screenings of The Midnight Sky paired with a home viewing experience menu, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
“The arts, especially film, are critical to civil society especially during these challenging times,” said Glenn D Lowry, David Rockefeller director at MoMa. “We are proud to continue championing the important contributions of film and filmmakers, and grateful to support Artist Relief and all of the vital work that they’re doing to help artists across the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The film is a modern adaptation of Anna Sewell’s 1877 novel by the same name. It is a fictional autobiography of the wild horse and is narrated by her, in this case, Winslet. This story follows a wild, seemingly untamable horse born in the American West before being rounded up and taken from her family to live at Birtwick Stables. There, the animal meets a young girl, Jo Green (played by Foy), who also lost her family. The two forge an unbreakable bond as new buyers threaten to take Black Beauty away again.
Jeremy Bolt and Robert Kulzer from Constantin Film will be producing the project, while Martin Moszkowicz, Edward Winters and Jon Brown will be executive producers. Disney+ acquired the distribution rights of the film from Constantin Film this July.
Black Beauty has been adapted multiple times, for film and television, most recently in 1994 in a version starring Sean Bean and David Thewlis, with Alan Cumming as the voice of the horse, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Foy was last seen in the 2018 film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Davis’s last directorial venture was the 2016 film Adolescence. Winslet was last seen in Ammonite, which premiered in September at the Toronto International Film Festival. She is currently shooting for Avatar 3.
