Section: Movies

The Gray Man: Regé-Jean Page, Billy Bob Thornton, Alfre Woodard Join Netflix’s Film Cast

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Netflix on Wednesday announced the addition of three more cast members to their biggest budget movie, The Gray Man. The three faces joining are Bridgerton’s  Regé-Jean Page, Golden Globe winner Billy Bob Thorton, and Primetime Emmy award winner Alfre Woodard.

These new cast members join the previously announced cast that includes Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana De Armas, Wagner Moura, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush, and Julia Butters.

Avengers directors Joe and Anthony Russo will direct the film. According to Deadline, Netflix has committed its highest ever budget for this film.

The report in Deadline added that Netflix is eyeing The Gray Man to become a new franchise.

The Netflix original is a crime thriller based on the debut novel by American author Mark Greaney’s The Gray Man. The novel, published in 2009, revolves around a former Central Intelligence Agency operative and freelance assassin Court Gentry.

The action thriller film will follow Gentry (played by Gosling) as he’s hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Evans), a former cohort of Gentry’s at the CIA. A Deadline exclusive report stated that the production of The Gray Man is starting in two weeks in Los Angeles.

Tamil actor Dhanush, who was last seen in Pattas and has a Netflix release lined up in 2021, joined the cast of The Gray Man in December 2020, making it his second international film, after the 2018 French adventure comedy The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir directed by Ken Scott. No official announcement regarding the film’s release date has been made yet.

The Gray Man’s script has been written by the Russo Brothers, along with Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely.

Besides directing and scriptwriting, the Russo Brothers will also co-produce the film with Mike Larocca under their production banner, AGBO, along with Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Chris Castaldi under their banner of Roth Kirschenbaum Films.

Nenjam Marapathillai: Tamil Film to Release Tomorrow After Makers Settle Financial Issues

BY Anusha Sundar On

Nenjam Marapathillai, the upcoming Tamil horror-thriller film will release in theatres as scheduled on Friday, the makers of the film announced on social media on Thursday.

The film is written and directed by filmmaker Selvaraghavan. It is produced by Escape Artists Motion Pictures, GLO Studios, and Southside Studios banners.

The film ran into trouble after the Madras High Court on Tuesday issued an interim stay order on the release following a plea had been filed by M/s Radiance Media Pvt Ltd. The petitioner had claimed that Escape Artists Motion Pictures had planned for the film’s release without settling their dues of Rs 1.24 crore. They had claimed that the amount was gathered from the loan which the banner borrowed from them during the release of the Tamil film Ennai Nokki Payum Thotta (2019). Following this, Justice PT Asha who was hearing the plea ordered a stay on the release of the film until March 15.

Rockfort Entertainment, which bagged the film’s theatrical release rights, announced on Thursday that the issues between both parties had been resolved and the film will release as per schedule.

Earlier, speaking to Silverscreen India, producer Madhan of Escape Artists Motion Pictures had said that the film will release in at least 325-350 screens in Tamil Nadu.

According to the court order, an affidavit was filed by Escape Artists Motion Pictures stating that they have paid Rs 60 lakh by a demand draft to the petitioner. In addition, an undertaking to pay Rs 81,34,846 on or before July 31 along with the interest at the rate of 12% per annum from March 3 was submitted. After confirming that the demand draft was received and the petitioner has no objection to releasing the film, the court suspended the interim stay order.

This is not the first time the film has been embroiled with issues. In production since 2014, the film was initially scheduled to release in July 2016. However, it was postponed due to the introduction of Goods and Services Tax by the Centre and lack of clarity regarding Entertainment Tax by the Tamil Nadu government. The film also faced several production issues, delaying its release further.

Nenjam Marapathillai stars SJ Suryah, Regina Cassandra, and Nandita Swethaa in the lead roles. The film’s music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. The film’s technical crew consists of Arvind Krishna as the cinematographer Prasanna GK as the editor, and Vijay Adinathan as art director.

Income Tax Department Raids Properties of Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Actor Taapsee Pannu, and Others

BY Anindita Banerjee On

The Income Tax department on Wednesday conducted raids at the properties of filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, producer Vikas Bahl, producer-distributor Madhu Mantena, and actor Taapsee Pannu in Mumbai and Pune, reported ANI.

As per The Hindu, the raids were a part of a tax evasion probe against Phantom Films, which was launched by Kashyap but dissolved in 2018. Bahl and Mantena were the co-promoters of Phantom Films.

An official reason for the raids at Pannu’s properties has not been disclosed yet.

According to Hindustan Times, the Income Tax department is searching over 30 locations in Mumbai and Pune linked to the Hindi film industry celebrities. The houses of some executives of celebrity and talent management company KWAN are also being raided.

Times Now reported on Thursday that the raids have been resumed at the same places. The channel mentioned that phones and laptops of Pannu, Kashyap, Bahl, Mantena, and their managers have been seized. The raids have stalled the shooting schedule of Pannu in Pune, as they are still being interrogated. Pannu in February started shooting for Kashyap’s film Dobaaraa. 

Sources in the Income Tax department told Times Now that notices had been served last month to actors, director and producers who had worked with Phantom Films.

Kashyap, Motwane, Mantena, and Bahl launched Phantom Films in 2011. In March 2015, Reliance Entertainment bought a 50% stake in the company. However, after Bahl was accused of sexual harassment by a former employee of the production company in 2018, the company was dissolved. Three years later, Mantena bought the shares of the other three. Currently, the production house is a joint venture between Mantena’s new firm, Mad Man Ventures, and Reliance Entertainment, with both parties holding 50% stake each.

While Pannu and others are yet to comment on the raids, the situation didn’t go down well with some political leaders, members of the film industry, and Twitterati.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra denounced the action and wrote on Twitter, “Bollywood that crawls when asked to bend given Y+ security. Bollywood that stands straight with farmers raided by IT.”

Actor Swara Bhasker also took to Twitter and wrote an “appreciation post” for Pannu calling her “an amazing girl with courage and conviction that is rare to see”. She also tweeted along similar lines for Kashyap.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also took to the micro-blogging site to hit back at the Centre and wrote in a tweet in Hindi, “Some Idioms: ‘Ungaliyon par nachaana’ – Central government does this with IT Dept-ED-CBI. ‘Bheegee billee banana’ – friendly media in front of the central government. ‘khisiyaanee billee khamba noche’ – like the central government makes a raid on the supporters of the farmer.”

However, commenting on the ongoing raids, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the agencies only go after those against whom they have credible information. “The matter later goes to court,” he said in a press meet.

Both Pannu and Kashyap have earlier stood in solidarity with the ongoing farmers’ protest.

Screen Actors Guild Awards 2021 to be Pre-Taped Event, No Live Broadcast

BY Shrija Ganguly On

The Screen Actors Guild Awards 2021 will be a pre-taped hour-long event that will be held at the Staples Center on April 4, executive producers Todd Milliner, Sean Hayes, and Kathy Connell told Variety on Wednesday.

While there has been no official statement yet, the makers told Variety that the event will also squeeze in SAG’s “I Am an Actor” signature mini-speeches from performers, that will be dispersed across the 13 categories.

“We’re looking at trying to do a unique award ceremony in an hour and leave people saying, which they very rarely do [with an awards show], ‘Man, I wish we had more,” Milliner told Variety. “It is a jam-packed hour, and we’re still trying to rob from one part to give to another part. When you start parsing out that hour, we didn’t really have time for a stage. Honestly if none of the rest of the show was going to be live we thought, let’s put the rest of this time into those segments.”

The nominees will know of the winners in each category days before the actual event in a video conference, making SAG Awards the first international event to resort to this method.

“We hope they respect the show enough and everybody does, and their fellow actors, that they don’t want to disappoint the audience at home by letting any surprises go,” Connell told Variety.

The event will feature performances by artists like Lily Collins, David Deegs, both of whom had also announced the nominations for this year, Sterling K Brown, Ted Danson, and Mary Steenburgen.

“SAG Awards is a project where everybody has to work together, so we respect all of those protocols that are in place just to make everybody feel safe,” Hayes told Variety.

The recently-held Golden Globe Awards 2021 was held bi-coastally, with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting the event for the fourth time from New York’s Rainbow Room inside NBC’s corporate headquarters, and the Globes’ usual home, Beverly Hilton, respectively. It was broadcast live from The Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California, on NBC channel.

The recipients were virtually honoured with the presenters announcing the names. However, the trophies weren’t handed out to the winners. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association plans on delivering them later.

For the Emmy Awards 2020, the producers reportedly sent a ring light, a laptop, a boom mic and a camera as part of the package to the nominees.

The Priest: Mammootty Starrer Film’s Release Postponed

BY Anusha Sundar On

The Priest, the upcoming Malayalam film starring Mammootty, which was supposed to release in theatres on Thursday, will be releasing at a later date, the film’s director Jofin T Chacko announced in a social media post on Tuesday.

The Priest is Chacko’s debut directorial. He has also written the film, which is produced by Anto Joseph, Unnikrishnan B, and VN Babu. The film co-stars Manju Warrier and marks her maiden collaboration with Mammootty.

The Priest’s makers have not revealed the new release date.

In his post, Chacko said: “Since cinema halls in other countries currently remain closed and there’s still no permission to run four daily shows in theatres in Kerala, we have been forced to postpone the release of The Priest.”

“There are no second shows. The release of The Priest has been postponed from March 4,” he said.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jofin T Chacko (@jofin_t_chacko)

Chacko, in another post, thanked Mammootty and producers for their support in making the film when it was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Despite going through so many crises, I was able to complete this big-budget film where Mammookka [Mammootty] and Manju Warrier came together for the first time, along with the help of the producers. The Coronavirus brought the world to a standstill at a time when 80% of the filming of Priest was completed, the rest was shot after eight months,” he wrote.

Stressing that The Priest is a film that should be watched in theatres, Chacko wrote that the film should be released worldwide on the same day. Chacko pointed out that theatres in the Middle East, including in Dubai, Saudi, Oman- where they plan to simultaneously release the film- are currently not functioning.

He said that the big-budget film would not be able to reach the family audience in Kerala.

“Only small films were released in Malayalam, the second show was expected to start from March 1 but it did not happen. Let’s wait until favorable decisions come. I am also waiting to see my first movie as a Mammookka fan in theatres that are fully active,” he wrote.

Early in January, the Kerala government allowed theatres to operate with 50% seating capacity after a hiatus of nine months. Most of the theatres had waited for Vijay-starrer Master to release on January 13, and for relief measures to be announced, including waiving the Entertainment Tax and Fixed Electricity Charges. While neighbouring states, like Tamil Nadu, had started to function with 100% seating capacity, Kerala continued to run only limited shows with half occupancy. Cinema halls in Kerala reopened on January 13 after the government announced a relief package with limited timings from 9am to 9pm.

Speaking to Silverscreen India Suresh Shenoy, the owner of Shenoys Theatre in Kochi and Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala treasurer, said that the choice of screening timings is unfavourable for theatre collection.

“Right now, we are able to screen only three shows, no matter the duration of the films. Our show timings have been set at 9 am to 9 pm. That is a source of concern for theatres and producers because even though it is 12 hours, the period from 9 am to 12 pm, is a waste since many do not turn up to watch films. In Kerala, except for the multiplexes, the shows start only by around 12pm. So effectively we can only play three shows and those constitute 45-50% of collections during the day,” Shenoy said.

He said that while the SOP guidelines in other states do not mention operating timings, the Kerala government has imposed certain restrictions.

“We raised the question and the government said they will look into it. But they have not done anything so far, despite repeated visits and requests. All we ask for is a change the timings from 9 am to 9 pm and make it 11am-11pm or 12pm-12am. We can run four shows, but with current timings, we can run only three shows,” he said.

The Priest is one of the first big-budget Malayalam films to release in theatres in Kerala after the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

Talking about The Priest’s announcement, Shenoy said, “The step has hit us badly. The theatre collections and morale will go down. When we expect a film to release and it does not, the entire week goes to waste. In addition, we need a big-budget film like The Priest. Master opened after several months of drought in a grand style. Similarly, we were expecting good content after Master. We screened Vellam: The Esssential Drink which barely performed well for the constraints we had, and Operation Java which also did very well after its release on February 12.”

Other upcoming Malayalam films include Marakkar Arabikdalinte Simham, starring Mohanlal, Nivin Pauly’s Thuramukham, and Fahadh Faasil’s Malik. All these films are releasing on May 13 on the occasion of Eid.

Malayalam Actor Assault Case: Supreme Court Gives 6 Months Extension to Complete Trial

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

The Supreme Court on Monday gave the Ernakulam Addition Special Sessions Court an extension of six months to complete the trial of the case of the abduction and sexual assault of a female Malayalam actor, in which actor Dileep is the eighth accused.

According to reports, the trial court had earlier approached the Supreme Court through the Kerala High Court seeking an extension. The request, made by the trial court judge Honey M Varghese, was heard by a three-member panel headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar.

The trial court reasoned that the extension of the deadline was necessary since there was a delay in conducting the trial due to the prosecution approaching the High Court over transferring the case to another court and the Special Public Prosecutor resigning.

The apex court permitted the extension and stated that no further extensions will be provided. The Supreme Court also requested all the parties involved to cooperate for the speedy disposal of the case.

In December 2019, the Supreme Court set the deadline for the district court to complete the trial in six months. However, the deadline was extended for another six months in August 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court had ordered for the trial to end on February 4.

After a hiatus, the trial resumed in January 2020. Currently, over 100 witnesses have been examined by the court. The court has fixed the deadline for the completion of the first phase of the trial to March 17.

The case so far

The case began in February 17, 2017, when a female Malayalam actor was abducted while she was travelling from Kochi to Thrissur in Kerala. She was sexually assaulted and then dropped near the residence of director Lal. Soon after the incident, the first accused in the abduction case, Pulsar Suni, the driver of the vehicle she was assaulted in, was arrested. In June 2017, Pulsar Suni said that actor Dileep had conspired in the assault.

On July 20, 2017, Dileep was arrested as the eighth accused in the case. He was granted bail in October 2017.

In October 2020, both the survivor and the prosecution moved the Kerala High Court to transfer the trial from Ernakulam claiming bias on the part of the judge. However, the high court dismissed the pleas after observing that there were no sustainable grounds to transfer the case. The prosecution later moved the Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court also rejected the state’s plea and upheld the decision of the Kerala High Court.

In protest, special prosecutor A Sureshan, resigned on November 24, 2020. He was later replaced by VN Anilkumar.

Nenjam Marapathillai: Madras HC Orders Stay on Film’s Release Over Financial Issues

BY Anusha Sundar On

Nenjam Marapathillai, the Tamil film directed by Selvaraghavan which is scheduled to release in theatres on Friday, was issued an interim stay order by the Madras High Court on Tuesday.

The upcoming horror-thriller film is produced by Escape Artists Motion Pictures, GLO Studios, and Southside Studios banners.

The plea, which came up for hearing before Justice PT Asha, was filed by M/s Radiance Media Pvt Ltd. The petitioner had claimed that Escape Artists Motion Pictures had planned for the film’s release without settling their dues of Rs 1.24 crore. They had claimed that the amount was gathered from the loan which the banner borrowed from them during the release of the Tamil film Ennai Nokki Payum Thotta (2019). Following this, the court ordered a stay on the release of the film until March 15.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, the film’s publicity manager Riaz Ahmed said, “The issue will be sorted out. It is not a big thing. Due to certain issues, the film has been delayed and step by step, things are being sorted out. We are hoping that the film will release on March 5 as planned.”

Talking about the injunction order, he said, “If everything goes smooth in talks held today, they may withdraw the case. Everything is possible. The team is working on everything possible to release the film on 5th.”

“The talks are going on with Radiance company. We are taking all the steps to release the film as scheduled on March 5. The number of screens the film will be opened to will only be decided by today (Wednesday) but will be a minimum of 325-350 screens in Tamil Nadu,” producer Madhan of Escape Artists Motion Pictures told Silverscreen India,

Nenjam Marapathillai was a long-delayed project of Selvaraghavan, which was in production since 2014. It was initially scheduled to release in July 2016. However, it was postponed due to the introduction of Goods and Services Tax by the Centre and lack of clarity regarding Entertainment Tax by the Tamil Nadu government. The film also faced several production issues, delaying its release. After a hiatus of over five years, Selvaraghavan, on February 8, announced that the film will release in theatres on March 5. The film’s theatrical release rights were bagged by Rockfort Entertainment.

Nenjam Marapathillai stars SJ Suryah, Regina Cassandra, and Nandita Swethaa in the lead roles. The film’s music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Kaadan Trailer Starring Rana Daggubati, Vishnu Vishal

Movie Name: Kaadan (Tamil)
Cast: Rana Daggubati, Vishnu Vishal, Zoya Hussain, Shriya Pilgaonkar
Produced: Eros Motion Pictures
Directed: Prabu Solomon
Story & Screenplay: Prabu Solomon
Director of Photography: A.R.Ashok Kumar
Music: Shantanu Moitra
Sound Design: Resul Pookutty
Background score: Shantanu Moitra & George Joseph
Editor: Buvan
Production design: Mayur Sharma
Costumes: Kirti Kolwankar & Maria Tharakan
Lyrics: Vanamaali
Action: ‘Stunner’ Sam & Stun Siva
Casting: Mukesh Chhabra CSA
Associate producer: Bhavana Mounica
Executive producer: Sushil Tirwadkar
Line producer: Inder Singh Bariya
Production supervisor: Narendra Kumar Sharma
VFX: Phantom FX & White Apple VFX
Chief assistant director: Sujit Prem Dube
Art directors: Prashant Ray, Shraddha Vasugavade
Associate Director: Jyotiraj Manoharan
Post production: The post Co.
DI- Prime Focus Ltd.
Di Colorist- Nilesh J Sawant
Sound Post- Canaries Post Sound
Re-recording mixer- Bibin Dev
Publicity design: Marching Ants
Visual Promotions: Buvan & Trigger Happy Entertainment Network
Media director: PRO Nikil Murukan

Dhamaka: Teaser of Ram Madhvani’s Hindi Directorial Starring Kartik Aaryan Released

BY Namrata Ganguly On

The teaser of Dhamaka, the upcoming Hindi film starring Kartik Aaryan in the lead, was released by Netflix on Tuesday.

According to a press release issued by the streaming giant, the film’s plot unfolds as a news anchor gets stuck in a situation with a mysterious bomb blast. With the series of ups and downs and events that follow, he must make a choice between his career or the humanist in him.

Aaryan will be making his debut on Netflix as a “frustrated ex-news anchor” named Arjun Pathak in Dhamaka, which is directed by Ram Madhvani. The film also marks the first collaboration for the actor-director duo.

While Madhvani mentioned that he wanted to work with Aaryan for a few years, Aaryan said: “Working with a maverick like Ram Madhvani has allowed me to explore and showcase a new facet of my personality.”

Dhamaka also features Mrunal Thakur, Amruta Subhash, Vikas Kumar and Vishwajeet Pradhan in pivotal roles.

Speaking about Thakur’s character, Madhvani said, “I feel blessed that Mrunal agreed to act in our film as a special appearance . She is the films moral centre and she brings an honesty and a believability to her performance that I have had the privilege of being at the receiving end of as a director. Mrunal is a very rare talent.”

According to Madhvani, Subhash is one of those actors whose performances “you remember and note down and say ‘I want to work with this actress‘. I feel generations to come will remark on her acting prowess.”

While director and producer Madhvani directed the Sushmita Sen-starrer Aarya, which is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, Dhamaka is his first collaboration with Netflix.

Kumar and Pradhan, who had previously featured in Aarya, are once again joining hands with Madhvani in Dhamaka. 

The film’s motion poster was shared by Aaryan on his birthday in November 2020.

Produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies and Ram Madhvani Films in association with Lotte Cultureworks, Globalgate Entertainment & Lionsgate, Dhamaka will premiere on Netflix across 190 countries this summer.

Berlinale 2021: Before a Pandemic, After a War

BY Aditya Shrikrishna On

In Shengze Zhu’s A River Runs, Turns, Erases, Replaces, the camera is on perennial lockdown. It’s pure documentation of Wuhan as it existed, exists and remembers. The film begins in the heady days of February and March 2020, when Wuhan was the epicentre of both the Covid-19 pandemic and conversations around the world.

Premiering at Berlin International Film Festival, Zhu’s film reminds us that the 2020 edition of Berlinale was the last pre-pandemic, normally run film festival. We see surveillance footage with date and time, like a high quality CCTV camera that looks out at an intersection in Wuhan from February to April. A deserted city centre gradually becomes mobile, first with conservancy workers – one of them has a single piece of garbage to pick up – followed by a few people, delivery pick-ups, ambulance sirens and alarms as we move to April with the lockdown lifting and people moving. But Zhu, who has been steadfast in following China’s modern cultural developments follows up her 2019’s Tiger award winning Present.Perfect with A River Runs, Turns, Erases, Replaces goes back to Wuhan as it should and must exist in public consciousness – people about town, crossing the Yangtze by road and ferry, steamboats in the harbour and business district lights coming on across the river as we hear murmurs of a football game, a mid-air football and people walking their dogs, no mask in sight.

Zhu’s film is an attempt at reversing Wuhan’s displacement in the eyes of the world. Giving it back the rightful place or where it belonged, a cultural and business capital in central province of the country. With echoes of racism and phobia around the world and murmurs of “Chinese virus” still at large while the vaccination drives rollout, this is a film that captures people going about life as everyone knew.

Bridges being built, having conversations, playing a sport or even the ruins of buildings razed to the ground. The images are bookended by readouts of letters, written to a partner, a grandmother, a father and a brother, all taken by the pandemic but their distinct imprints on the city intact. The imprints pre-2020 that Zhu captures in images. And every image is from around the river, a symbol of the city itself, how vast it is, how it continues to run, create and destroy memories as people traverse it in all forms.

Memories come in all forms in Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige’s Memory Box as they continue to grapple with the aftermath of wartime upbringing. The film unfurls with the words “Freely adapted from correspondence of Joanna Hadjithomas 1982-1988”, the years marking the height of Lebanese Civil War.

Maia’s (Rim Turkhi) daughter Alex (Paloma Vauthier) is locked down too in Canada but due to a snowstorm and her escape is through the digital box she holds in her hands, corresponding with friends on video and chat groups. She realises how little she knows about her mother as a box arrives at her doorstep on Christmas with her mother’s teenage keepsakes – letters, cassettes, photographs and negatives. As she clicks instant photographs of her mother’s younger self – running after romance and youth more than running away from the blitzkrieg of war – to share with her friends, her mother tries to get a thirty year old roll of film developed.

Hadjithomas and Joreige’s film possesses a formal allure, its wartime Lebanon juxtaposing rebellious teenage years, watching 1982 FIFA World Cup and heroics of Paolo Rossi, with the trauma of war and losing loved ones. The first world countries competing in the tournament are involved in some form in the civil war. The irony of Memory Box premiering at Berlinale less than a week after US bombed Syria – countries with heavy investment in the civil war then – isn’t lost either. A shot of young Maia (Manal Issa) and her boyfriend Raja on a motorbike as explosions ravage behind them could be from an action potboiler but in Memory Box it attains special poignancy.

Alex’s French and her grandmother’s Arabic jostle for space as the director duo deftly handle similar jostling of 80s memory boxes with Alex’s constant fiddling with her smartphone and social media. Corners of frames burn out and Maia’s negatives yield foggy memories – making her question the credibility of her own memory. Is she sad because she can’t remember or because she can’t tell how much of what she recalls is true? The themes of Memory Box can be heavy, but it lands light on its feet with a lot of frolic in the way it is framed and designed making it a film one won’t forget for a long time.

Wild Dog: Nagarjuna’s Telugu Film to Release in Theatres on April 2, Skips Netflix Premiere

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Wild Dog, Nagarjuna’s upcoming Telugu film, will have a theatrical release on April 2.

The film was initially slated to release on Netflix. The makers changed their decision following the success of theatrical releases of films like Krack, Zombie Reddy, and Uppena, the film’s PR team member Dileep Lekkala told Silverscreen India. 

Ravi Teja’s Krack released on Sankranthi, followed by Zombie Reddy, and Uppena, both of which released in February.

“It’s almost 18 months of togetherness for the film. It’s finally releasing only in theatres on April 2nd. We initially planned to release the film on OTT, but went back as Telugu films are doing wonderfully of late,” Nagarjuna said in a press release.

The Manmadhudu 2 actor will be playing the role of a National Investigation Agency officer and encounter specialist ACP Vijay Varma.

Speaking about his character, Nagarjuna said in the press release, “I was surprised when I first heard the title. But, I was convinced with director Ashishor Solomon’s reasoning. Wild Dog in the jungle can hunt anything. They don’t give up. The film will see that kind of a game. Moreover, my character has a nickname of Wild Dog.”

Lekkala told Silverscreen India that the makers “will wait for a theatrical release only” even in case of “a lockdown”.

The Ashishor Solomon directorial will just release in Telugu in cinema halls across Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Karnataka.t The film, however, will not have a pan-India release as “it is a straight Telugu film”, said Lekkala.

He added that there was no confirmation about the date of the film’s release on Netflix, after its theatrical release.

The film was shot in Hyderabad, Goa, Thailand, and Rohtang Pass.

The film also stars Saiyami Kher, Dia Mirza, Ali Reza, Atul Kulkarni, and others. While S Thaman has composed music, action choreography was done by Sham Kaushal, who predominantly works in the Hindi film industry.

The film is produced by S Niranjan Reddy and Anvesh Reddy, under the banner of Matinee Entertainment.

Apart from Wild Dog, Gopichand‘s Telugu film Seetimaarr and Karthi‘s Tamil film Sulthan will also release on April 2.

Darlings: Alia Bhatt Announces First Production Venture Starring Roshan Mathew, Vijay Varma, Shefali Shah

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Alia Bhatt, the Hindi actor, on Monday announced on social media her first production venture, Darlings.

She will be starring in the film alongside Roshan Mathew, Vijay Varma, and Shefali Shah.

Earlier on Sunday, the Highway actor had revealed the name of her production house, Eternal Sunshine Productions, and the logo as well. Darlings will mark the directorial debut of Jasmeet K Reen.

A short teaser video of the film was revealed by Hindi actor Shah Rukh Khan, who is co-producing the venture with Bhatt.

“Life is tough Darlings, but so are you… both! Unleashing our Darlings onto the world… Caution is advisable,” his post read. He also revealed that the film will be a “dark comedy”.

According to a press release, the film is a unique story of a quirky mother-daughter duo navigating through crazy circumstances as they try to find their place in the world. The film is set in Mumbai against the backdrop of a conservative lower-middle-class neighbourhood and traces the lives of these two women as they find courage and love in exceptional circumstances.

Gaurav Verma, producer and COO, Red Chillies Entertainment, said in a press release that the company’s endeavour has always been to collaborate with fresh talent and that vision aligned with Darlings.

“Jasmeet is a talented writer-director and Darlings is her very entertaining take on life. We have a fabulous cast in Shefali, Vijay, and Roshan, and a wonderful partner in Alia as actor-producer. It’s a great story and we are eager to bring it to the viewers,” he said.

Bhatt said in the statement that the film has a “powerful story with a lot of humour and doses of dark comedy”.

Written by Parveez Sheikh and Reen, the film is slated to go on floors from this month.

Walking Talking Strawberry Icecream: Vinayak V’s Upcoming Tamil Directorial to Star Krishnakumar Balasubramanian and Singer Jonita Gandhi

BY Anusha Sundar On

Walking Talking Strawberry Icecream, the upcoming Tamil film, which will be the next production venture of filmmaker Vignesh Shivan and actor Nayanthara’s home banner Rowdy Pictures, was launched during an inaugural ceremony on February 27.

The film stars Krishnakumar Balasubramanian who was seen in Tamil drama film Soorarai Pottru (2020) and singer Jonita Gandhi, who will be making her acting debut. Walking Talking Strawberry Icecream will be directed by debutant director Vinayak V, who is a former associate of Shivan.

Vinayak said that the film is not a typical “boy meets girl” story. “It is about a man in his late 20s who takes a trip down memory lane. He revisits some things from the past, including the people he has loved. The dominant theme in the film is nostalgia,” he said.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Vinayak, who has also written the story of the film, said, “The script was written in three-four months, starting from November, 2020. Over the past two months, pre-production work has been going on.”

Vinayak has worked as an associate with Shivan in action comedy Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015), Netflix’s anthology film Paava Kadhaigal (2020), and heist comedy film Thaana Serndha Koottam (2018).

Talking about working with Shivan, Vinayak said, “I have known him for about eight years now. I have watched him at work and learned many things from the way he works. For Walking Talking Strawberry Icecream, I drew inspiration from my own experiences and from whatever I have learnt under Vignesh Shivan sir’s guidance.”

Vinayak said that the film’s narration to Shivan happened impulsively. “We usually hang out at his office for discussions about films. One such day, I narrated a line of the story I had in mind and he liked it, it struck a chord with him. Then, I narrated about 30 more minutes of the story. Right there, we decided to make this film. It happened impulsively. He is good at judging what will work and what will not. So, the fact that he liked my story only boosted my confidence in the film,” he said.

Vinayak said that they had cast Krishnakumar after seeing him in Soorarai Pottru, while Gandhi had sung a song in Kolamavu Kokila with lyrics written by Shivan.

“So, sir [Shivan] had suggested her name and we approached her. She liked the story and accepted to do it,” Vinayak said.

The filmmaker said that the fictional story is based on “human psyche and humour”. Asked how he came up with the film’s title, he said, “While the title does have an intrigue factor, there is more to it. The title itself is tied very closely with the plot of the film. The title originated from a sort of inside joke only my circle of friends know.”

Vinayak said that the film will go on floors this month and will be filmed in Chennai and Puducherry. He said that the film will comprise an ensemble cast and they will be introduced at later stages.

“You can expect more well-known faces to join the cast. The story will revolve around seven people who will be having equal importance,” the director said. Vinayak said that the team has planned to wrap up shooting in this year.

He said that other cast and crew members will be announced soon.

Shivan’s home production had previously produced Koozhangal (Pebbles), directed by debut filmmaker Vinothraj PS. The film became the first Tamil film to win the prestigious Tiger Award at the recently held 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam. In December 2020, Shivan announced that Rocky Pictures had acquired Rocky, an upcoming Tamil film, directed by Shivan’s long-time friend Arun Matheshwaran. Shivan is also producing Nayanthara’s upcoming thriller film Netrikann.

Actor Nani Announces ‘HIT’ Sequel, Director Sailesh Kolanu Says Film was Conceived as a Franchise

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Actor Nani announced on Sunday the sequel to the 2020 Telugu film HIT: The First Case.

Written and  directed by Sailesh Kolanu, the sequel will be a part of the HIT franchise, Kolanu told Silverscreen India.

“It was conceived as a franchise. I did not think of a sequel after finishing the first film. I have like five or six stories. As of now, I can’t tell you anything until we are done with the second or third part,” he said

The mystery thriller was Kolanu’s debut film and starred Vishwak Sen, Ruhani Sharma, Murali Sharma, Brahmaji, Ravi Varma, and others.

Talking about the change in the location that was announced, he said, “It is basically what the franchise demands because that’s the way I wrote it. So, I cannot tell you anything more than that at this point in time. You will know why Andhra Pradesh once we get going forward.”

The film is in the pre-production stage. Kolanu has finished writing the script and the film is expected to go on floors from April, and will be shot through May and June.

“The scripting and all is over. We will mostly be shooting through April, May and June,” he said.

Talking about the film’s release, he said, “I don’t want to think about the release. With the Covid situation and all we don’t even know if there might be a halt. So, as a maker I am not thinking about it. So, the first step would be to safely shoot this and take the actors and the technicians through this is in a safe and effective manner. And also being creatively satisfied with the process. I will leave the release date to the production house, Nani and Prashanti.”

Nani and costume designer Prashanti Tipirneni, are the producers of HIT, under the banner Wall Poster Cinema.

“I am making this film for the theatres. But it all depends on the Covid situation and the coming few months. I am hoping that it will be a grand theatrical release that will bring back the Telugu audience to the cinemas,” Kolanu said.

Friendship Teaser Starring Harbhajan Singh, Losliya

Watch Friendship – New Tamil Movie Official Teaser ft. Harbhajan Singh, Arjun, Losliya Mariyanesan, Sathish.

Movie: Friendship
Banner: Seantoa Studios, Cinemaass Studio
Producer: JPR & Stalin
Director: John Paul Raj & Sham Surya
Artist Name: Harbhajan Singh, Arjun, Losliya Mariyanesan, Sathish
Music Director: D.M.UdhayaKumar
Music Label: Lahari Music

Mohanlal-Starrer Malayalam Film ‘Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham’ to Release in Theatres on May 13

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, the Malayalam epic on Indian history starring Mohanlal and Suniel Shetty in the lead, will have a worldwide theatrical release on May 13.

The makers of the film along with Mohanlal made the announcement through Twitter on Sunday.

The historical war drama film is set in the 16 century and narrates the story of Kunjali Marakkar IV, the fourth and the last Malayali naval leader who fought against the Portuguese from 1507-1600 by the Samoothiri of Calicut.

The film was announced in April 2018 and it went on floors in December the same year. The film was initially announced to release on March 26, 2020 but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown which led to the shutting down of the theatres across the country.

Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham had a budget of Rs 100 crore and was shot in Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City and Kovalam in Kerala.

The Malayalam big-budget warfare film will be known as Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea worldwide and has been dubbed in several languages including Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, English and Chinese.

Written and directed by Priyadarshan, the upcoming film also features Arjun Sarja, Keerthy Suresh, Manju Warrier, Pranav Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Siddique, Ashok Selvan in pivotal roles.

The director-actor duo of Mohanlal and Priyadarshan have collaborated for Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham after five years, after having worked together for over two decades.

Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham is produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvaad Cinemas. The producer, under Perumbavoor’s banner, has collaborated with Mohanlal for over 25 films spanning over two decades, including the blockbuster hit Drishyam and its sequel Drishyam 2 that released on Amazon Prime Video in February.

Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham was initially estimated to clash with actor Mammootty‘s film based on the same story directed by Santosh Sivan, which was supposed to go on floors in November 2018 and was also announced before Mohanlal’s. There has been no announcement of the film going on floors yet.

The first film on the story of the naval chief was released in 1967, a Malayalam historical film titled Kunjali Marakkar directed by SS Rajan, which won the National Award for the Best Feature Film in Malayalam.

Pikchar With Rita: ‘Andaz’ and Its Take on Modernity in the 1940s

BY On

For the generation that was watching films during the 1940s, it must have been so heady to see stars such as Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor and Nargis – all in the same film. I remember my parents endlessly talk about Andaz (1949) and the comparative merits of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor.

Considering Dilip Kumar was the archetypal abandoned hero, it enhanced the melodramatic element around him, causing more heartbreak among his audiences. When the songs of Andaz played in my house in Mukesh’s nasal voice, one had little imagination of how much verve and pace this film had. As a child growing up in the 70s, I had the most uncharitable view on Mukesh, who reminded me and my sisters of the melancholia we associated with my mother’s family in Ajmer. Since we were only listening to the songs, either hummed by my parents or other relatives, they seemed particularly morose.

So a song like Hum aaj kaheen dil kho baithe came over as a song meant for wimps, and did not carry the zest we were used to in the 70s.

Imagine a song like that, or even Tu kahe agar jeevan bhar with those of Yaadon ki baarat I would have been listening to in that era.

However, the visuality of these songs now makes me realise how much vivacity existed around their appearance in the film. To see Cuccoo dancing and Nargis comfortably staring into Dilip Kumar’s eyes while wearing a sensuous cocktail dress has suddenly revised the perception for me. At the beginning of the film, Nargis heads out on a horseback wearing jodhpurs and introduces her male friends to her father. This has humbled me into a new realisation: my parents’ generation were exposed to a far more granular form of modernity and witnessed its tensions, joys, and dilemmas in far more interesting ways than we have.

The film invests considerable time on Veena (played by Nargis) spending time with her new friend Dileep (played by Dilip Kumar), getting to know him better, listening to him sing, playing tennis with him, and even gently flirting. As audiences, we are led to believe that the frisson between them was mutually felt, and perhaps it was. When her boyfriend Rajan (played by Kapoor) suddenly appears from London, the film creates the famous love triangle, perhaps one of the early and most unforgettable ones.

A handsome Dilip Kumar perpetually at the piano singing one well known song after another- Naushad’s creations- creates a strange limpid effect produced both through the remembrance of things past but objects and repartee that are utterly contemporary. The piano becomes the witness of love that was, that could have been and destinies that were not be.

Dapper looking men, elegant women who go on to sing songs like Uthaye ja unke sitam in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice make the film a dizzy mix of multiple sensibilities at work.

It is a different matter that the film comes to a harsh judgement about what modernity does to women, and how Veena ruined lives by not observing social protocols more carefully. Consigned to both moral and legal punishment, this videshi sensibility is made to repent, pay prices.

Cinema’s role as both fantasy-maker and instruction-giver are met with, and I wonder what remnants were left with the audience of that time. If my parents’ memories are any indication, they would have preferred marriage to be where passion was.

I was too young to understand Andaz, and by extension that generation’s negotiations with modernity.

Mirugaa Trailer Starring Srikanth, Raai Laxmi

Starring : Srikanth, Raai Laxmi, Dev Ghill, Naira, Vashanvi, Arohi & Black Pandi
Story, Screenplay & Cinematography : M.V.Panneerselvam B.Sc, DFT
Director : J.Parthiban DFT
Music Director : Aruldev
Editor : R.Sudharshan
Art Director : Milan | S.Raja mohan
VFX : Knack Studios
Motion Poster : Ramesh Acharya; R-ARTWORKS
PRO : Nikkil Murugan
Creative Producer : M.Naresh Jain
Producer : B.Vinod Jain
Production Company : Jaguar studios
Digital Creatives and Promotions : N.S.Jegadeesan (Digitally)
Music On : Divo

Thirike Review: An Uneven Yet Persuasive Human Drama About Home

BY Aswathy Gopalakrishnan On

Director: Sam Xavier and George Kora

Cast: Gopi Krishnan, George Kora, Shanthi Krishna, Gopan Mangat, Sarassa Balussery

At the beginning of Thirike, two little boys whose parents died recently wait on the corridor of a Christian orphanage. The younger one, Thoma, is fiercely protective of Sebu, the elder child. The film seems to be protective of him too. Throughout the sequence, he is carefully hidden from the camera eye. In the end, the film reveals what it had been holding like a secret ﹣ Sebu is a child with Down Syndrome.

This well-staged, well-performed sequence launches the viewers into the world of the siblings. When the film cuts to several years down the line, we see that Sebu (Gopi Krishnan), whom everyone assumed to be the defective one, has grown into a confident young man who laughs and makes others laugh effortlessly, thanks to the support of a new family. Thoma (George Kora), the boy who had wanted to be a guardian, has turned into a loner struggling to find happiness, who cannot free himself of the emotional burdens from the past. He keeps hovering around his brother, trying to guard him against forgetting the past. The irony is tragic.

Thirike, directed by Sam Xavier and George Kora, is founded on this impressive idea. Through the tale of the two siblings, who are misfits in their surroundings in two different ways, the film examines how love and kindness make the world a better place.

While there is a lot to love about Thirike, it is impossible to ignore its appalling weaknesses. For the most part, the film flits between silly and solemn, unable to choose between the two. It suffers from a compulsive urge to keep everything feel-good and fun, even at the cost of subtlety.

The tonal inconsistency is apparent in the former half of the film, where the narrative is built on broad strokes. For instance, at Sebu’s birthday party, one of his friends, a mean little boy, announces to his friends that Sebu is ‘different’ and ‘sick’. He is a shorthand representation of the rest of the world who don’t see Sebu as an adorable young man as his family does. But should the depiction of the real-world be as flat and artless as this?

The faux-cheerful approach ruins the film’s intention to delve into the complexity of the relationship that Thoma shares with Sebu. Sometimes it sets up a cue to laugh at the most inappropriate places. When Sebu goes missing, Thoma does a loud and ridiculous ‘act’ at the distraught foster family’s apartment to register his exasperation.

Sebu’s foster family (Shanthi Krishna and Gopan Mangat), affluent and immensely kind, has rechristened him as Ismail. There is a contest between them and Thoma to win the young man’s love. But the viewers do not get a great view of the younger sibling. How did the quiet boy transform into a compulsive liar who makes up for everything he lacks in life by posing as a charmer? How did he survive post parting from his brother? Kora’s performance is sincere but inadequate in expressing the gravitas Thoma has tucked away deep within himself.

In the latter half, set in the brothers’ native village in Idukki, the filmmaking style undergoes a definite transformation. It attains an emotional sensitivity and an eye for details ﹣qualities which were thoroughly absent in its former part. The class differences between Thoma and Sebu gets narrower as they trace their once-abandoned home diligently manned by Shosamma (Sarassa Balussery), a friendly granny next-door. The camera (cinematography by Cherin Paul) turns more conscious too. In one of the film’s mightiest scenes, the camera stays still inside the kitchen of a lonely Shosamma as she tries to gather herself together.

Gopikrishnan’s persuasive performance is Thirike‘s greatest asset. The debut actor walks a fine line between jolly and vulnerable without going overboard. There is an instance where a girl he likes politely breaks his heart. He laughs that awkward laugh, hiding his disappointment.

Kora and Sam treat Sebu delicately. You understand why his mother and Thoma have to scramble for his affection. Sebu does not understand the theatrical expressions of love. For him, love implies looking for umma (mother) at night. Love is why he leaps towards Thoma when a car alarm goes off out of the blue. Kora and Sam recognise these gentle signs and create a heartwarming finale.

If the film appears better than the sum of its parts, it is because of this understated climax where it states: a genetic disorder is not a tragedy, but the absence of love is.

****

The Thirike 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.

Sardar Ka Grandson: Arjun Kapoor, Neena Gupta and Rakul Preet Singh Starrer to Release on Netflix

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Arjun Kapoor, Neena Gupta, and Rakul Preet Singh starrer Sardar Ka Grandson will release on Netflix this summer, the streaming platform announced in a press release on Saturday.

The film, which is a family entertainer, also stars Aditi Rao Hydari, John Abraham, Soni Razdan, Kanwaljit Singh, Kumud Mishra, and Divya Seth.

According to the press release, the film showcases the journey of a US-return grandson who will go to any length to fulfill his grandmother’s last wish. Sardar (played by Gupta), who is a fun-loving matriarch of a large, warm family based in Punjab. Talking about her character, Gupta said, “This is a heartwarming story filled with lots of emotions and laughter. It’s the perfect family watch as you embark on a journey with my grandson as he fights all odds to fulfill my last wish. This is the first time I am playing a character like this one and I am excited to see how the audience reacts to it!”

Kapoor, who is playing the role of the grandson, said in the press release that working alongside a talented ensemble cast was an “enriching experience” for him. He added that he hopes the story will resonate with the audiences across the globe, especially with the “raw and real” emotions that the grandmother and grandson pair share with each other.

Sardar Ka Grandson is directed by debutant Kaashvie Nair, who has previously assisted filmmaker Nikkhil Advani on the 2013 film D-Day and co-directed the television series POW: Bandi Yuddh Ke. The film is written by Anuja Chauhan, and is produced by Emmay Entertainment, John Abraham Entertainment, and T-Series.

Apart from this, Kapoor also has two other releases this year namely, Sandeep Aur Pinky Farrar, which is set for a theatrical release on March 19, and Bhoot Police, which will come to the theatres on September 10. He also recently announced that he will be seen in the upcoming Mohit Suri film Ek Villain Returns, which is scheduled for a release on February 11, 2022.