Section: Movies

The Girl on the Train Remake: A Weak Adaptation That Fails To Thrill

BY Ananya Shankar On

Spoilers Ahead. 

The Girl on the Train, the Hindi adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ 2015 best-selling novel,  which released this Friday on Netflix is a scarcely believable and poorly executed soap opera that is a far cry from the Gone Girl-esqe thriller the source material is.

The film stars Parineeti Chopra, Kriti Kulhari, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Avinash Tiwary in crucial roles. Ranging from overly dramatic to tedious and laughable, the performanances, much like the film, lack subtlety. In the book, the protagonist’s unreliable narration is the story’s driving force. She is unlikeable. Parineeti Chopra’s Mira is unlikeable in the film too, but for the wrong reasons: her sob stories invoke eye-rolling instead of sympathy.

Credits: Taran Adarsh on Twitter

The movie makes several changes from both the original book  and the  2016 film by Tate Taylor, to appeal to the Indian audience. In an interview with Indian Express, director Ribhu Dasugpta said, “Since it was a Hindi film, we had to rewrite some portions, give some elements to the characters and write them very differently. At the end of the day, you’re an Indian consumer, so they were our first priority.”

The Context

The Girl on the Train retains the skeletal plot of Hawkins’ novel. Mira (Chopra) is an alcoholic, unemployed woman in London who travels by the same train every day staring at the suburban houses that her train passes by. Having lived in one of those houses with her ex-husband Shekhar (Tiwary), she repeatedly recollects the fond memories that she shared with him. Her unstable nature coupled with her amnesia caused by trauma and alcohol causes her to cling to her ‘glorious’ past and take the train every day to relive it.

Unable to move on from her former life, she begins to pin all her fantasies and desires on Nusrat (Aditi Rao Hydari) and her husband Anand who are Shekhar’s neighbours. Imagining that Nusrat has the perfect married life, Mira is obsessed with the couple’s marriage.

However, things go awry when she notices Nusrat hugging a strange man one day. Soon, Mira gets pulled into a missing person investigation when Nusrat goes missing and is eventually found dead.

The Deviations

While both the Hindi adaptation and 2016 version have major differences from the novel, here the deviations feel unnecessary. Unlike in the book and Tate Taylor’s version, the protagonist’s cause for alcoholism is very different.

A successful lawyer, Mira loses her baby in a car accident causing her to become dependant on alcohol as a method to cope with her loss. This puts a strain on her marriage and it ultimately results in Shekhar cheating on her and filing for divorce. In the novel, however, it is infertility that causes Rachel (the protagonist’s name in the book) to take to alcohol.

Credits: Taran Adrash on Twitter

Dasgupta also adds new characters to the film, introducing Walter, a private investigator who has been hired to follow Nusrat, and Rajiv, a dance instructor who constantly harasses her. Missing from the source material, these characters add very little to the the plot, except to prolong an already tiresome film. Mira also sees a doctor for her amnesia, a subplot that does not feature in the 2016 film or the book.

Dasgupta spends time in the first half establishing how happy Mira was before tragedy struck. There are forgettable wedding songs, corny proposals, and a chase sequence to showcase her former life to remind viewers that even in 2021, Hindi films will still depend on overused tropes to make a point.

The psychological horror elements that made The Girl on the Train stand out have been dulled down and overexplained . Viewers have to hear Mira’s internal monologues that explain her pain rather than seeing it on screen. Rather than focusing on Shekhar’s gaslighting and Mira’s obsessive behaviour, the director spends his time on forgettable ballads to show her heartbreak.

Like in the novel, the movie introduces two detectives who work with the Scotland Yard (Kriti Kulhari and Vishakh Vadgama ). However, as the film progresses the spotlight shifts to only Dalbir’s (Kulhari) focus on the case.

Even the smaller mysteries such as Anand’s (Nusrat’s husband) suspicious nature and his complicated relationship with Mira have been glossed over. The aspect of Shekhar’s relationship with his new wife is left unexplored. In Hawkins’ version, his new wife becomes increasingly suspicious of his behaviour and discovers his affair towards the end. She even aids Rachel in putting an end to his abusive streak.

In another deviation from the book, Mira’s drunken calls to Shekhar are mentioned only once and Mira does not harass the couple as seen in the book. In the end, she just knocks Shekhar unconscious whereas the book and the 2016 adaptation show her killing him with a corkscrew in self-defense.

In the novel Meghan’s (Nusrat in this version) past trauma where she inadvertently drowns her baby plays a major role in her characterisation. Here, that is skipped altogether and she is simply reduced to a device to propel the plot further which is a far cry from the novel. Her trauma and her fear towards her husband are also never established.

The Ending

The Hindi version ends bizarrely. After Mira finds out about the affair between Shekhar and Nusrat, she tells him to meet her and confronts him there, but what happens after is unconvincing. The contrived reveal at the end only succeeds in making the film a melodramatic and unconvincing tale rather than a fast-paced thriller. Dasgupta’s added subplots and deviations from the original make the film a poor retelling of the original.

Riddled with plot loopholes, poorly defined characters and boring plot twists, the movie neither incorporates the gripping elements from the book, nor stands its ground as an independent thriller.

Sundari Trailer Starring Poorna

Movie: Sundari ( Tamil )
Banner : Rizwan Entertainment
Director: Kalyanji Gogana
Producer: Rizwan
Music Director: Suresh Bobbili
DOP: Bal Reddy
Cast: Arjun Ambati, Poorna

The Mothership: Halle Berry to Star in and Produce Sci-Fi Film for Netflix

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Halle Berry, the Academy Award-winning actor, will star in and executive produce The Mothership for Netflix and MRC Film, the streaming platform announced through a statement.

According to Netflix, the film will follow Sara Morse (played by Berry) a year since her husband mysteriously vanished from their rural farm. The plot continues with her discovering a strange, extraterrestrial object underneath their home. Sara and her kids then “embark on a race to find their husband, father, and most importantly – the truth”.

The sci-fi adventure film will be directed by Matthew Charman, which will be his debut feature directorial. Charman had earlier co-written the screenplay of Bridge of Spies, with Joel and Ethan Cohen, which was nominated for an Academy Award for the same.

Fred Berger and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones will be producing the film under their Automatik banner. Danny Stillman will be the executive producer, alongside Berry.

Berry’s directorial feature debut Bruised, which was featured at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, has also been picked up by Netflix. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film follows “a washed-up MMA fighter struggling for redemption as both an athlete and a mother. Jackie ‘Justice’ has been working multiple jobs and barely scraping by ever since losing an important match years ago. When her boyfriend, Desi manages to trick her into going to an underground fight, her passion for the sport is reignited. As Jackie prepares to go back to the only thing she is good at, the son she once abandoned is dropped off at her doorstep. Confronted by her past choices and traumas, Jackie will have to fight to reclaim the two most meaningful things she has walked away from: six-year-old Manny and an MMA title.”

She will also be seen in the upcoming John Wick Chapter 3 – Parabellum. She also has Roland Emmerich’s upcoming space drama Moonfall.

Malayalam Actor Assault Case: Court Dismisses Prosecution’s Plea to Cancel Dileep’s Bail

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

The Ernakulam Additional Special Sessions Court on Thursday rejected the prosecution’s petition to cancel the bail granted to actor Dileep, who is the eighth accused in the case of the abduction and sexual assault of a female Malayalam actor.

The prosecution had earlier filed a petition requesting for the cancellation of Dileep’s bail on the grounds that he tried to influence some of the witnesses in the case.

The court, which was supposed to pronounce its order on Tuesday, adjourned the case till Thursday. According to reports, the court dismissed the prosecution’s arguments as they could not provide any proof to support their allegation.

The trial, after coming to a halt in the beginning of February when Philip Varghese, Dileep’s counsel, tested positive for Covid-19, resumed on February 16. After resuming the trial, the court granted the request of the 10th accused, Vishnu, to turn an approver.

Vishnu had sought to turn approver in January. He offered to admit his role in the case and reveal all the details he knows. Vishnu was accused of smuggling a mobile phone inside the jail to Pulsar Suni, the first accused. According to the prosecution, he also conspired with the other accused to extort money from Dileep.

The case so far

On February 17, 2017, a female Mayalam 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 revealed that Dileep had conspired in the assault.

Dileep was arrested on July 20, 2017 as the eighth accused in the case. While Dileep was in police custody, the Special Investigation Team told the court that they had strong evidence, including call records and deposition of eyewitnesses, confirming the actor’s involvement in the crime.

After being in jail for 85 days, he was granted bail in October 2017. While granting him bail, the court had told him not to influence any of the witnesses. Dileep had later allegedly attempted to stall the trial proceedings by filing pleas seeking visuals of the attack and requesting a CBI investigation in the case. He was eventually called out by the Kerala High Court in 2019 for trying to delay the court proceedings.

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.

Nadhigalilae Neeradum Suriyan: Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Tamil Film Starring Simbu to Go on Floors in April

BY Anusha Sundar On

Nadhigalilae Neeradum Suriyan will be the title of the upcoming Tamil film directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon starring Silambarasan.

The announcement was made on Thursday by the makers of the film on social media on the occasion of the filmmaker’s birthday.

The film’s music will be composed by AR Rahman, while lyrics will be written by Thamarai. Nadhigalilae Neeradum Suriyan will be produced by Ishari K Ganesh, under the banner of Vels Film International. The rest of the cast and crew is yet to be announced.

Asked for the details of the film, Menon told Silverscreen India that it is too early to talk about the project.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Ashwin Kumar, executive producer at Vels Film International said, “The project is still in the scripting stage. Only when it is completed, we will be knowing what genre the film is. It will obviously have love and action elements.”

He said that film is expected to go on floors in April. “The filming will take place both in international and Indian locations. We have planned it in Bali, Goa, Chennai. We will know clearly once the script is ready.”

Though the casting is in progress, Nadhigalilae Neeradum Suriyan will be a big budget film, Ashwin said. Asked if the film will have a star cast, he said, “We have already three big names, GVM [Menon], Simbu, and AR Rahman sir. You can expect more very well-known faces to come on board.”

Ashwin said that the film will be shot simultaneously in a few languages, while dubbed versions will also be released. “You can expect the film to come in other south Indian languages and maybe Hindi too,” he said.

Nadhigalilae Neeradum Suriyan will mark the third collaboration of Menon, Rahman, and Silambarasan, who have previously worked in the hit Tamil romantic film Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa in 2010 and romantic action film Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada in 2016. Menon and Silambarasan last worked together on Karthik Dial Seytha Yenn, a short film, and epilogue of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa that released in 2020.

Meanwhile, Menon is also working on Joshua Imai Pol Kaakha for the same production house. While the film is currently in the post-production stage, the release date hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Screenwriter Duo Siddharth and Garima to Make Directorial Debut With ‘Saale Aashiq’

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Siddharth and Garima, the screenwriter duo, will make their directorial debut with Hindi film Saale Aashiq, based on the subject of honour killing. They are also working on their next film Dukaan, which revolves around the subject of commercial surrogacy.

Saale Aashiq has recently been picked up by Sony Pictures India, while Dukaan was announced in 2018. Both the films are scheduled to start soon in the latter half of this year, they told Silverscreen India.

Saale Aashiq “goes beyond” honour killing, said Garima. “The story will not make you feel bad for the lovers. We thought what if two lovers decide that they will not take this kind of treatment anymore? It will be a bold film, for sure.”

Talking about Dukaan, Siddharth said that the idea of the story popped up when they read a news story about the rampant commercial surrogacy in Anand, Gujarat. “It was almost five or six years back when we decided to develop it into a script.”

“We connected to a life of a surrogate because we write something and we give it away to somebody. So we realised that this is a story that resonates with us and then when we went on to research. Seeing the commercial surrogates, the way things function over there, like we saw 60 women sitting in one room in a surrogacy house, we knew wanted this story to be our directorial debut. This was surely going to be one of the first three films we make because our visualisation for this story is completely set,” Garima said.

Hindi films have earlier only “flirted” with the idea of surrogacy, said Siddharth. Films like Filhaal, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, didn’t “really get married to the idea of commercial surrogacy”, he said.

“The actual process of surrogacy is very different from what we’ve seen in Hindi films. There is a contract in place, just like a business deal. That is the side we want to explore with Dukaan. When we announced the subject in 2018, there were other films that were announced after that taking the idea of surrogacy that we floated by releasing a poster. A couple of films that are on the verge of releasing now have been conceptualised on the same background.”

While Dukaan is set for a 2022 release, Kriti Sanon’s upcoming film Mimi, which is a remake of the Marathi film Mala Aai Vhhaychy! based on surrogacy, is supposed to release this year.

The duo are unfazed by the comparison between both the films.

“If two Bhagat Singh films can release on the same day, then why not two films on surrogacy? Having said that, Dukaan and Mimi are two completely different films because the latter is a remake of a Marathi film and Dukaan is coming out of the real world. We don’t bother about clashes because both these films will open up a new genre. Today there are two based on surrogacy, tomorrow it will be 20. It’s the story that matters, that’s all,” said Siddharth.

Explaining why they didn’t cast an established actor in their film, they said: “Sometimes when the concept is bigger than the star, the name of the star doesn’t matter. And we feel we can make stars through stories,” said Siddharth.

If the content is good, there’s no need to rely on the name of a star, said Garima.

Monika Panwar, who featured in the Netflix crime drama series Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega, has been cast in the lead role of Dukaan.

Photo Credit – Siddharth and Garima’s Twitter

However, they said they faced several problems during the casting. “Having worked in films which had A-list actors, we didn’t realise how difficult it would be to cast for a female-oriented film like this. Female actors did not want to be seen pregnant on screen as it is not glamorous,” said Siddharth.

“We feel very strongly that there are hardly any roles written for women in some films. But when we set out looking for an actor for another film that we were making, the questions we faced from some of the female actors were like ‘who’s the male lead?’ This needs to change in the industry. Some would rather choose a script where she is seen in five scenes with a bigger name male actor than a script that is completely female-oriented,” Garima said.

Selling the film to a producer was another challenge, said Garima.

“Whichever producer we took this film to, it got a lukewarm response. We were told that there’s no way you can work on a film with this girl. Unfortunately, no one cared that she was from the National School of Drama, as all the producers wanted someone who has come out genetically from a star lineage,” she said.

However, they said they were lucky with Saale Aashiq, which got picked up by Sony Pictures India. “It is very brave of the production house to back such a subject because it is not a routine cliché film. They are also on the same page with us wherein we all know that this will be an experimental film but it is a story that needs to be told,” said Siddharth.

Siddharth and Garima rose to fame as writers and lyricists in films like Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Toilet Ek Prem Katha, and more recently Kabir Singh.

Asked whether they were affected by the backlash that Kabir Singh received, they said they were aware of the problems in the story but could not do much about it.

“In the end, it was Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s story, his screenplay and we just did the dialogue on it. There was only so much that one could have done to tell him not to do it in a certain way but we respect the fact that he went ahead and did what he wanted to,” said Garima.

Calls: Late Actor VJ Chitra’s Only Film to Release in Theatres on Friday

BY Anusha Sundar On

Calls, the upcoming Tamil film starring late television presenter and actor VJ Chitra, will release in theatres on Friday. The film marks Chitra’s only film to release on the big screen.

In December, Chitra died by suicide after she was found hanging from a ceiling fan in a Chennai hotel she was staying with her husband.

Calls, a murder mystery written and directed by debutant filmmaker J Sabarish, also stars Delhi Ganesh, Nizhalgal Ravi, R Sundarrajan, Devadarshini, Vinodhini Vaidyanathan, Jiva Ravi, and Sriranjani among others. The film is produced by Sabarish under the Infinite Pictures banner and is distributed by Rockfort Entertainment. The film’s music is composed by Thameem Ansari.

Speaking to Silverscreen India about working with Chitra, Sabarish said that he had approached many female actors but could not fix one due to their schedules. He had then he come across an image of Chitra on Google. Considering her to be apt for the role as Nandhini (her character’s name in the film), Sabarish said that the talks to rope in Chitra began between January and March 2019.

Sabarish said that Chitra had a lot of “fears” and concerns about stepping into the film industry.

“Chitra worked really hard on the film. She had to overcome some fears and concerns she had about coming into the film industry. She initially feared the working environment on a film set may be hostile and she had concerns of someone misbehaving with her on set. Later, she became friendly and comfortable with everyone on the set of our film.”

Credits: Sabarish Instagram; Still from Calls poster

calls4 (2)

‘Calls’ poster. Photo source: Sabarish’s Instagram page

Speaking about Chitra, Sabarish said that when he narrated the film to her, she heard only the first half and agreed to work on the film.

“She wanted to find out what happens in the film as the shooting progressed, scene by scene. When I narrated the script, she only listened to the first half and said she really liked it. The second half, she said she would like to find out more about it during the actual shooting process,” he said.

“She did not know how the murders took place in the story and who are the people behind it.”

While Sabarish has written the story and screenplay of the film, he is also producing the film and has handled cinematography, sound design, production design, and editing of the film.

Speaking about how the project began, Sabarish said, “The project’s script was worked on after mid-2018 and was finished it within six months. It was a quick process for me.”

Sabarish said that he signed the actors for Calls in 2019. A total of 80 new artists have acted in the film, he said.

The film’s shooting began in July 2019 in Thanjavur and took place in other districts in Tamil Nadu, including Tiruchy and Chennai. The filming was completed in December 2019.

In the film, Chitra plays a BPO employee.

The film’s final cut was never seen by Chitra, revealed Sabarish. “She was involved in various aspects of the shooting process but, unfortunately, could never see the final cut of the film,” he said.

Sabarish said that Chitra was an avid fan of actor Nayanthara. “There is one costume in which she had to shoot many scenes. I had suggested another one but Chitra was determined to wear a costume worn by Nayanthara in an older film–a blue and red salwar kameez,” he said.

Credits: VJ Chitra’s Instagram handle

The director said that Chitra was quick and spontaneous with her shots, because of her skills as an anchor. He said that Chitra could sense him when he wanted to retake a scene. “Once I say cut, and if I hesitate, without me saying, Chitra would understand that scene needs to be re-shot and would immediately ask ‘One more?’”

Sabarish said that in the initial phase of shooting, Chitra had to learn a few film acting tricks.

“First, we had a screen test for her. She excelled in that… However, I had to teach her a few things of how cinema acting works. For example, I had to tell her that the reaction should not change once ‘cut’ is said but had to prolong. There should be some stay in expression after the dialogue is delivered, unlike serials where shots are filmed quickly,” he said.

Calls will release in over 85 screens in Tamil Nadu.

What’s New This Week: 9 Films and Series Releasing on OTT Platforms This Week

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

With the new week coming, a slew of release dates have been announced. Release dates for films including Akshay Kumar’s Atrangi Re, Bell Bottom, Ranveer Singh‘s 83, Sidharth Malhotra’s Shershaah. This was criticised by producer Ronnie Screwvala, who took to Twitter on Sunday to slam the move and said, “Funny (Hysterical) that everyone announcing Movie release dates like magically all back to normal!”

On the other hand, upon much deliberation, director Karthik Subbaraj announced that his upcoming film with Dhanush, Jagame Thandhiram will be releasing on Netflix.

On that note, here are nine films and series releasing on OTT platforms this week:

1. The Girl on The Train – Netflix (February 26)

The Girl On The Train, featuring Parineeti Chopra, Aditi Rao Hydari, is an official adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ book by the same name. The film tells the story of Meera (Chopra), a lawyer with a dark past and a broken marriage who suffers from short-term amnesia. To get over her loneliness, she fixates on the perfect lives of a couple she sees in their home from the train she takes daily. One day, she witnesses something unexpected that breaks her trust and she takes it upon herself to unravel the truth that shocks her. In the process, she gets unknowingly involved in a ruthless crime that she decides to solve.

2. Geez and Ann – Netflix (February 25)

Geez and Ann is an Indonesian film that revolves around Ann and Geez. Ann, after falling for Geez, a heartthrob at school, must confront family opposition, heartache and deception as their romance struggles.

3. Crazy About Her – Netflix (February 26)

This Spanish film tells the story of Adri, who after spending a wild night with Carla, discovers that the only way to see her again is to become a patient at the psychiatric center where she resides.

4. Hello Mini: Season 2 (February 26)

MX Original’s web series Hello Mini is the story of a 22-year-old girl named Rivanah, who has moved to Mumbai from Kolkata in search of her new life. A new job, a new home, alone in a new city and a new uninvited guest into her life. Life is going on smoothly and she is enjoying her adventure out alone in the city of dreams, Mumbai, where she is finding the path to her dreams. But somebody is following her, making her life both easy and miserable at the same time.

5. 1962: The War in The Hills – Disney+ Hotstar (February 26)

This Hotstar special series is inspired by true events and narrates an untold story of bravery and valour and how an army of 125 Indians stood against 3000 Chinese soldiers. It follows the attack on India by China, provoked by a territorial dispute and tensions over Tibet. By the end of the war, around 3,250 Indian soldiers were killed and India lost about 43,000 square kilometres of land, captured by China.

6. Hightown – Sony Liv (February 26)

Set in beautiful but bleak Cape Cod, Hightown follows one woman’s journey to sobriety, overshadowed by an unfolding murder investigation.

7. Riviera: Season 3 – (February 26)

Set in the glamorous French Riviera, the “sun-soaked playground to the super rich and the perfect place to hide dangerous secrets”, the series stars Julia Stiles of 10 Things I Hate About You in the lead. In Series 3, Georgina (Stiles) has abandoned the cursed Riviera and started her life over, only to be thrown headlong into a dark and dangerous conspiracy.

8. Snowfall: Season 4 (February 25)

During the budding drug epidemic in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, a crime family decides to make money selling cocaine. Meanwhile, a CIA operative also gets involved.

9. High Rise Invasion – Netflix

Based on the manga by Miura Tsuina (Ajin) and Takahiro Oba (Box!), High Rise Invasion is an unpredictable and frightening survival story set in high-rise buildings that don’t reach the ground. The protagonist, Yuri, decides to survive in order to destroy this illogical world and kill the enemy wearing the “mask”, but what will she do.

Pagglait: Sanya Malhotra-Starrer Hindi Film to Release on March 26 on Netflix

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Pagglait, the upcoming Hindi film starring Sanya Malhotra, will release on Netflix on March 26, the streaming giant announced on Thursday. The Dangal actor will be seen playing the role of a widow who struggles to mourn her husband’s death.

As per Netflix’s synopsis, Pagglait will be a comedy-drama with a true-to-life portrayal of a typical Indian middle-class family navigating a crisis. Malhotra plays the role of the recently-widowed Sandhya struggling to mourn the death of her husband. When Sandhya’s husband suffers an untimely death, just a few months into their marriage, a slew of revelations forces her to re-examine her priorities and make some hard decisions. As events unfold, Sandhya sets onto a path of self-discovery, attempting to find her identity and purpose in life – all this while living amidst the quirky members of her joint family.

Written and directed by Umesh Bist, the film also stars Sayani Gupta, Shrutii Sharma, Ashutosh Rana, Raghubir Yadav, Sheeba Chaddha, Meghna Malik, Natasha Rastogi, Ananya Khare, Yamini Singh, Bhupesh Pandya, Chetan Sharma, Aasif Khan, Nakul Roshan Sahdev, Ashlesha Thakur, Sachin Chaudhary, Saroj Singh, and Rajesh Tailang.

Talking about her character, Malhotra said, “So thrilled to announce this film which is very close to my heart on my special day. My Pagglait journey was Pagglait indeed- and I can’t wait for the world to witness this unique story very soon.”

Pagglait will mark her second outing on Netflix after Anurag Basu‘s Ludo.

She share the film’s teaser on social media.

Malhotra started shooting for Pagglait in Lucknow in November 2019. On Tuesday, Malhotra started shooting for an upcoming film directed by Shanker Raman along with Vikrant Massey.

Pagglait is produced by Shobhaa Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor under the banner Balaji Telefilms, and Guneet Monga and Achin Jain representing Sikhya Entertainments. Executive produced by Guneet Dogra, the film has Rafey Mahmood as the cinematographer and Prerna Saigal as the editor.

Disney+ Announces Release Dates of Its Series and Films for 2021

BY Namrata Ganguly On

The release dates of upcoming series and films, including Marvel Studios’ Loki, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and the second season of the High School Musical: The Musical series, were announced by Disney+ on Wednesday at the 2021 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.

After announcing over 20 new series and films weaved around the heroes and villains of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to premiere on Disney+ on Walt Disney Investor Day in December 2020, the streaming platform announced the release dates of some new series and new seasons. Marvel’s Wanda Vision released on Disney+ on January 15.

Listed below are the premiere date announcements for seven new upcoming series.

Big Shot– April 16: Big Shot is an upcoming American sports drama comedy streaming television series created and executive produced by David E Kelley, Dean Lorey and Brad Garrett. The story revolves around a hothead men’s basketball coach who must take a job at an all-girls high school after getting ousted from the NCAA. He soon learns that teenage girls are more than just X’s and O’s; they require empathy and vulnerability — foreign concepts for the stoic Coach Korn (John Stamos). By learning how to connect with his players, Marvyn starts to grow into the person he’s always hoped to be. The girls learn to take themselves more seriously, finding their footing both on and off the court. The series is a Disney+ Original produced by ABC Signature.

Photo Source: Disney+ Twitter

Star Wars: The Bad Batch- May 4 The upcoming series follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way into a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch are a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army – each possessing a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.

Photo Source: Disney+ Twitter

Loki- June 11: Featuring the ‘God of Mischief’, Loki steps out of his brother’s shadow in the upcoming new series that takes place after the events of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame. Tom Hiddleston returns as the title character, joined by Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E Grant. Loki is directed by Kate Herron, with Michael Waldron as the head writer.

Photo Source: Disney+ Twitter

The Mysterious Benedict Society- June 25: Based on the bestseller by Trenton Lee Stewart of the same title, the series stars Emmy Award winner Tony Hale in the lead. Placed undercover at a boarding school known as The Institute, The Mysterious Benedict Stories revolves around a group of orphans who must foil a nefarious plot with global ramifications while creating a new family along the way.

Photo Source: Disney+ Twitter

Monsters At Work- July 2: The upcoming series is a sequel to the 2001 American computer-animated comedy film Monsters Inc. Monsters At Work takes place the day after the ‘Monsters, Incorporated’ power plant started harvesting the laughter of children to fuel the city of Monstropolis. It follows the story of Tylor Tuskmon (Ben Feldman), the eager young monster who graduated top of his class at Monsters University and always dreamed of becoming a Scarer, until he lands a job at Monsters, Incorporated and discovers that scaring is out and laughter is in. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was developed and is executive produced by Disney animation veteran Bobs Gannaway.

Photo Source: Monsters. Inc Official Poster

Turner & Hooch- July 16: The upcoming series is a Disney+ original series produced by 20th Television created, written and executive produced by Matt Nix. The series narrates the story of an ambitious, buttoned-up US Marshal who inherits a big unruly dog and soon realises that the dog he didn’t want may be the partner he needs. Turner & Hooch stars Josh Peck as Scott Turner, son of Detective Scott Turner portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 1989 film of the same name.

Photo Source: Disney+ Twitter

Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life- July 23: Combining classic-style cartoon comedy with contemporary storytelling, Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life will premiere in 36 seven-minute episodes directed by Jean Cayrol and produced by Marc du Pontavice at Xilam Animation. Disney’s chipmunks, nervous worrier Chip and laid-back dreamer Dale make the perfect odd couple in the upcoming series. It follows two tiny troublemakers trying to live a good life in a big city park while having giant-sized, sky-high adventures who are best friends and drive each other “nuts”. In their perpetual pursuit of acorns, these “ultimate underdogs” are joined by Pluto, Butch and other iconic Disney characters as they face down bullies.

Photo Source: Disney+ Twitter

Disney+ also announced the second seasons for the series- Zenimation and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. 

Zenimation- June 11: The series is an animated soundscape experience of short films that “pays tribute to both the visual and sound artists of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ legacy of films”. Zenimation is returning with a second season that will feature moments from over eight decades of acclaimed films – including scenes from Disney’s first feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs all the way through to the Studios’ latest, anticipated animated film Raya and the Last Dragon. Created and edited by David Bess. Executive produced by Amy Astley. From Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Photo Source: Disney+ Twitter

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series- May 14: Inspired by the High School Musical film series, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is an American mockumentary musical drama created by Tim Federle streaming on Disney+. It is returning with a second season, in which the East High Wildcats, who are preparing to perform “Beauty and the Beast” as their spring musical, face off against rival school North High to win a prestigious and cutthroat student theatre competition. The season also features brand-new solos written by Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett.

Photo Source: Disney+ Twitter

The streaming platform had previously announced the premiere dates for two other series– The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (stars Anthony Mackie as The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier- the pair who came together in the final moments of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame) premiering on March 19 and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changer premiering on March 26.

Photo Source: Silverscreen Media Library

On February 23, Disney+ also announced the launching of Star in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe and Singapore with more content with the addition of the Star brand. The shows that premiere on Star include The Grey’s Anatomy, Atlanta, Scandal, among several others while the original series offered by Star include Rick and Morty, This is Us, Big Sky, among others.

Gangubai Kathiawadi: Alia Bhatt Turns Into Fierce, Powerful Mafia Queen in Teaser

BY Anindita Banerjee On

The teaser of Gangubai Kathiawadi, starring Alia Bhatt, was released on Wednesday on the occasion of the film’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s birthday. The makers announced that the film will release in theatres on July 30.

The film is based on one of the chapters of Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges’ book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai, a collection of stories of women who were part of Mumbai’s underworld.

Sharing the teaser on Twitter, Bhatt wrote, “Happy Birthday Sir.. I can think of no better way to celebrate you and your birthday. Presenting a part of my heart & soul. Meet .. Gangu!”

In the teaser, which runs over a minute, Bhatt is seen as the fierce Gangubai who was a brothel owner and matriarch from Kathiawad. Reportedly, Gangubai was the owner of many brothels in Kamathipura and held immense influence and power over the people in the area. She was well-known for her saris with gold borders and blouses made with gold buttons. She was also said to be the owner of a Bentley car. In the latter half of her life, she became an advocate of rights of women who were sold into prostitution.

Recently, the makers of Gangubai Kathiawadi and Zaidi had fallen into legal trouble when a case was filed by Kathiawadi’s adopted son Babuji Rawji Shah, reported India Today. According to the report, in his complaint, Shah alleged that the film and its source material — the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai — are defamatory in nature. However, a Mumbai City Civil Court recently dismissed a suit seeking a restraining order against Bhansali Productions, Bhatt, and Zaidi.

Gangubai Kathiawadi marks Bhatt’s first collaboration with Bhansali. This project will also see Bhansali Productions collaborating with Jayantilal Gada’s Pen India Limited. The film is set to clash with Prabhas and Pooja Hegde starrer Radhe Shyam, which will also release on July 30.

Earlier, Gangubai Kathiawadi was scheduled to release on September 11, 2020 but got delayed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Kannadi Trailer Starring Sundeep Kishan, Anya Singh

Kannaadi Tamil Movie Cast & Crew:
Starring : Sundeep Kishan, Anya Singh, Karunakaran, Anandaraj Murali Sharma, Poornima Bhagyaraj, Pragathi
Written & Directed by: Caarthick Raju
Music: SS Thaman
Lyrics: Ko Sesha
Cinematography PK Varma
Editor: Praveen KL
Art: Videsh
Stunts: Venkat, Stunner Sam
Choreography: Sherif
Sound Mix: T. Udaya Kumar
Sound Design: Arun S Mani, Vishnu PC
Production Executive: KH Jagadeesh
Production Manager: J. Girinathan
Co-Director: L. Chandra Sekaran
Associate Directors: Yogi, Common Man Sathish Kumar, Leo Jude
Assistant Directors: R. Sivakumar, E.L. Dinesh, Saravana Rajadurai, Kaleel Raja, Gowtham, Ganeshwaran, Bittu, Danny
Costume Designers: Jayalakshmi, Sathya
PRO: Johnson
Visual Promotions: Tuney John
Publicity Design: 24AM
Executive Producer: Kirubakaran Ramasamy
Producer: Viji Subramanian
Production Company: V Studios
Audio Label : Think Music

Shyam Singha Roy: Nani-Starrer Supernatural Thriller Film’s First Look Releases

BY Anusha Sundar On

Makers of Shyam Singha Roy, the upcoming Telugu supernatural thriller film starring Nani, released the film’s first look poster on social media on Wednesday, on the occasion of the actor’s birthday.

Shyam Singha Roy is Nani’s 27th film. The film also stars Sai Pallavi, Krithi Shetty, and Madonna Sebastian.

Shyam Singha Roy, which commenced shooting in December 2020, is directed by Rahul Sankrityan. The film marks his first collaboration with Nani and second directorial venture after Taxiwaala (2018), which is also of the supernatural genre. Janga Satyadev has written the Nani-starrer film.


The film is produced by Venkat Boyanapalli under the banner Niharika Entertainment. While Mickey J Meyer has composed music, Sanu John Varghese was in-charge of cinematography, and Naveen Nooli was the editor.

The film is a periodic drama set in Kolkata. The story has been written by Satyadev Janga. The film also stars Rahul Ravindran, Murali Sharma, and Abhinav Gomatam.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Dileep who is part of the film’s publicity management, said, “The film’s fourth shooting schedule is expected to begin in Kolkata from today (Wednesday). About 50% of the shooting has been completed. So far, the shooting took place in areas in and around Hyderabad.”

All the lead actors are currently shooting in Kolkata, he said.

According to Dileep, the filming is expected to continue for two months and makers are expecting to wrap up shooting by April-end. The film will be released theatrically in the second half of the year, he said.

“Initially the makers planned to shoot in a Kolkata-like set in Hyderabad. However, after lockdown, they planned to shoot in Kolkata,” Dileep said.

Meanwhile, Nani, who was last seen in Telugu action thriller V in 2020, is also working on the upcoming film Tuck Jagadish. It is scheduled to release on April 23.

Speaking about Tuck Jagadish, Dileep said, “About 85-90% shooting has been completed and will be wrapped up by end of March. The shooting took place in Vizag and Hyderabad.”

He added that Nani will shoot portions of Shyam Singha Roy and will return to work in Tuck Jagadish before resuming the period drama again.

Nani also has a Telugu musical comedy Ante Sundaraniki, co-starring actor Nazriya Nazim

Producer Ronnie Screwvala Criticises Recent Spate of Film Announcements Amid Ongoing Pandemic

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Producer Ronnie Screwvala took to Twitter on Sunday and criticised the recent spate of Hindi film announcements.

In his tweet, he observed that it is “funny (hysterical)” that people think it is safe to “go to the movie” and that there is no such thing as “herd immunity”.

“Funny (Hysterical) that everyone announcing Movie release dates like magically all back to normal! FOMO in announcements and theoretical discussions on ‘clashes’. personally cant see till 300Mill vaccinated that it’s really safe to ‘GoToTheMovies’,” wrote Screwvala.

Retweeting this, filmmaker Hansal Mehta wondered what prompted the sudden overflow of announcements.

While some on Twitter agreed to the producer, film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi voiced his opinion against Screwvala and reminded him that “the exhibition sector employs over 4 lakh Indians directly & millions of others indirect”. He wrote that the country’s film exhibition sector can only be revived if there’s a constant flow of movies.

Talking to Silverscreen India, Rathi said that over the past year, lakhs of people employed by the exhibition sector have suffered due to loss of employment. It was, thus, critical for the entertainment sector to be allowed to function normally, he said.

“There are many people who are directly and indirectly employed by exhibition sector and all have suffered losses during this last year. Now with the economy opening up and the vaccination drives rapidly underway across the country, it’s important that every citizen is allowed to earn. Specifically, since this sector has not received any financial or policy-related support from the state or Central government,” Rathi said.

“I’m really glad that films are starting to release because people can finally again earn their salaries out of it,” he said.

Talking about safety in theatres, Rathi said that theatres are more safer than grocery shops or restaurants.

“In cinema halls, while you are inside you don’t need to take off your masks. And because it is a controlled environment, ushers can warn people who don’t follow the safety regulations. If you look at it, around the world since the pandemic started you may not have heard cinema halls being breeding grounds or influence the spread of Covid-19,” he said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, going to a theatre is considered a high-risk activity. Earlier, Srividya, state epidemiologist, Directorate of Health, Puducherry, had told Silverscreen India that no health worker will recommend anyone to visit a theatre with full occupancy.

Last week, Yash Raj Films announced its slate of movies for 2021, while several other films like Akshay Kumar‘s Atrangi Re, Bell Bottom, Ranveer Singh’s 83, Sidharth Malhotra‘s Shershaah, have announced their release dates. Along with the announcements it was confirmed that  RRR and Maidaan will be clashing at the cinemas while Shershaah will clash with Major, backed by Mahesh Babu.

These clashes, however, Rathi felt may not be a bad thing.

“It is certainly not ideal for two or three films of the same genre to release on the same day, but if a rom-com and action-adventure releases together, then it would make sense. It is important for different genres of films to all be in the theatre in order to cater to different needs,” he said.

Pogaru: Karnataka Brahmin Association Ask for Controversial Scene to be Deleted, Makers Agree

BY Anusha Sundar On

Pogaru, the Kannada action film starring Dhruva Sarja and Rashmika Mandanna which released on February 19, ran into trouble after members of a community staged a protest claiming that the film hurt their sentiments in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

The members of Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board (KSBDB) and Akhil Karnataka Brahmin Mahasabha claimed that some derogatory words and a controversial scene insulted Hindu Brahmins. The protesters ask for the removal of a scene where a goon can be seen putting his leg on a priest’s shoulder in a violent way.

Pogaru is written and directed by Nanda Kishore and produced by BK Gangadhar.

Following the protest, Sachidananda Murthy, chairman of KSBDB met the director and Dhruva and asked them to remove the scenes. The film’s makers have agreed to delete the scene and certain words from the film.

Nanda Kishore, while addressing the media, said, “I did not do this film with the intention to hurt the sentiments of anyone. This film is a piece of fiction. However, if it had hurt anyone, I apologise for the same to the Brahmin community. I will work on the process to cut certain parts of the film technically.”

Speaking to Silverscreen India, president of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce Jayaraj said, “The issue has been amicably settled between the filmmakers and community members by Tuesday evening. The objected scenes will be removed. About 12 frames from the film will be cut and will be going to the Censor board today again (Wednesday).”

However, he said that the screenings of the unedited film cannot be stopped since it has already received a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification.

Several members of the BJP also called out the filmmakers for showing the Hindu Brahmin community in a bad light.

MP Shobha Karandlaje and vice president of BJP Karnataka wrote on her social media, “It has become a fashion to humiliate Hindus & take a ride on our sentiments. Whether they have guts to portray other religions in this manner? Screening of Pogaru film has to be stopped until such objectable scenes are censored. Hurting Hindu emotions can’t be ignored.”

This is not the first time the film has landed on a controversy. In April 2020, the filmmakers were called out after the team released the song titled Karabuu. The song showed Mandanna’s character being touched by the male actor without consent. The song received backlash for glorifying sexual harassment and eve-teasing on social media.

Pogaru, which is the first Kannada film to have released after the Covid-19 induced lockdown was lifted, collected over Rs 30 crore, within its first the first three days of its release.

Tom Holland Releases Poster of the Next ‘Spider-Man’ Film

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Tom Holland, the Spider-Man: Homecoming actor, released on Thursday the poster of the third instalment of the Homecoming series, Spider-Man: No Way Home .

 

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A post shared by Tom Holland (@tomholland2013)

On Wednesday, Holland along with co-stars Jacob Batalon and Zendaya confused fans by sharing three different titles. While Holland’s poster read Phone Home, Batalon, who plays Ned Leeds, shared a poster saying Home-Wrecker. Meanwhile, Zendaya, who plays Mary Jane, shared a poster that read Home Slice.

The word ‘home’ seems to be the common point, as was in the first two films- Spider Man: Homecoming and Spider Man: Far From Home.

 

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A post shared by Tom Holland (@tomholland2013)

 

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A post shared by Zendaya (@zendaya)

 

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A post shared by Jacob Batalon (@lifeisaloha)

Reportedly, Benedict Cumberbatch, renowned as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will be starring in the upcoming film and will become the new mentor of Peter Parker (played by Holland). Cumberbatch will be succeeding Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) aka Iron Man, following Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame (2019).

The film, which is said to be a spin off of the computer animated superhero film Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse, might see a supporting cast reviving the Spider Man characters from the earlier films- Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst from the first Spider Man films, and Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone from the Amazing Spider- Man series.

As per ET Online, the sequel to Far from Home will be one of the connecting films of the larger Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness, which is expected to release in 2022. WandaVision, which is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, will also be a connector in the series.

Cumberbatch’s casting is the third major crossover between the two production houses after Downey Jr.’s appearance in Spiderman: Homecoming and actor Samuel L Jackson’s role as Nick Fury in Spiderman: Far From Home.

The third film in the reboot series will also be directed by Jon Watts, who helmed the last two projects. Apart from the Spider-Man series, Holland has also appeared in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.