Section: Movies

Akshay Kumar’s ‘Atrangi Re’, ‘Bell Bottom’, Ranveer Singh’s ’83’, Sidharth Malhotra’s ‘Shershaah’ Release Dates Announced

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Akshay Kumar‘s Atrangi Re, Bell Bottom, Ranveer Singh‘s 83, Sidharth Malhotra‘s Shershaah, have all announced their release dates for this year, restarting the standstill that 2020 and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic had created for the entertainment industry. On Friday, several production houses announced the release dates of some of the most anticipated films of 2021.

The makers of Atrangi Re, announced that the film starring Dhanush, Sara Ali Khan, and Akshay Kumar, will release on August 6. The Aanand L Rai directorial was initially slated to hit theatres on February 14, but the film got delayed due to the halt in the shoot.

Similarly, also on Friday, it was announced that Kumar’s espionage thriller Bell Bottom will see a theatrical release on May 28. The film stars Vaani Kapoor, Lara Dutta, and Huma Qureshi among others.

Ranveer Singh announced that his sports drama 83, in which he will be seen as former cricketer Kapil Dev, will hit the theatres on June 4. The film also stars Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Tripathi, Boman Irani, Saqib Saleem, Harrdy Sandhu, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jatin Sarna, and others.

These release dates announcements come in the wake of Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Prakash Javadekar’s decision to let cinema halls across the country operate at full capacity from February 1 following all Covid-19 safety protocols.

While these films will not see any clash in the theatres, Siddharth Malhotra’s Shershaah, which announced its release date as July 2, will clash with Major, backed by Mahesh Babu which will simultaneously release in Hindi and Telugu. While Shershaah is a biopic of Captain Vikram, Major is based on the life of the 2008 Mumbai attacks martyr Sandeep Unnikrishnan.

Amitabh Bachchan also announced the release date of his delayed film Jhund directed by Nagraj Popatrao Manjule as June 18. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Raaj Hiremath, Savita Raj Hiremath, Nagraj Manjule, Gargee Kulkarni, Sandip Ssingh, and Meenu Aroraa under the banner of T-Series, Tandav Films Entertainment & Aatpat.

Among other big box office clashes are RRR and Maidaan. While RRR, directed by SS Rajamouli and starring Jr NTR and Ram Charan in the lead roles, will hit the theatres on October 13 during Dusshera, Madiaan, starring Ajay Devgn will release on October 15.

Apart from this, Akshay Kumar‘s Prithviraj, a biopic on the ruler Prithiviraj Chauhan, is also set to clash at the box office with Jersey, starring Shahid Kapoor and Mrunal Thakur, which is also be releasing on the same date, which is on November 5.

Actor Nithiin Reddy’s Telugu Remake of ‘Andhadhun’ to Release on June 11

BY Anusha Sundar On

Nithiin 30, the tentatively titled upcoming Telugu remake of 2018 hit Hindi black comedy crime thriller film Andhadhun, will release in theatres on June 11, the makers of the film announced on social media on Friday.

While the original film starred Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Radhika Apte, the remake will feature Nithiin Reddy, Tamannah Bhatia, and Nabha Natesh. Reddy will take up the role played by Khurrana, and Bhatia and Natesh will reprise Tabu’s and Apte’s roles, respectively. Other cast members include Naresh, Jishhusen Gupta, Sreemukhi, Ananya, Harshavardhan, Rachha Ravi, Mangli, and Srinivas Reddy.

The film is directed by Merlapaka Gandhi, who will also be writing the dialogues. The remake is being produced by N Sudhakar Reddy and Nikitha Reddy under the Sreshth Movies banner. Rajkumar Akella is presenting the film.

The film’s team which began shooting in Dubai in December 2020, is currently shooting in Hyderabad. Speaking to Silverscreen India, the film’s publicity manager Vamsi Shekar said, “About 50% of the shooting is completed. The ongoing schedule is happening in Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Telangana. The shooting is expected to be completed in mid-April after which the team will look to complete the post-production by end of May.”

He said that all three lead actors are currently shooting in the ongoing schedule.

While J Yuvraj is in-charge of cinematography, SR Shekhar is the editor, and Sahi Suresh is in charge of the art direction. Mahati Swara Sagar will be composing the film’s music, marking his second collaboration with Reddy after the 2020 Telugu action-comedy film Bheeshma.

Andhadhun is the story of a pianist who pretends to be blind and ends up witnessing a murder. The rest of the film follows the problems he subsequently faces. The film won the National Film Award for the Best Hindi Film Award in 2019, while Khurrana bagged the award for Best Actor. He also won the Best Actor award at the Filmfare Awards the same year.

Apart from Telugu, the film is also being remade in other south Indian languages. Actors Prithviraj Sukumaran and Prashanth will portray Khurrana’s role in the Malayalam and Tamil versions respectively.

Drishyam 2 Review: Jeethu Joseph Creates a Gripping Sequel to His Masterpiece

BY Aswathy Gopalakrishnan On

Director: Jeethu Joseph

Cast: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Murali Gopi, Siddique, Asha Sharreth

There might be spoilers

Director Jeethu Joseph has returned to his favourite turf, the insides of a middle-class family. Even Drishyam, the biggest commercial success in his career which is regarded as one of the best crime-dramas India has produced, is primarily a domestic drama, about a close-knitted family that works together to cover up a crime they were forced to commit. A sequel to Drishyam was always in the offing. It’s a fascinating idea﹣an investigation into the aftermath of a crime that went unpunished. There is a lot of guilt, trauma and grudges lying scattered in the story’s backyard.

Jeethu’s style of filmmaking doesn’t appear vastly different from what it was in Drishyam. He continues to set up scenes flatly like a television soap, offering nothing much to look at in every frame. In many places, there is a glaring mismatch between action and reaction shots. The background score is acutely stagey. Although, there are some apparent novelties this time, like the use of handheld shots.

But for Jeethu, the aesthetics of his film has never been a concern. Here, he plugs the holes in filmmaking using a compelling screenplay that begins at a low point and steadily gains momentum. The story is solid, about a state’s police force going all out to tear into one man’s ingenious scheme. On a different level, it is also about a family’s incredible will to survive.

Jeethu doesn’t shy away from amplifying tension to a disturbing level by taking the central conflict to the edge. He nails the police procedural part of the narrative. Some of the supporting characters get impressive scenes and story-arcs.

George Kutty, who has vowed to take a pitch-dark secret to his grave to save his family even at the cost of his peace of mind, is on slippery ground. He is pressed under the weight of his responsibility to protect his family from the hands of the law. But this time, he doesn’t have much to fall back on as the village folk has turned hostile. They passively participate in the police’s harassment of the family and spread scandals.

Jeethu doesn’t set the film up like a mass entertainer. He doesn’t let the sequel be weighed down by the massive success of Drishyam. After an opening sequence which starts from where the first movie ended, George Kutty makes his re-entry, so unceremoniously, as a family man. He is a movie theatre owner and an aspiring movie producer. The scenes set in the household are smooth, despite an excess of expository dialogue and ill-fitting wig of the actors.

You learn about the seven years. Anju (Ansiba Hassan) has turned into a recluse. Rani (Meena) is perennially worried and lonely. A new police officer, Thomas (Murali Gopi), has taken over the case, albeit secretly, to avenge the humiliation his colleagues had undergone. There are some unrealistic elements in the police investigation. For one, you see man coolly recollecting a minor incident from seven years ago. But it is easy to ignore these errors for there is a lot else to pay close attention to. There is no explanation as to why many people cannot recognise George Kutty, the face of a sensational criminal case.

Mohanlal delivers a compelling performance as a man who flits between plain and obscure, who can effortlessly slip into the cloak of a schemer or a victim in a split-second. He finds a fantastic rival in Murali Gopi, who brings to the fore not just the coldness of the law but the myriad human emotions that come to play in a crime investigation. Meena and Ansiba, who get meatier roles than in the first film, are excellent too.

But the real star is Jeethu who, despite his limitations as a filmmaker, creates an intrinsic narrative landscape. He recognises George Kutty as an exceptional storyteller. An illusionist who has a talent for keeping his audience on edge until the end. He thinks of himself as the hero who is always destined to win at the end of a movie. In the intriguing climax, the big revelation happens in a conference room like a script-narrating session, away from the courtroom where the real drama unfolds.

However, Drishyam 2 isn’t a unidimensional affair that cheers for the hero. In its brilliant final image, you see the dichotomy between the heroic image one might typically associate with George Kutty and the reality where he is just a powerless man.

The film explores how crime and punishment are looked at by the law and theology. Dr Prabhakar (Siddique), the father of the murdered boy, doesn’t ask for much. He is looking for a spiritual closure, unlike his wife Geetha (Asha Sharreth), the prime antagonist in Drishyam, who isn’t ridden just with grief but vengeance too. But the film asks if any punishment by the law could be more brutal than the inner turmoil George Kutty and the family suffer daily. Can the police who committed brutal custody violence in Drishyam claim any moral superiority?

It is this delicate understanding of the subtleties of justice, power and humanity that makes Drishyam 2 a finer movie than Drishyam.

****

The Drishyam 2 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.

Pitta Kathalu Review: A Mixed Bag that Yearns for Wild Swings

BY Aditya Shrikrishna On

Directors: Tharun Bhascker, BV Nandini Reddy, Nag Ashwin, Sankalp Reddy

Cast: Saanve Megghana, Abhay Bethiganti, Lakshmi Manchu, Amala Paul, Jagapathi Babu, Shruti Haasan, Eesha Rebba, Srinivas Avasarala

Death, taxes and Netflix anthologies as they break into original content for an Indian film industry. Netflix gathers four contemporary Telugu film directors at the top of their game for Pitta Kathalu. There isn’t one overarching theme to Pitta Kathalu, like Tamil’s Paava Kadhaigal. Women are central to it and themes of revenge, insecurity and comeuppance tie the short films directed by Tharun Bhascker, BV Nandini Reddy, Nag Ashwin and Sankalp Reddy. Privacy, control and consent are other uniting factors.

In Ramula, Tharun reverses the dynamics in the romance between Ramula (Saanve Megghana) and Ram Chander (Abhay Bethiganti). Ramula calls the shots and in Ram, who not only belongs to dominant caste but is also a former politician’s son, we see a meek young man pretending to be the alpha that he is not. My guess is that Ram’s hairstyle – his father makes it a point to comment on it – is not a coincidence, Ram does model himself after Arjun Reddy, but he is unable to muster that venomous masculinity he craves for. Ramula is chastised by her elder brother for posting TikTok videos. While she is very much present on TikTok, she must hide her face with her clothes in order to protect Ram from his family. And her own good. Her brother too orders him to wear the helmet, so they are not seen together in public. Tharun blocks the pair in public spaces – bus stand, inside a cinema theatre or outside in the parking lot. And the film they are watching? Tharun’s debut Pelli Choopulu in which Vijay Devarakonda played Prasanth like Ram, guided by his more enterprising girlfriend Chitra. Today, Devarakonda is more synonymous with Arjun Reddy than Prasanth.

Ramula takes beguiling but curious turns when the love story reaches Swaroopa (Lakshmi Manchu), a Woman’s Council President whose union is handy for political parties dominated by upper castes. She is written as the savarna feminist who might scoff at the token support she gets from political leaders but doesn’t flinch from using anyone for her social capital. Tharun plays with a lot of concepts here – caste, politics, feminism and who are the women it fronts, and privacy. Does it all come together? It’s difficult to say.

In contrast, Nandini Reddy’s Meera shoots too straight. More than mere age difference troubles Meera (Amala Paul) and Vishwa’s (Jagapathi Babu) marriage. Written by Radhika Anand, something is off about the staging and the performances here. Everything is so artificial, staged or performed without commitment, not to mention the exposition to give us the details about this marriage. Clearly, the short film format is challenging for even established filmmakers. The film stops being engaging early enough that it is difficult to get behind Meera and her perilous situation.

Vishwa is your garden variety misogynist, abuser and gaslighter. He demands security from Meera as if she is responsible for all the jealousy and insecurity that he’s feeling at the moment. There is a single shot that expresses more than tomes of dialogues. Meera is framed in a closeup, the background populated by her friend and confidante on the left, and Vishwa’s lawyers on the right, and further in the back, her children.

Artificiality is the crux of Nag Ashwin’s film xLife, the only one not named after its principal woman character. But in a way it is, as Divya (Shruti Haasan) is the only lifelike human in this story that takes on surveillance capitalism. It touches upon privacy in all its complex forms – from personal life to consent (Divya, a kitchen staff, is plainly informed “you are now a model”). It’s a neat if simplistic idea and the final product cries for some finesse in both look and feel. A dig at Facebook here, a bigger dig at Amazon there but xLife doesn’t work as a short film and lacks that visual appeal one has come to expect from Nag Ashwin. It’s all futuristic junk and gadgetry without any production value to speak of. xLife is a first draft that must have been filed away for rewrites.

Sankalp Reddy finishes Pitta Kathalu with a mild flourish. Pinky, written by Nanda Kishore Emani, has Eesha Rebba in the eponymous role. The film is so rigid with dispensing information that Meera could take notes from. An offhand detail about a bookshelf throws us off but makes sense later albeit differently. Two couples, two marriages. In one, the wife eats alone, and the husband can only caress her portrait on the wall. In the other, we know some troubling details but the husband – a writer – works the kitchen and wife attends the board meeting but both have dinner together. The film keeps teasing us that there’s more to these four characters than what we perceive and the way it unravels is a sight to behold. Srinivas Avasarala’s wig though isn’t.

****

The Pitta Kathalu 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.

Chakra: Court Lifts Stay Order on Tamil Film Starring Vishal

BY Anusha Sundar On

Chakra, the Tamil action thriller film starring Vishal, released on Friday.

The film had been issued an interim stay order by the Madras High Court, earlier this week, which was lifted on Thursday.

Justice CV Karthikeyan was hearing the case.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Vishal wrote on social media, “Yes, as always have faced hurdles, issues and have always been true to my self, to my profession and to anything related to the Film Industry. Thanks to the Hon High Court for serving the order at the right time keeping the interest of not just the producer but everyone involved in the film and vacating the stay. We are in to release the movie as per schedule, Truth always Triumphs.”

The film, which will mark the actor’s return to films after two years, is directed by debutant filmmaker MS Anandan. Vishal has produced the film under the banner Vishal Film Factory.

On Tuesday, the high court had passed an interim stay order in the release of the film after the producer of Vishal’s last film Action (2019), R Ravindran of Trident Arts, moved court over a copyright claim of the film’s script. He had claimed that the director had narrated the script to him first and had signed a contract termed Director Engagement Agreement in 2018. The court had observed that the issue of copyright would arise only when the film was produced by Ravindran and so far he has not produced any film based on the script and story which is owned by Anandan.

The copyright claim was not the only issue. In September 2020, Ravindran had filed a plea with the high court asking for compensation from Vishal after Action (directed by Sundar C) performed poorly at the box office. The producer had claimed that Vishal owed him over Rs 8 crore. While the initial budget of the film was Rs 40 crore, Vishal had negotiated with Ravindran to increase it to Rs 44 crore, with the assurance that Rs 20 crore would be collected at the time of the release. While the film collected only Rs 10 crore, leaving an unsettled claim of Rs 9,29,57,468. The court asked the matter to be settled through arbitration.

With respect to Chakra’s release, the court had sought Vishal to furnish a statement regarding the collection of the theatrical release from Friday to March 5 in all theatres in India and worldwide and in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam language releases. The statement of accounts should be filed in court on or before March 10, the court ordered.

Chakra stars Shraddha Srinath and Regina Cassandra, with music composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. Apart from Tamil, the film will also release in Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada. The film revolves around cyber crimes and e-commerce scam issues. The film will release on over 1,500 screens, the makers said.

Bagheera Teaser Starring Prabhu Deva, Amyra Dastur

Cast: Prabhu deva, Amyra dastur, Ramya nambeesan, Janani Iyer, Sanchita shetty, Gayathrie shankar, Sakshi agarwal, Sonia agarwal, Sai kumar, Nassar, Pragathi.
Writer & Director: Adhik Ravichandran
Production: Bharathan Pictures
Produced by R.V.Bharathan
Co-Producer by S.V.R Ravi Shankar
Music – Ganesan sekar
DOP – Selva Kumar SK, Abinandhan Ramanujam
Editor – Ruben
Art Director – Siva Yadav
Publicity Design – Dstage
Title Logo – Siva Kumar S
Dialogues – Adhik Ravichandran
Lyrics – Pa.Vijay, Adhik Ravichandran, Rokesh
Sound Mixing – Rajakrishnan
Sound Design – Sync cinema
VFX – Hari hara suthan
DI – B2H
Colorist – Raghunath varma
Production Executive- P.Pandiyan, G.Sampath
Choreography – Raju sundaram, Baba Baskar
Stunt – Rajasekar, Anbariv
Costumer – Sai
Makeup – Kuppusamy
Stills – Sarathy
PRO – Suresh Chandra, Rekha D’One
Promotions – Ctc MediaboySa

Doob Review: Irrfan Khan Steals the Show in this Emotional Indo-Bangladeshi Film

BY Kathakali Nandi On

Director: Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Cast: Irrfan Khan, Nusrat Imroz Tisha, Rokeya Prachy, Parno Mittra 

At first glance, Doob (No Bed of Roses) seems too slow-paced for comfort. But fuelled with superlative performances by Irrfan Khan, Nusrat Imroz Tisha, and Rokeya Prachy; the film’s languid pace and long silences add depth and meaning. The Indo-Bangladesh film does a fine job of exploring flawed relationships and highlighting the nuances of interpersonal relations in a family.

Doob explores the gradual breaking up of Javed Hasan’s (Khan) marriage with his wife Maya (Prachy). Javed, a popular filmmaker, and Maya had once been so much in love that they had eloped to get married. Two children and several years later, their mad love has now dried up. Javed divorces Maya to marry Nitu (Parno Mittra), the much younger and attractive actor whom he has cast in his latest film.

While cinema is no stranger to the topic of crumbling marriages and their effect on the former partners, Doob instead focusses on the effect the divorce has on Hasan’s teenaged daughter Saberi (Tisha). For Saberi, her father’s unfaithfulness comes a massive blow as Nitu was once her childhood best friend.

Early into the film, during a family vacation, Saberi playfully tells her mother to pretend to be a movie star and ask Javed out for dinner. She advises her father to spend some quality time with Maya and ignore everything else. A sensitive daughter, she’s aware of the cracks in their marriage and almost plays the role of a marriage counsellor to help them reunite and rekindle their lost love. As she increasingly becomes aware of her father’s relationship with Nitu, she is frustrated by her mother’s inability to keep him tied at home.

When rumours spread about Javed’s growing affinity towards Nitu, he spends the night apart from Maya and her questions. When he returns home the next morning and looks around for a glass of water, he finds all the bottles and jugs empty. When he finally walks out, Saberi runs after him with a glass of water, her eyes brimming with tears but stays silent. Saberi is torn between being the devastated daughter and betrayed friend but quickly steps up to become her mother’s emotional anchor, and a dutiful elder sister to her lost, hurt younger brother. She tends to Maya’s wounded heart and fragile self-worth while nurturing a deep-rooted disgust for Nitu and Javed.

The topic of death is introduced early into the film. A man dies either if he isn’t relevant to anyone anymore or if he doesn’t need anyone anymore, Javed tells Saberi. You know Javed’s death is looming every time he drives away dejected after Saberi refuses to meet him, returns his gifts unopened, and his son does not look at him in the eye while he rebukes him for performing poorly in school. No one needs Javed Hasan anymore. You never even know if he found happiness after marrying Nitu.

In a striking scene, when Maya is informed about Javed’s untimely death, she remains deathly calm. She breaks the news to her children on the breakfast table, to which Saberi nonchalantly responds by demanding elaborate omelettes instead of the mundane poached eggs. Maya and her children pretend that Javed’s death doesn’t affect them but they are devastated by the news. Saberi initially refuses to attend Javed’s funeral but eventually breaks down when she sees his coffin and tearfully calls out Baba for the last time.

Khan, undoubtedly, carries the weight of this emotionally-laden film on his shoulders. His eyes speak for him and conveys much more than dialogues could. When Javed takes a walk with Maya, his eyes light up when he recounts his experience of eloping with her. Maya cuts him off and curtly wonders why he is so enthusiastic about the bygone days. His eyes suddenly lose their youthful shine. He begins to mumble something but looks away, pained with the knowledge that his marriage is dying. After he divorces Maya and marries Nitu, he attempts to reach out to Saberi and impress her with expensive gifts. He lacks the confidence to meet her personally and asks the building’s security guard to give it to her. When the guard returns the unopened gift, his eyes reflect his disappointment and embarrassment for involving an outsider into his family affairs.

The film, however, misses out on finer details on Nitu. There’s no explanation why Javed cast her in his film and how they fell in love. While initially he tries to drive her away, the film suddenly announces that they are married and later, in a fleeting scene, you know that they also have a young son. Nitu is depicted as a stereotypical jealous second wife who cannot stand her husband being amicable with his former wife and children.

The film has several beautiful shots which linger on the breezy outdoors, with trees and bushes swaying gently in the wind. The film is shot in picturesque locations and gives a rare look into the natural beauty of Bangladesh, a far cry from what was shown in Sam Hargrave’s Extraction.

****

The Doob 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.

Yash Raj Films Announces Film Slate for 2021, Akshay Kumar’s ‘Prithviraj’ Gets Diwali Release Date

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Yash Raj Films announced the release dates of five of its upcoming movies this year – Prithviraj, Shamshera, Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Bunty Aur Babli 2, andSandeep Aur Pinky Faraar– in an official announcement on Wednesday.

Making this announcement, the production company wrote on Twitter that it intends to bring back audiences to the big screen.

“Yash Raj Films has locked its exciting slate of films for 2021 and the company is signalling its strong intent to bring audiences back to experience films on the big screen,” the statement read.

The first release from the production house will be Dibakar Banerjee-directed Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, featuring Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra. The film will see release on March 19. Bunty Aur Babli 2, a sequel to the 2005 film Bunty Aur Babli 2, will release on April 23. With Siddhant Chaturvedi and Sharvani Wagh playing the lead roles, the film also stars Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerji.

While director Karan Malhotra’s Shamshera, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, and Vaani Kapoor, is set to release on June 25, Ranveer Singh‘s Jayeshbhai Jordaar will release on August 27. Jayeshbhai Jordaar also stars Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak Shah, and Shalini Pandey.  

For the Diwali slot, Yash Raj Films will release Akshay Kumar‘s Prithviraj, a biopic on the ruler Prithiviraj Chauhan, on November 5. The film will mark the debut of Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar. Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, Prithviraj was supposed to release during Diwali 2020, however, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it was delayed. The film is set to clash at the box office with Jersey, starring Shahid Kapoor and Mrunal Thakur, which is also be releasing on the same date.

While the announcement received a positive response on Twitter, several people asked for updates regarding Shahrukh Khan‘s much-awaited movie Pathan, which was supposed to get a theatrical release this year.

International Film Festival of Kerala 2021: Actor Salim Kumar Calls Out Organisers for Not Inviting Him, Congress Calls for Boycott of Festival 

BY Anusha Sundar On

The 25th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which moved to its second host city, Kochi, on Wednesday started on a troubled note after the Congress called for a boycott of the festival after organisers failed to invite National Film Award-winning Malayalam actor Salim Kumar for the festival’s inaugural ceremony.

Hibi Eden, Congress MP from Ernakulam, announced the boycott on Facebook and wrote, “If Salim Kumar is not there, we are not there. Congress boycotts film festival in Kochi.”

According to Manorama News, when Salim asked the organising committee why he was not invited, he was told that he was overaged to be extended an invitation. Salim claimed that other invitees, like filmmakers Aashiq Abu and Amal Neerad, were roughly of his age and his juniors at college. He said that he supported the Congress’ call for the boycott as the festival has been inviting people who had a political inclination towards the Left.

Refuting Salim’s statement, filmmaker Kamaluddin Mohammed Majeed and chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, that hosts IFFK, said, “There is no politics in this. Salim Kumar was invited and has to be a part of the festival. I will certainly speak with him about this. There is no bigger problem here.”

He said that the organising committee consisted of members from different trade organisations and the festival gives an opportunity to younger artists to participate in the inaugural function.

Expressing solidarity with Salim, Congress MP of Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor said that it was “disgraceful pettiness” by the Left Front government of Kerala to sideline Salim. “Those who do such things are diminishing themselves, not the stars they slighted, who are way above them in stature,” he wrote on Twitter.

Leader of the Opposition and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala condemned the festival’s behaviour towards Salim.

The Kerala government is headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and leader of the Left Democratic Front, which is in alliance with the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Vijayan inaugurated the IFFK festival this year.

The IFFK, which began on February 10 in Thiruvananthapuram, will continue in Kochi until February 21, followed by the Thalassery edition, which will be held between February 23 and 27. In Palakkad, the film festival will be held between March 1 and 5. Around 40 films will be screened at the festival.

Maradu 357: Kochi Court Stays Release of Malayalam Film on Flat Demolitions

BY Namrata Ganguly On

The release of Maradu 357, the Malayalam film based on the demolition of flats in Maradu in 2020, was stayed by the Munsiff’s Court in Ernakulam, Kochi on Wednesday, reported Live Law.

The film was supposed to release on March 19.

The court passed an interim injunction order that the film should neither be released in full, half nor any trailer or song of the film in neither theatres nor any OTT platforms or social media until the completion of the trial in the criminal case filed against the builders in the demolition case.

Directed by Kannan Thamarakulam, Maradu 357, the number in the film’s title represents the number of flats that were demolished. 

In 2006, the Maradu Grama Panchayat issued show-cause notices to the builders for cancellation of the building permits, citing several reasons, including Coastal Regulation Zone violation. The builders moved the High Court, which stayed the notice leading to the continuation of the usual construction works.

After several petitions from 2012 to 2019, filed by the panchayat and the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority, counter petitions by the builders and several hearings, the four apartment complexes were demolished through a controlled implosion on the orders of the Supreme Court on January 11 and 12, 2020.

The court also directed that each flat owner would get compensation of Rs 25 lakh as an interim amount, regardless of the amount shown in the sale deed and directed the builders to deposit Rs 61.50 crore with the Kerala government for disbursing compensation to residents.

Managing director of Jain Housing Ltd Sandeep Mehta, managing director of Holy Faith Builders and Developers Private Limited Sany Francis and co-promoter of the Golden Kayaloram apartment KV Jose complained that the film’s release might intervene in their right to a fair trial in the ongoing criminal case against them.

The complainants cited the example of the Supreme Court’s stay order on the release of the film Black Friday until the trial in the Bombay blast case was over and the example of the recent Kerala High Court order on the airing of the serial on Koodathayi murder cases which had similarities with a pending criminal case that could intervene in the administration of justice

According to them, the film’s trailer suggests that there was an illegal conspiracy between the builders and government officers to illegally obtain the building’s permit illegally. Such depiction of the issue, which is sub-judice, could affect the trial, they said.. 

The first-look poster was released in April 2020 by the director where he wrote that the film “speaks out a lot of naked truths”.

Produced by Abraham Mathew, under the banner of Abam Films, the film features Anoop Menon, Manoj K Jayan, Dharmajan Bolghatty, Sheelu Abraham, Sarayu, and Noorin Shereef.

Tripti Dimri, Gurfateh Singh Pirzada, Dhairya Karwa Introduced as First Recruits of Karan Johar’s Talent Management Agency

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Filmmaker Karan Johar introduced Triptii Dimri (Bulbbul), Gurfateh Singh Pirzada (Guilty), and Dhairya Karwa (URI: The Surgical Strike) as the first few talents in his new company Dharma Cornerstone Agency (DCA). This talent management was launched in December in partnership with Bunty Sajdeh, who founded the talent management firm Cornerstone in 2008.

As promised to fans earlier, Johar has been announcing new talents joining the DCA squad every day since February 16.

On Tuesday, Dimri was the first to be introduced by Johar. Previously, she played the lead role in Anushka Sharma’s Netflix original Bulbbul. Dimri made her debut in 2017’s Poster Boys and later went on to play the lead role in the 2018 film Laila Majnu. Johar took to Twitter and announced the news of her joining the squad and wrote, “She has the spark to start a fire and a dynamic personality to fuel that fire.”

Pirzada was introduced by Johar as “he’s bold, he’s suave and he has a gaze that’ll leave you entranced”.

Karwa, the latest entrant in the DCA squad, will be seen next in Ranveer Singh’s upcoming film 83. It was earlier announced that Karwa will be playing the role of Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri. The actor was introduced by Johar as “He has a vibe that can captivate you in an instant!”

Earlier, Johar took to Twitter to announce his venture and wrote, “In this vast playground of Indian cinema, we have always aimed to support new talent for them to flourish, it’s been actors, directors, technicians, artists in the musical field. With the same spirit at heart and goal in our minds, we are proud to be presenting 4 new talents who in the short span of time have garnered immense love and recognition from fans and industry alike with their work.”

He also shared a video of these new talents. Noted journalist and film critic Rajeev Masand was announced as the chief operating officer of DCA.

Madhavan Conferred With Doctorate of Letters for Contribution to Arts and Cinema

BY Anusha Sundar On

R Madhavan, the Indian actor who was last seen in Tamil romantic drama Maara, was conferred with an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D Litt) by the DY Patil Education Society, Kolhapur in Maharashtra on Wednesday for his contribution to arts and cinema.

The honour, given by the institution’s chancellor Sanjay D Patil, was awarded to the actor during the ninth convocation ceremony.

Suraj, the university’s IT in-charge confirmed to Silverscreen India that Madhavan was conferred with the honour.

Madhavan earned his undergraduate degree Bachelor of Science in Electronics from Rajaram College in Kolhapur. In 1988, he received a scholarship to represent India as the cultural ambassador from the college. He went on to spend a year in Stettler (Alberta, Canada) as part of an exchange programme with Rotary International. He then returned to Kolhapur to complete his education.

Calling Kolhapur a “cauldron of magical experiences” that he used as “tools to fight years ahead”, Madhavan said: “Much to my amazement, I realised the gambit of opportunities that were being opened to me because I was in Kolhapur. From NCC to public speaking to elocution contests, getting into social services.”

Reminiscing his college days, Madhavan said, “I cannot tell how touched I am. While listening to my list of achievements that was being read out, I cannot tell how overwhelmingly grateful and sense of gratitude I felt towards Kolhapur knowing how strongly people here have contributed to the success I have had till date.”

Madhavan is awaiting the release of his directorial debut and biographical drama film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. The film is based on the life of former ISRO scientist and engineer Nambi Narayanan, who was accused of espionage. Madhavan will be producing and starring in the titular role of the film, which will be released in Hindi, Tamil, and English.

Prem Tame Review: Not Your Average, Run-of-the-Mill Puppy Love Story

BY Kathakali Nandi On

Director: Anindyo Chattopadhyay

Cast: Soumya Mukherjee, Sweta Mishra, Susmita Chatterjee, Tommy

Despite its Valentine’s Day release date, Prem Tame is the ideal date movie for dog lovers, not so much for young couples in love.

Director Anindya Chattopadhyay takes us on a cute, mushy trip of puppy love where Pablo (Soumya Mukherjee) finds true love in his ex-girlfriend’s pet dog Khogen (Tommy), after dating introverted, conservative Arshi (Sweta Mishra) and outgoing student activist, research scholar Raji (Susmita Chatterjee).

The world of Chattopadhyay’s Prem Tame is inhabited by unrealistic characters who spout unrelatable and pretentious dialogues. Pablo is supposed to be a first-year student but looks old enough to be a PhD student. Raji is supposed to be a research scholar and a feisty student activist but looks too urbane to be studying in Serampore College. She fights for students’ rights, represents her college in dance and sports, roams around Serampore and Kolkata informing Pablo about the cities’ history, enlightens him about famous dogs, and also gives him a detailed tutorial on how to kiss; making one wonder what her research subject is. While Chattopadhyay sheds no light on her backstory, he drops hints suggesting that she has a troubled past. However, none of that is explored as the film progresses.

Even the basic plot of the film feels unbelievable and unrealistic. Pablo falls in love with his classmate Arshi. When he gets caught trying to kiss her in an empty classroom, the principal suspends the both of them for indulging in obscene acts in the college. Raji takes up their cause and fights for their suspension to be revoked. By the time their suspension has been withdrawn, Pablo has fallen in love with Raji and wants to live in with her. Raji is cool with the idea but has one condition- she will be moving into his house with her “baby” Khogen. Pablo, who is deathly scared of dogs, reluctantly agrees. On the day Raji moves in to Pablo’s home, his furious conservative and pious mother walks out. Just when a cautious Raji falls for Pablo, she deserts him but leaves behind her beloved Khogen with Pablo. A wounded Pablo now wants to return to Arshi but has to fulfil her only condition- get rid of the mutt. In this constant yo-yoing affections for Arshi and Raji, Pablo finds love in Khogen and realises only dogs can offer pure, unconditional, and true love.

The film masquerades itself as a frothy, college romance and it does have some of the typical elements that remind you of the giddy feelings of young love. In an interesting sequence, hit music composer, lyricist and singer Anupam Roy makes an appearance as himself during a stage performance at the college and recreates one of his super hit songs. As the song progresses, it showcases Arshi and Pablo’s evolving relationship – from exchanging looks during boring lectures to bunking classes to spend time with each other. The rest of the film, however, is far less charming than this one stray enjoyable sequence.

Khogen is the actual hero of this film. Just like Dil Dhadakne Do’s Pluto (voiced by Aamir Khan), Khogen narrates the story of the three characters and is voiced by the director himself. Not only does Khogen effortlessly claim a spot in Pablo’s heart, he’s also the only character that forces viewers to endure the absurd yet predictable film. While Khogen initially comes across as just another eccentric character in the film (which dog has Baby Horlicks for dinner?), it doesn’t take long to warm up to him and root for him to win over Pablo’s affections.

The film starts off on a promising note but the plot soon begins to fizzle out. There are too many inconsistencies that the film overlooks, which further adds to the bizarreness of the characters. Why would Raji agree to live in with her boyfriend, a first-year college student, and his unwilling mother? Why does Raji suddenly desert Pablo but leave behind her precious pooch? And the biggest question of all- how come these kids are always roaming around? Don’t they attend classes or is college attendance just another under-written concept in the film?

****

The Prem Tame 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.

‘Drishyam 2’ Will Not be Screened in Theatres After OTT Premiere, Says Kerala Film Chamber

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Mohanlal‘s upcoming Malayalam film Drishyam 2, which is set to release on Amazon Prime Video on February 19, will not be releasing in cinema halls in Kerala, the Kerala Film Chamber said.

Despite Mohanlal hinting that the film might get a theatrical release in Kerala after its OTT debut, the Kerala Film Chamber said that all Malayalam films that opt for a direct OTT release will not be allowed to run in theatres.

Talking to Silverscreen India, Vijayakumar, president of the Kerala Film Chamber said, “This decision has been taken not only for Drishyam 2 but in fact for all the films who are planning to go for an OTT release and then a theatrical release.”

“The particular film which has been sold exclusively to OTT platform, that film will not be shown in theatres. If the same actor or director releases their next film in theatres, that won’t be an issue,” he clarified.

Asked whether a big star’s film not getting a theatrical release will affect theatre owners, Vijayakumar said, “It does not matter if it’s a superstar or big star, any film that chooses OTT platform first, we don’t want to screen those films in the theatre. It affects the economy of the film theatres in Kerala. Actually, not only in Kerala but all over the world.”

Reiterating that the decision is not exclusively for one film only, he said that the association had made the decision in August 2020.

Suresh Shenoy, Shenoys Theatre Owner and treasurer of the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala told Silverscreen India, “Drishyam 2 was a movie basically meant for a theatrical release. I don’t know what circumstances made the producer give it directly to OTT. In Kerala. the Film Chamber, the Producers’ Association, the Exhibitors’ Association and the Distributors’ Association, we had all taken the decision long back that during Covid time, any movie that is releasing in OTT directly will not be screened in the theatres. So it is based on this same decision that Drishyam 2, which is an OTT release, will not see a theatrical release in Kerala.”

However, he said that while the period for films to start streaming on a streaming app after a theatrical release is 42 days, one can submit a written request to the Film Chamber and ask for that duration to be reduced. “But, this cannot happen the other way round where a producer can release in OTT first and then ask for theatrical release permission from the Film Chamber,” he said.

Drishyam 2 is a sequel to the 2013 thriller, also directed by Jeethu Joseph. Produced by Antony Perumbavoor, under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas, the cast of the prequel reprise their role in this film. The supporting cast includes Siddique, Asha Sharath, Murali Gopy, and Saikumar.

Joyful Mystery Review: A Fascinating Comedy on Modern Romance Past the Honeymoon Phase

BY Aswathy Gopalakrishnan On

Director: Don Palathara

Cast: Rima Kallingal, Jithin Puthenchery

Comedy is not a genre one usually associates with filmmaker Don Palathara. Films shot in gorgeous monochrome that seek to discover cinematic truth with the help of realism have been his forte. His Shavam (Corpse, 2015) has a deadpan exterior, but underneath it is a sharp and subtle sense of humour that laughs at a society plagued with hypocrisy.

In his latest film, Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam (Joyful Mystery), the filmmaker moves beyond the pattern he had created for himself. It is filmed in colour, to begin with. Although, every object and person inside the frame is obsessively colour-coordinated. Over the 80-minute film, the viewers become privy to an intimate conversation between the two protagonists, Maria (Rima Kallingal) and Jithu (Jithin Puthenchery), lovers who are in a domestic cohabitation, while they are travelling to a clinic to take a pregnancy test.

The film is shot in one long take, using a camera strapped to a car’s dashboard. The space inside the vehicle acts as a moving stage for the domestic drama to unfold. There is no pan, no zoom-in or zoom-out or a shift in the angle.

The formal choice of the film is in tune with the time. Throughout the film, the characters are within the confines of the moving car, akin to the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown that brought back many families under the same roof, forcing them to address emotions bottled up over the years. The pregnancy scare becomes an excuse for the couple to talk about things that they would, otherwise, have kept for another time.

But never does the film turn lacklustre. The performances are strong. Don’s writing is tight and dialectical, relentlessly oscillating between a woman’s and a man’s position in a modern-day relationship. Their conversation is fluid. It is scripted but sounds spontaneous. “Do you think we can afford a child now,” she asks. “I agree we cannot. But once we have a child, we will find a way to deal with the situation,” he replies.

She needs a plan. He wants to go with the flow. She finds his coolness unreasonable. He finds her fears and insecurities silly. Their living arrangement, a decision they had taken together a long time ago, becomes a point of debate. For most of the journey, they stay on vastly different pages, never coming to agree on anything, and tweaking incidents from the past to suit their respective sides.

One time, an outsider, a nosy acquaintance, gets into the car and poses uncomfortable questions to the couple. Their interaction is wildly humorous. You see the awkwardness on the couple’s faces as the woman tosses at them some unsolicited advice about pregnancy and life. Although to shut the outsider up is a mutual need, the couple cannot call a truce and put up a united front. When Jithu, out of the blue, reveals that he and Maria are unmarried, the woman is stunned. And Maria, furious.

The space between the couple’s seats is dynamic. Through the rear windshield, you see pieces of the city the car is passing through. Sometimes, out of the blue in between an intense conversation, she moves to pick up something from the backseat. At one point, as the fight turns physical, she crosses the imaginary divide to land an angry bite on his arm. The screenplay manages to create a delectable emotional rhythm in the narrative. In a slightly long stretch, right before the car reaches the clinic, the couple goes quiet. But the air inside the car, rife with tension, speaks louder than the words. Neither of them can find a way out of the impasse they have arrived at.

The film moves to a meta-cinematic level when Maria makes a phonecall to an arthouse filmmaker (voiced by Don himself) for an interview. He corrects her when she uses the word “movie”. It is cinema, he says. He refers to himself as an utmost “original” filmmaker unlike his contemporaries, some of who went to film schools, who make mediocre experimental films. The dialogue in this part sound contrived for the sake of comedy. But rarely does in Malayalam’s stiff arthouse cinema space one come across a filmmaker who can make fun of himself and his kind of cinema.

In a scene from Don’s previous film, 1956, Central Travancore, an old man at a toddy parlour rebukes a youngster who said he wanted to live like ‘the birds of the sky’ who don’t sow or reap, “You cannot interpret the holy book the way you like!” Here, the title Joyful Mystery is a playful reference to the Bible, the part where Virgin Mary comes to know of her pregnancy. A sly dig at the old order.

The characters in the film don’t carry the weight of having to make the right decision all the time. It is in their beautiful imperfection, Don weaves a sense of universality. It is about Maria and Jithin, but it is also about everyone, at different points in time.

****

The Joyful Mystery 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.

Sandeep Nahar, Co-Star in ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’, Dies By Suicide

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Sandeep Nahar, the Hindi actor who is best known for his roles in MS Dhoni: The Untold Story and Kesari, died by suicide on Monday in his residence in Mumbai’s Goregaon area.

The Mumbai Police has registered a case and the matter is being probed.

Nahar was popular for his pivotal supporting roles as close friend of the lead actors including late actor Sushant Singh Rajput‘s 2016 film MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Akshay Kumar starrer 2019 film Kesari, actor Sonakshi Sinha‘s 2019 comedy-drama film Khandaani Shafakhana, and actor Divyendu Sharma‘s 2020 Zee5 release Shukranu. He was also popular with director and producer Ekta Kapoor‘s Alt Balaji Originals’ Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain starring Ronit Roy in the lead. Besides supporting roles in several Hindi daily soaps, he has also appeared in Tamil advertisements.

A few hours prior to his death, the actor shared a video on Facebook along with a long note that has been now taken down. In the video, Nahar spoke about his mental well being and how “down” he has been for a long time and that he could take a step any time.

He said that both his personal and professional life had suffered one setbacks. He said that he was stressed with the relationship between his wife Kanchan Sharma as she was very “hyper” in nature and would fight on trivial issues. Nahar said that he was not able to endure fights and that if he takes a severe step, he does not want anyone to be blamed for it.

According to India Today, Nahar wrote in Hindi: “I do not wish to live anymore. I have seen a lot of happy and sad moments in life.. I have faced all the problems but the trauma I am going through now is intolerable. I know committing suicide is cowardice, I also wanted to live but there is no point in living where there is no happiness and self-respect.. my #wife Kanchan Sharma and her mother Vinu Sharma have never understood me neither have they ever tried understanding me. My #wife is of hyper nature, her personality is different than that of mine which doesn’t match at all. Every single day–morning and evening– there is distress that I am not able to endure anymore.. There is no fault of #kanchan in this as her nature is like this that all these are very normal to her but this is no more normal to me. I have also seen really bad days for many years throughout my stay in Mumbai but I have never been broken before.”

Nahar is survived by his wife Kanchan Sharma.

Nagarjuna Akkineni to Star in Action Film Directed By Praveen Sattaru

BY Anusha Sundar On

Nagarjuna Akkineni, the Telugu actor who was last seen as the host of the reality TV show Bigg Boss Telugu 4, will be collaborating with National Award-winning director Praveen Sattaru for an upcoming action film, the actor tweeted on Tuesday.

The film was officially launched with an inaugural ceremony at a temple in Secunderabad, Telangana. The chief guest of the ceremony was Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, and Cinematography, Telangana, who marked the first clap.

Calling the untitled film a “high-octane action drama”, Nagarjuna said, “It has been a while since I have played a powerful role onscreen in a film, especially one shot in an action backdrop.”

The actor said that the film will be shot in London, Goa, Ooty, and Hyderabad. He added that the rest of the cast members will be announced soon.

Praveen, who last directed the Telugu spy film PSV Garuda Vega, said that the film will be a “stylish action film”. The film will mark his first collaboration with Nagarjuna.

The film will be produced by Puskur Ram Mohan Rao, Narayandas K Narang, and Sharrath Marar under Sri Venkateswara Cinemas LLP and Northstar Entertainment Pvt Ltd banners. The cinematographer will be Mukhesh G.

According to Rao, the team has planned to shoot for six to seven months. The filming will commence in Hyderabad for 10 days, followed by 15 days in Goa in March and one month in Ooty, after which the team will shoot in London. The team has planned to also have a four-day shoot in South Korea.

Nagarjuna on Monday wrapped up shooting for the upcoming action fantasy Hindi film Brahmastra. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, and produced by filmmaker Karan Johar, the multi-starrer film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Mouni Roy. Nagarjuna’s Telugu action thriller Wild Dog, which completed shooting in November 2020, is awaiting release.