Section: Movies

Unfinished: Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas Opens Up About Botched Nose Surgery in Her Memoir 

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the actor and producer whose latest film The White Tiger premiered on Netflix on January 22, released her memoir Unfinished on Tuesday.

In the book she has taken her fans through her childhood, two decades in the entertainment industry, finding love, overcoming hardships, and much more.

The actor opened up about a botched nose surgery in the memoir and said how “devastated and hopeless” she felt after that. According to People, Chopra Jonas began to develop a “lingering head cold” in 2001, a year after she won the Miss World title, which she believed was simply a “very bad sinus infection”.

She wrote that she required surgery to remove a polyp, a benign growth, from her nasal cavity.

According to People, she wrote, “While shaving off the polyp, the doctor also accidentally shaved the bridge of my nose and the bridge collapsed. When it was time to remove the bandages and the condition of my nose was revealed, Mom and I were horrified. My original nose was gone. My face looked completely different. I wasn’t me anymore. I felt devastated and hopeless. Every time I looked in the mirror, a stranger looked back at me, and I didn’t think my sense of self or my self-esteem would ever recover from the blow.”

She wrote that while she was “dared” to give an explanation for her “obviously different nose”, she chose to “draw a line” and not speak about it publicly.

“Now when I look in the mirror, I am no longer surprised; I’ve made peace with this slightly different me,” she wrote.

The actor has starred in several Hindi films and was lauded for her performances in films like Kaminey, 7 Khoon Maaf, Barfi, etc.

According to the Independent, Chopra Jonas wrote that soon after winning the Miss World title, she was asked to go under the knife when she met a filmmaker.

“After a few minutes of small talk, the director/producer told me to stand up and twirl for him. I did. He stared at me long and hard, assessing me, and then suggested that I get a boob job, fix my jaw, and add a little more cushioning to my butt. If I wanted to be an actress, he said, I’d need to have my proportions ‘fixed’, and he knew a great doctor in LA he could send me to. My then-manager voiced his agreement with the assessment,” she wrote in her book, according to the Independent. 

Asked whether she needed to clarify this in the book, in an interview with Asian Style magazine the Quantico actor had said, “I didn’t write about these things now to clarify anything to anyone. I was in a place in my life where I sat down and wrote about the milestones in my life. These happened to be those things, that I’d kept personal in my heart, things I’ve been affected by.”

According to the Guardian, Chopra Jonas is currently shooting in London.

Charisma Carpenter, Other Actors of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Accuse Show’s Creator Joss Whedon of Toxic Behaviour

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Charisma Carpenter, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and three other actors of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer accused the show’s creator, Joss Whedon, of bullying and abuse of power.

One of the first allegations came from Carpenter, who on Wednesday said in a statement that Whedon has a “history of creating toxic and hostile work environments”, including the one she experienced on the sets of Buffy and while she was pregnant.

“Joss Whedon abused his power on numerous occasions while working together on the sets of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. While he found his misconduct amusing, it only severed to intensify my performance anxiety, disempower me, and alienate me from my peers,” wrote Carpenter on Twitter.

Carpenter claimed that Whedon had called her fat when she was four months pregnant and pitted cast members against one another. She also said that Whedon “unceremoniously” fired her the following season, after she’d given birth.

The actor was a series regular on The WB Network’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She was also the female lead on Angel, a spinoff of Buffy.

Following Carpenter’s statement, Gellar, who played the titular character Buffy Summers from 1997 to 2003, also wrote in an Instagram post that she does not want to be “forever associated with the name Joss Whedon”.

 

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A post shared by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar)

Saying that she won’t be making any more statements, Gellar wrote, “But I stand with all survivors of abuse and of proud of them for speaking out.”

Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s younger sister Dawn, reposted Gellar’s statement and accused Whedon of “very not appropriate behavior”.

Another actor from the show, Amber Benson, who played Tara Maclay, wrote on Twitter that Buffy “was a toxic environment”. “There was a lot of damage done during that time and many of us are still processing it twenty plus years later,” she wrote.

Emma Caulfield, another actor of the show, showed her solidarity by sharing Gellar’s post on Instagram.

Carpenter said she had decided to speak out to show solidarity with actor Ray Fisher. In July 2020, Fisher accused Whedon of “abuse” and “unacceptable behavior” while on the set of Justice League in 2017.

“Last summer, when Ray Fisher publicly accused Joss of abusive and unprofessional behavior toward the cast and crew during reshoots on the Justice League set in 2017, it gutted me,” Carpenter wrote.

“Joss has a history of being casually cruel. He has created hostile and toxic work environments since his early career. I know because I experienced it first-hand. Repeatedly,” she added.

Sharing Carpenter’s statement, Fisher wrote, “I am forever grateful for her courage and for her lending her voice to the Justice League investigation.”

Fisher, who was cast as the character Cyborg in Justice League, had alleged that Whedon’s behaviour toward the cast and crew was “abusive, unprofessional and unacceptable”.

“He was enabled, in many ways, by [producers] Geoff Johns and Jon Berg,” Fisher had tweeted. Whedon had overseen the reshoots, editing, and visual effects on Justice League for director Zack Snyder, who had stepped aside after the death of his daughter.

What followed after Fisher’s allegations was a back and forth between the actor and Warner Bros. Studio. While Fisher kept tweeting about it, WB issued a statement which said, “Warner Bros. remains committed to accountability and to the well-being of every cast and crew member on each of its productions.”

“It also remains committed to investigating any specific and credible allegation of misconduct, which thus far Mr. Fisher has failed to provide,” the statement added.

Fisher’s costar Jason Momoa came forward in September 2020 to defend the actor and wrote on Instagram “Serious stuff went down” during Justice League‘s reshoots and that “it needs to be investigated and people need to be held accountable”.

 

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A post shared by Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies)

On December 11, WarnerMedia announced it had completed the investigation and had taken “remedial action”.

Oscars 2021: Shortlisted Nominations in 9 Categories Announced, India’s ‘Jallikattu’ Out of Race, Karishma Dev Dube’s Short Film ‘Bittu’ Shortlisted

BY Anindita Banerjee On

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the shortlist for nine categories for the upcoming 93rd Oscars.

While India’s official entry Jallikattu failed to make it to the International Feature Film shortlist, Karishma Dev Dube’s directorial Bittu has made it to the Live Action Short Film shortlist. Members of the Academy will select the nominees for the 2021 Oscars from these shortlisted contenders in each category.

The categories for which nominations have been announced include Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, International Feature, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Original Song, Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, and Visual Effects.

Nominations voting begins on March 5, and will continue till March 10. The final nominations in each category will be announced on March 15, followed by the 93rd Oscars ceremony on April 25.

Precursors to Oscars which include documentaries like Dick Johnson Is Dead, My Octopus Teacher, Crip Camp, Boys State, Time, have also notably entered the Oscars shortlist. Talked about international features such as Denmark’s Another Round, Guatemalan film La Llorona, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Quo Vadis, Aida? and Chilean production The Mole Agent, have entered the Oscars shortlist as well.

David Fincher’s Mank scored big by getting shortlisted in categories such as Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, and Visual Effects. Pixar’s Soul got shortlisted in Original Score and Visual Effects categories along with Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which scored the shortlist in the same categories as well.

Here’s some of the top categories and their shortlists:

International Feature Film

Bosnia and Herzegovina — Quo Vadis, Aida?
Chile — The Mole Agent
Czech Republic — Charlatan
Denmark — Another Round
France — Two of Us
Guatemala — La Llorona
Hong Kong — Better Days
Iran — Sun Children
Ivory Coast — Night of the Kings
Mexico — I’m No Longer Here
Norway — Hope
Romania — Collective
Russia — Dear Comrades!
Taiwan — A Sun
Tunisia — The Man Who Sold His Skin

Original Score

Ammonite
Blizzard of Souls
Da 5 Bloods
The Invisible Man
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
The Life Ahead
The Little Things
Mank
The Midnight Sky
Minari
Mulan
News of the World
Soul
Tenet
The Trial of the Chicago 7

Live-Action Short

Bittu
Da Yie
Feeling Through
The Human Voice
The Kicksled Choir
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers
The Van
White Eye

Here‘s the full list of nine categories of Oscars shortlist that have been announced.

Uppena: Debut Actor Panja Vaisshnav Tej Says He Didn’t Have to Struggle for the Role

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Panja Vaisshnav Tej, actor Chiranjeevi‘s nephew and Sai Dharam Tej‘s brother, who makes his acting debut with the upcoming Telugu film Uppena, said he never had to struggle to get a break in the film industry.

Talking to Silverscreen India, Vaisshnav Tej said, “Buchi Babu (Uppena’s director) said that I was his first choice for the film. When he wrote the script he wanted a new actor, someone with a fresh face. He then saw my pictures on Instagram and I got a call from Sukumar garu (producer of Uppena) and that’s how it went. I have never struggled in any way. So, what I have and what I got, I am very lucky for that. I just put a photo on Instagram, I didn’t do much and the director recognised me, he got me this role.”

Uppena is a love story but with a “sprinkling of commercial value” to it, said the actor.

The film also stars Vijay Sethupathi and Krithi Shetty.

“I play a fisherman in the film and the girl’s character belongs from an upper caste. The film explores how the guy’s love is pure and how he doesn’t have any other intentions towards her other than that love. The plot revolves around the love story of these characters and how her father is against it. It’s about the journey Uppena and Prema go through with all the twists and turns and hardships they face,” Vaisshnav Tej said.

Tej said he didn’t always want to be an actor. “I wanted to be a lot of things. From a scientist to gym trainer to kickboxing coach, I have wanted to be a lot of things over the time period. I even wanted to be a normal 9-5 office-going person. I thought of every other occupation than the film line.”

Stating that he was lucky to get a good script in his first film, he said: “I was never interested in acting so I never wanted to make it a point or prove anything. I realised this script had a good story and then Chiranjeevi was like ‘Just take the opportunity’. So I went ahead and did it. Before this, I got a couple of offers but I was not sure because there weren’t any solid scripts. So when I got Uppena, I went ahead with it.”

After Uppena, Vaisshnav Tej will be seen in a film directed by Krish, starring opposite Rakul Preet Singh, for which he is currently dubbing. “We shot from August last year and continued for 45-50 days. The movie is currently in post-production.”

Uppena will release in theatres on Friday. The actor told Silverscreen India that there was no doubt Uppena would be a theatrical release. “The producer was very clear that he wanted to release the film in theatres from the beginning. There was no thought to go to OTT.”

Talking about his shooting experience, Vaisshnav Tej said that he was kept on his toes during the shoot. “I never relaxed because the team was super fast and they knew what to shoot. So I had to be prepared with my dialogues the night before and the best part was everyone were such good actors that I had to do equally good performances. It was challenging but it was a wonderful experience,” he said.

Uppena is produced by Sukumar in collaboration with Naveen Yerenini and Y Ravi Shankar, under their respective banners Sukumar Writings and Mythri Movie Maker.

Kodiyil Oruvan: Upcoming Tamil Action Drama Film Wraps Up Shooting, to Release in April

BY Anusha Sundar On

Kodiyil Oruvan, the upcoming Tamil film featuring music composer and actor Vijay Antony in the lead wrapped up shooting, the makers of the film announced on social media on Monday.

The action drama, which will release in April, will also be released in Telugu titled as Vijaya Raghavan. The film co-stars Aathmika, Ramachandra Raju, and Prabhakar. It is written and directed by Ananda Krishnan, who has previously directed the 2016 Tamil action crime film Metro.

“The film is a society-oriented action thriller which speaks about a certain problem faced by the people. The film will have a lot of emotional content,” Ananda said.

The film is produced by TD Rajha under Chendhur Films, in association with Infinity Film Ventures.

Dhananjayan, the film’s co-producer, told Silverscreen India that the film will have a theatrical release.

“The film is about a common man becoming extraordinary. That is why the title is called Kodiyil Oruvan. Vijay Antony portrays the role of an IAS aspirant and Aathmika is the female lead who helps him in his career and is right from the beginning, supporting him,” Dhananjayan said.

“The film was shot in various locations, including Theni, Chennai [in Tamil Nadu], and Pondicherry. The filming had started around February-March 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic set in and was halted later. We immediately started to shoot from September and wrapped up now,” Dhananjayan said.

He said that the post-production has started and is likely to be completed by March 15, after which it will be sent to the Central Board of Film Certification for a censor certificate.

“The film is likely to release around April-end. We are waiting since a lot of films are being announced so we can’t rush the date,” Dhananjayan said.

While NS Uthaya Kumar is in charge of the film’s cinematography, Pappanadu C Uthayakumar is the art director.

Besides featuring as the main lead, Vijay is also the film’s editor.

Speaking about Vijay as the editor, Dhananjayan said: “He is completely involved in shooting and editing. In fact, he has completed editing the first half. He knows what to needs be done, and how to improve the film. He is constantly working on it.”

Vijay has earlier edited films like Annadurai (2017) and Thimiru Pudichavan (2018).

“He has edited films unofficially and has assisted in editing. For example, in Kolaigaran (2019 Tamil action thriller film), he was fully involved in editing,” Dhananjayan said.

He said that Vijay’s “passion and love for cinema” kept him involved in every department of the film.

“He is able to advise the director in reshooting, if needed. As a hero, it helps to ensure that the film’s quality is not compromised,” he said.

Still from trailer of ‘Kodiyil Oruvan’

The film’s music is composed by Nivas K Prasanna.

Stating that the first single will be released shortly, Nivas said: “For this film, Vijay wanted somebody who is fresh. He saw me first when recording for Devarattam and asked me to compose and that is how this film came into place. Though we sync musically, this film will be very different from Vijay Antony’s old films.”

Nivas said that working with Vijay, a fellow music composer, has been a smooth experience. “He has called me a few times to say that the tunes are good. We do have creative differences but they are healthy ones. We have a good rapport and it has been a collaborative work process.”

Nivas said that the re-recording will start by next week and five songs have been planned. “The film needs a lot of music so, we may add a couple of songs,” he said.

Drishyam 2: It Took Me 5 Years to Start Working on the Film, Says Director Jeethu Joseph

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Jeethu Joseph, the director of the upcoming Malayalam suspense thriller film Drishyam 2 starring Mohanlal and Meena, said it took him five years to start working on the sequel of Drishyam.

“I started thinking of a sequel 2015 onwards, before that I had thought there is no possibility of making a sequel. The story is finished. It took me five years to come to (the) frame,” said Jeethu during a press meet after the launch of the film’s trailer.

Drishyam 2 will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on February 19.

Drishyam centred around Georgekutty (played by Mohanlal), a common man who uses his wits to protect his family from a murder charge. In Drishyam 2, the story picks up after seven years.

In the prequel, Meena played Georgekutty’s wife Rani, while Ansiba Hassan played his elder daughter Anju, and Esther Anil played his younger daughter Anu. All the main cast members have reprised their roles in Drishyam 2.

Director Jeethu Joseph at the press meet of the trailer launch of  ‘Drishyam 2’

For Jeethu, who knows that the film comes with a “baggage of expectations”, the biggest challenge was to maintain “character continuity”. He said there should be a “slight change of characters, like their maturity, after seven years.”

“The family’s condition has changed. The family is living a life totally different from prior to the crime. Then I thought what will be the reaction of the society- from that aspect. Because he (Georgekutty) has been accused of some crime and later people are realising there is something. There is no smoke without fire, so people start gossiping, the jealousy of the neighbourhood,” he said.

Jeethu said he wanted to explore how Georgekutty and his family have been affected by what happened seven years ago as they don’t know “how to handle the pressure”.

“The family drama should be the core element of Drishyam 2, it should be concentrated on the family trauma after such a crime,” the director said.

“While Rani is lost and has an isolated feeling, Georgekutty is overconfident and so has become careless which affects Meena,” Jeethu explained, adding that while Ansiba’s character has some psychological issues, Esther is in a “don’t care attitude” because she is the “least affected”.

Actor Mohanlal at the press meet of the trailer launch of ‘Drishyam 2’

 

“There is always a fear that someone who has committed a crime carries it in the back of their mind. Georgekutty and his family have that fear. That is why Drishyam 2 happened,” he said.

Taking about her role, Meena said that she was initially anxious about how much part she would get to play in the sequel. She said that her character “had a lot of depth and importance in Drishyam 2“.

Ansiba, who plays the role of Georgekutty’s elder daughter, also spoke about maintaining the “emotional continuity” from Drishyam.

Talking about her character, she said: “We had slight changes in the character because it has been seven years and she is now studying in college, she has a maturity of seven more years but still she is in trauma. But she is happy because her father is always there to protect her.”

Esther, who plays the younger daughter, said that she plays a rebel teenager.

Produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas, Drishyam 2′s supporting cast includes Siddique, Asha Sharath, Murali Gopy, and Saikumar.

Actor Michael B Jordan’s Production Company Extends Partnership With Amazon Studios 

BY Anusha Sundar On

Outlier Society, the production company of Michael B Jordan, the American actor and producer who is best known for his role in Black Panther (2018), announced through a press release that it has extended its partnership with Amazon Studios to include a first-look film deal and an television deal.

The deal comes at a time when the streaming platform announced the release date of Jordan’s upcoming action film Without Remorse, a film adaptation of Tom Clancy’s 1993 novel by the same name. The film will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on April 30.

Founded by Jordan in 2016, Outlier Society produces a wide range of commercial entertainment. It will produce and acquire films that showcase “diverse and bold filmmakers” under the film pact, Amazon Studios said in the press release. It also said that the “360-degree creative partnership” will have cross collaborations within Amazon’s businesses, including fashion and music.

Outlier Society’s upcoming content slate includes Journal for Jordan, directed by Denzel Washington and starring and produced by Jordan, Creed III, the third installment of the Rocky boxing drama franchise which will star Jordan and DC’s superhero film Static Shock.

Stating that the deal is “an exciting next chapter”, Jordan said in a statement: “Amazon’s global and expansive reach offers us the ability to entertain and engage our audience in innovative ways, while maintaining our commitment to supporting a wide range of stories and storytellers. I’m thrilled to be kicking off the partnership with Without Remorse this spring.”

Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said, “Michael, Liz, and the team will be key partners in our efforts to showcase compelling, ambitious, and addictive content that can reach our global audience. They share our passion for amplifying new and exciting voices with an emphasis on diversity both above and below the line. We can’t wait for everyone to see Without Remorse, our next chapter in the Tom Clancy universe – it’s an action-packed thrill ride fans will love.”

Jordan had recently appointed Elizabeth Raposo as president of Outlier Society. Raposo was previously president of production for Paramount.

Krack: Film’s Director Files Complaint Against Producer Over Non-Payment of Dues

BY Anusha Sundar On

Gopichand Malineni, the filmmaker who helmed the recently-released Telugu film Krack, has filed a complaint with the Telugu Film Directors’ Association against the film’s producer B Madhu on Wednesday over non-payment of his pending remuneration.

Krack, starring Ravi Teja, Shruti Haasan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, and Samuthirakani, released on January 9. It became the first big-budget Telugu film to be released in theatres after Solo Brathuke So Better released in December 2020.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, the publicity manager of the film Vamsi Shekar said, “The director has filed a complaint seeking his pending remuneration of more than Rs 1 crore. The producer is currently busy with his daughter’s wedding, which is in a couple of weeks. He will decide later how to go about the issue. It is currently at the discussion stage.”

When Silverscreen India contacted the director, he refused to comment and said, “The complaint is with the director’s union and I don’t want to talk about it.”

On January 9, the morning shows of the film were stalled due to differences between the film’s financiers and producer. While the film’s US shows were cancelled, morning shows in India, in both multiplexes and single-screen theatres, were delayed after financiers demanded that Madhu settle their dues before releasing the film. After the issues were resolved, Krack began to run in theatres from 9 pm that day. However, the cancellation of morning shows had put theatre owners in distress.

Despite opening amid a financial tussle to halls which were then operating at 50% seating capacity, Krack, along with its Malayalam and Tamil dubbed versions, grossed Rs 62.5 crore (till February 7). It became the highest-grossing film of Teja’s career.

Krack released on the Telugu OTT platform Aha Video on February 6, four weeks after its theatrical release.

The film revolves around circle inspector Veera Shankar (played by Teja) who tries to destroy anti-social elements. When he gets appointed in Ongole, Andhra Pradesh, he takes on Katari Krishna (played by Samuthrakani). After the latter commits a murder, the the film follows how Veera confronts Katari for the crime he committed.

Pebbles: Tamil Film Directed by Vinothraj PS Wins Prestigious Tiger Award at International Film Festival Rotterdam

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Pebbles (Koozhangal), Vinothraj PS’ Tamil directorial which is produced by Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan, became the first Tamil film to win the prestigious Tiger Award at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on Sunday.

Announcing the news on their website, IFFR wrote that the jury has awarded €40,000 (Rs 3,511,378 approximately) to the “seemingly simple and humble” film.

The jury described the film as “a lesson in pure cinema”. “Although it deals with grueling poverty in the searing drought-ridden landscapes of southern India, it succeeded nonetheless in captivating the jury with its “beauty and humour”,” the website said.

Vogue quoted the Tiger Award jury saying, “In the midst of many admirable and ambitious works, the jury was blown away by a seemingly simple and humble film we fell in love with instantly. Creating a maximum impact with a minimum in means, the filmmaker reaches his goal with the same conviction and determination as his main characters. The result is a lesson in pure cinema, captivating us with its beauty and humor, in spite of its grim subject.”

Vignesh Shivan posted a video celebrating the win and said, “Koozhangal is the first Tamil film to win the Tiger competition award. Vinoth’s hard work has got him such a huge honour in his very first film. This is the first release from Rowdy Pictures, so we are immensely happy. We are feeling very, very blessed. Thank you for all your love and support. Thank you, Vinoth and team.”

Vinoth shared his excitement on Twitter and thanked his team.

This year, the IFFR was held in two parts due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. From February 1 to 7, it was an online-only event. There are plans of a public festival to be held in June to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary.

Maanaadu: Actor Silambarasan’s Upcoming Tamil Film’s Teaser Similar to Director Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’, Say Netizens

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Actor Silambarasan‘s upcoming Tamil film Maanaadu‘s teaser was released on February 3 on the occasion of his 38th birthday.

However, while the teaser was well received by Silambarasan’s fans, many people pointed out on Twitter the similarities between the film’s teaser and the teaser of Christopher Nolan’s latest directorial Tenet.

The comparisons started due to the play of time shown in the Maanaadu’s teaser, which showed the actor going back in time. The same concept was shown in Tenet, netizens pointed out.

While Nolan has not responded to these claims yet, Maanaadu director Venkat Prabhu tweeted that while he is honoured that his film is being compared to Tenet, the two are in no way connected.

Venkat added that he did not understand Tenet and people should wait for Maanaadu’s trailer to release for it to be compared with another film. The director also quoted a fan’s tweet mentioning editor Praveen’s comment after hearing the plot of Maanaadu in 2018, while Tenet released in 2020.

Maanaadu also stars Kalyani Priyadarshan in the lead and SJ Suryah, Daniel Annie Pope, YG Mahendran and Manoj K Bharathi in pivotal roles. Director-producer SA Chandrasekhar, actor-director Bharathiraja and actors Karunakaran and Premji will be seen in pivotal roles.

Richard M Nathan will handle the camerawork, Yuvan Shankar Raja will compose the music, Praveen KL will handle the editing, Sekar will handle the art, and Rajeevan will be in charge of production design. Vasuki Bhaskar will handle costumes and Stunt Silva will choreograph stunt sequences.

Drishyam 2: Mohanlal Starrer Malayalam Suspense Thriller Film to Release on February 19 on Amazon Prime Video

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Drishyam 2, the Malayalam suspense thriller starring actors Mohanlal and Meena, is set to release on Amazon Prime Video on February 19.

The film’s trailer was released on February 6.

Mohanlal took to Twitter and unveiled the trailer of the film, which will be an Amazon Prime original release.

The film’s trailer, which was supposed to release on February 7, leaked on social media a day before the trailer was set to be unveiled.

Reports stated that the streaming platform had mistakenly uploaded the trailer on the afternoon of February 6. Although the earlier trailer was taken down within minutes, it began circulating on social media and on Telegram.

A representative of Amazon Prime Video told Silverscreen India that the decision to release the trailer a day prior was taken due to the “extreme eagerness of fans”.

A press release from Amazon Prime Video said that Drishyam 2 will begin from where the first part ended. In the prequel Drishyam, Mohanlal played Georgekutty, Meena essayed the role of his wife Rani, Ansiba Hassan featured as the elder daughter Anju, and Esther Anil played the younger daughter Anu.

Jeethu Joseph, the film’s director and writer, announced a few days ago that the film had completed its post-production process. Along with a series of photos with his post-production team, Jeethu said that the film will release soon.

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.

Shooting for Drishyam 2 began in September 2020 and was wrapped up in November, 10 days ahead of schedule.

Drishyam 2′s supporting cast includes Siddique, Asha Sharath, Murali Gopy, and Saikumar.

‘A’hr/Kayattam’, ‘C U Soon’, ‘Pinki Elli’, ‘Mayar Jonjal’ to be Screened at International Film Festival of Kerala

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Manju Warrier‘s A’hr/Kayattam, Fahadh Faasil‘s C U Soon, Pinki Elli, Ritwick Chakraborty‘s Mayar Jonjal are among the 40 films to be screened at the 25th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IIFK), 2021.

The film festival will begin on February 10 at Thiruvananthapuram, which is the usual host city of the annual film festival. This year, for the first time, it will be held in three other cities in Kerala– Kochi, Thalassery and Palakkad along with Thiruvananthapuram.

A still from ‘Mayar Jonjal’, Photo Credit: IMDb

Quo Vadis, Aida?, a 2020 internationally co-produced war drama film written and directed by Bosnian filmmaker and screenwriter Jasmila Žbanić, will be the opening film. The film narrates the story of Aida, who is a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica and whose family is seeking shelter at a UN camp when the Serbian army takes over the town. The film premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival. It won the International Feature Film Competition Award at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival 2020 and the Audience Choice Prize at the Les Arcs European Film Festival 2020.

Among the 14 films in the International Competition, there are four Indian language films– Hasyam/Humour, a 2019 Malayalam film directed by Jayaraj; Churuli, a 2020 Malayalam film directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, Sthalpuran/Chronicle of Space, a 2020 Marathi film directed by Akshay Indikar, and Kosa, a 2020 Hindi film directed by Mohit Priyadarshi. Other films in this category include two Azerbaijani films– Bilesuvar and In Between Dying / Sepelenmis Ölümler Arasinda, Observer Las Aves/Birdwatching (written and directed by Mexican-Canadian filmmaker Andrea Martínez Crowther), Desterro (written and directed by Brazilian filmmaker and poet Maria Clara Escobar), Memory House/Casa De Antiguidades (a 2020 drama directed and co-written by João Paulo Miranda Maria, which was an official selection at the 2020 Toronto Film Festival), Piedra Sola (Argentina), Rom (Vietnam), The Names of The Flowers / Los Nombres De Las Flores (Bolivia), There is No Evil / Sheytan Vojud Nadarad (Iran, Germany) and This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection (Lesotho, Italy).

A’hr/Kayattam, Android Kunjappan Version 5.25, C U Soon, Gramavrikshathile Kuyil, Attention Please, Kappela, and Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam are some of the 12 Malayalam films that will premiere this year at the festival.

A Still from ‘A’hr/Kayattam’, Photo Credit: IMDb

Seven films under the category of Indian films include three Tamil films– Horse Tail / Kuthiraivaal, Nasir and Pig / Seththumaan, two Hindi films– 12×12 Untitled / Barah by Barah, and The Shepherdess and The Seven Songs / Laila Aur Satt Geet, an Assamese film God on the Balcony / Balcony T Bhogawan, and a 2020 Kannada film Pinki Elli?

A category named Kaleidoscope has five films- Malayalam films 1956, Central Travancore / 1956, Madhyathiruvithamkoor, Biriyaani and Vasanthi, Bengali film Mayar Jonjal, and Kannada film Can Neither Be Here nor Journey Beyond / Illiralaare Allige Hogalaare.

While the Thiruvananthapuram edition of IFFK will be held between February 10 and 14, the Kochi edition will be held between February 17 and 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. 

Actor Suriya Tests Positive for Covid-19

BY Anusha Sundar On

Suriya, the Tamil actor who was last seen in the Tamil drama film Soorarai Pottru in 2020, tested positive for Covid-19, he said on social media on Sunday.

The actor, who is currently stable, tweeted, “I am undergoing treatment for Covid-19 and I’m doing well. Everyone should realise that life has not yet returned to normal. We can’t let fear get us down. At the same time, safety and precaution is a must. My love and thanks to the dedicated and supportive doctors.”

Rajsekar Pandian, co-producer of 2D Entertainment which produced Soorarai Pottru, tweeted that the actor was doing “fine” and there is “nothing to worry” about.

Many from the film fraternity, including actors Satish, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, Krishna, wished the actor a speedy recovery on social media.

Suriya, who has got a handful of projects lined up, completed shooting for Netflix’s upcoming nine-film Tamil anthology project Navarasa in November 2020. He will star in filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon’s segment. The anthology will be produced by filmmakers Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Pachapakesan.

Two weeks ago, Suriya had attended the wedding of Hari, a member of his fan club (All India Suriya Fan Club). The photos, which showed the actor standing on the dais along with the couple and their relatives, went viral on social media. This was the last public event the actor was seen at.

Suriya was scheduled to start shooting for his upcoming film, tentatively titled Suriya 40, with director Pandiaraj in February. The film, which will be produced by Sun Pictures, will also feature actors Sathyaraj and Priyanka Arul Mohan, with music composed by D Imman. He has an upcoming drama titled Vaadi Vaasal, which will be directed by director Vetrimaaran marking their first collaboration. The film will be produced by Kalaippuli S Thanu, under the banner of V Creation.

Suriya also has a film with Annaatthe director Siva, which will be backed by Studio Green.

The actor is known for his philanthropic works through his Agaram Foundation. In March 2020, he donated Rs 10 lakh to the Film Employees Federation of South India to support the daily wage workers who were left jobless after film shootings were halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Drishyam 2 Trailer Starring Mohanlal, Meena

Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Siddique, Asha Sharath, Murali Gopy, Ansiba, Esther, Saikumar

World Premiere Date – Feb 19, 2021 only on Amazon Prime Video

Movie Credits
Written & Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Produced by: Antony Perumbavoor
Banner: Aashirvad Cinemas
DOP: Satheesh Kurup
Editor: VS Vinayak
Production Designer: Rajeev Kovilakom
Costume Designer: Linta Jeethu
Chief Associate Directors: Arfaz Ayub, Sudheesh Ramachandran
Production Controller: Sidhu Panakkal
Make up: Jithesh Poyya
Music: Anil Johnson
Lyrics: Vinayak Sasikumar
VFX: Tony Magmyth
Finance Controller: Manoharan K Payyanur
Stills: Bennett M Varghese
Designs: Thought Station

Kutty Story: Tamil Anthology Film Starring Vijay Sethupathi, Amala Paul, Sakshi Agarwal & Megha Akash Was Written Through Zoom Calls During the Ongoing Pandemic

BY Anusha Sundar On

Kutty Story, upcoming Tamil romantic anthology film directed by four filmmakers Gautham Vasudev Menon, Venkat Prabhu, AL Vijay, and Nalan Kumarasamy and starring Vijay Sethupathi, Amala Paul, Megha Akash, Sangita, Sakshi Agarwal, and Robo Shankar, was created and written, all through Zoom calls during the ongoing pandemic, the filmmakers said on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference organized in Chennai on Friday, ahead of the film’s release in theatres on February 12, director Gautham Vasudev Menon said “At the beginning itself, we decided to release it in theatres.”

Ishari K Ganesh, who is producing the film under the Vels Film International banner, explained how the anthology took shape during the pandemic. “It all started on a small scale with an idea floated by Venkat and Vijay and then it got bigger with the arrival of Gautham Vasudev Menon. This was followed by the addition of Nalan Kumarasamy. Vijay Sethupathi also came on board, later,” he said.

All four stories in Kutty Story, are based on the premise of ‘love’, filmmakers said. “This is why we wanted to release it in theatres before Valentine’s Day,” Ganesh said.

“All the other short stories involve big star-cast and a lot of technicians. I wanted to try something different- that’s when the idea of ‘Video Gaming’ came up. Many are getting into relationships through online video-gaming today. This forms the core of my film,” said Venkat Prabhu.

Kumaraswamy, while speaking about the rising number of anthology films being made said “The trend of anthology-based films will become a favourite one for filmmakers and it will definitely be a prominent genre in the near future.”

While Menon’s story is ‘dedicated to teenagers’, Vijay’s story is for the ‘female audience’. Nalan’s story, which Sethupathi is acting in, is about ‘married couples’, an official press release from the makers said.

The music for the anthology is jointly composed by Premgi Amaren, Karthik, Edwin Louis Viswanath, and Madhu R. Ashwin Kumar is the executive producer of the film.

Pitta Kathalu: Trailer Depicts 4 Women and Their Journeys of Love and Betrayal

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

The trailer of Pitta Kathalu, Netflix’s first Telugu anthology film, was released on Friday.

Prominent Telugu filmmakers Nag Ashwin, Tharun Bhascker, BV Nandini Reddy, and Sankalp Reddy have directed the four-part film.

The four films – Ramula, Meera, xLife, and Pinky – tell stories of love, desire, deceit and power viewed through the lens of different women.

Ramula – Tharun Bascker

Ramula stars Lakshmi Manchu, Saanve Megghana and Naveen Kumar. Debutant actor Megghana, who essays the titular role, in a press statement said, “The central theme of Pitta Kathalu is the power dynamics between men and women. Ramula is the story of a free spirited girl, quite ordinary, and her extraordinary journey with her lover.”

Meera – BV Nandini Reddy

Meera, written by Radhika Anand, stars Jagapathi Babu, Amala Paul and Aswin Kakamanu. Paul, who essays the role of Meera, said, “Meera is the story of a courageous woman and her ordeals. It touches upon several sensitive themes that make the story both impactful and relatable. It is even more gripping due to the short film format. There is so much enigma to the character of this woman, Meera, standing up against society but at the same time, trying to hide her true self from the world.”

xLife – Nag Ashwin

xLife stars Shruti Haasan, Sanjith Hegde, Sangeet Shobhan, Anish Kuruvilla, UKO, Dayanand Reddy and Thanmayi. Calling the story of xLife “ahead of its time yet relatable” Haasan, who plays the role of Divya, said, “Playing a character of a woman who is strong and speaks up against the preconceived notions of society was an incredible experience. While the story is set in a futuristic world, it is seen in some form or the other in today’s world as well and I hope audiences can understand the seriousness of it.”

Hegde, who is a music composer and singer, will be making his debut in acting in the film.

Pinky – Sankalp Reddy

The film features Satya Dev, Eesha Rebba, Srinivas Avasarala, and Ashima Narwal. Rebba, who plays Pinky, said, “My character Pinky is very bold, follows her heart and isn’t afraid to make her own decisions. The dynamics between her and those around her are very intriguing to watch.”

Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies and Ashi Dua Sara’s Flying Unicorn Entertainment, which had produced Netflix’s first Tamil anthology film, Paava Kadhaigal that released in December 2020, will be producing Pitta Kathalu. The film premieres on Netflix on February 19.

‘Zombie Reddy’ is ‘Baahubali’ of Indian Zombie Cinema, Says Telugu Film’s Team

BY Anusha Sundar On

Zombie Reddy, the Telugu film which released Friday, has several firsts to its credit.

While it is the first Telugu zombie film, it is also the first film to have a theatrical release in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana since theatres started operating with 100% seating capacity.

In a conversation with Silverscreen India, the team of Zombie Reddy shared how the film incorporated references to the Covid-19 pandemic, and how it is the ‘baahubali of zombie films in India’. Directed by Prashanth Varma, it stars Sajja Teja, Anandhi and Daksha in lead roles.

The filming of Zombie Reddy started on February 5, 2020, exactly a year prior to its release. The film was shot for around 12 days, but was disrupted because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown. It was the first film to resume shooting after both the state governments allowed film shootings to resume later in the year. Shooting was wrapped up by October 2020.

“I always wanted to different genres in Telugu. But I thought it would be really cool to do a zombie film in Telugu. I tried to do it at a time but I could not get the producers. After some years, when I found the producer and told him about Zombie Reddy, the film got started,” Varma said. He said that the film is a “zom-com” but where they took zombies “seriously”.

Zombie Reddy, a film that is inspired by true events

The film is set against the backdrop of Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh. The story is about a mad scientist who wants to invent the vaccine for Covid-19 but after an accident, he invents a zombie virus, Varma said.

Credits: PR Handout

Talking about how the pandemic helped him fine tune his script, Varma said the story had a virus and pandemic situation but is not named then. When the team had heard that a virus was wreaking havoc in China, they thought that “Corona was a fun name” to have.

“So, we added the name into the script and shot a few scenes before lockdown and never expected that it would come to India. We had masks in our film and shot few scenes on what if Corona came to India,” he said.

“I changed a few dialogues during dubbing so that the whole film felt relevant in the current times. We never knew the virus would come [to India] but when it came, we took references from real life and chopped off other scenes and replaced it with the current situation,” Varma said.

Stating that the lockdown was the “most productive period” of his entire life, the director said that the film is releasing at the right time, when the vaccine has been invented, thereby making the film relatable.

Cinema is a religion where stars are worshipped: Sajja Tejja

For actor Sajja, who has worked in over 30 films as child artist and now debuting as Zombie Reddy’s lead actor, the film deserves to be watched in theatres.

“As a film industry, as whole, it [the lockdown] was hard hitting for producers and young actors like us. Big-budget films can wait and have the same kind of release and response from the audience, but young actors’ films, if not released might go to OTT platforms, or the hype around the film will go down. But now, I am happy that theatres have opened and people are rushing to theatres. When big players said that the theatre business will go down, OTT platforms have taken over and there will be less turnout, I remained confident that the industry will revive,” he said.

Credits: PR Handout

Calling films a “cheap form of entertainment and only outing” in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Sajja said that films are “religion” and “stars are worshipped”.

“We initially planned to release the film on January 15 for Pongal but there were a lot of star films waiting to be released in Tollywood for long time. So, we gave way for them to release and we wanted a solo release as well,” Sajja said.

He will be playing an urban boy in the film and said that he did not have much homework.

He said that the film’s team had to train make up artists from Hyderabad by showing them YouTube tutorials. “Every day we had to get 500 zombies ready, and if we are shooting from 6 pm, then we had to start the makeup at around 11 am. But we did crack the make up and we are very proud. We are at par with Korean and Hollywood series.”

Varma said that while they initially had plans of bringing make up artists from Hollywood, they later opted for local talent. Recalling that they had 10 trials before ending up with the final look, he said that while the film was being shot, the zombie make up was simultaneously being evolved. “With company make up artists, I tried to see what they can do with references. We had some skin burning problems and tried to figure out what we can do with a low budget. The zombies’ look keeps getting scarier as the film progresses, and our make up also improved.”

‘The film will reach cult status’

The team is confident that the film will reach a cult status.

“I am very confident that people will remember. We are giving them first time experience in Tollywood. I am not saying that we will be making fantastic whopping numbers but I am sure this will be in people’s minds in years to come,” Sajja said.

Talking about his experience with the director, Sajja said that Varma wanted him to be subtle in the film. “Prashanth wanted an underdog guy to play the character and he felt I would be appropriate for the role.”

Calling the film an action-comedy entertainer, Sajja said that the film was filled with fun, zombies, thrills and jump scares.

“I think Zombie Reddy will reach the cult status and we have done merchandising marketing as well. It will become an emotion eventually. For lot of future filmmakers, they will take references from this film and I would want them to make better films than Zombie Reddy, but this film will a point of reference for them,” said Varma.

Credits: PR Handout

The film’s title, was caught in a controversy after a community objected to the usage of ‘Reddy’ in the title, stating that it offends the community members  as they have been portrayed as zombies. Though the director had clarified his stand earlier, he said that people’s sentiments will continue to get hurt.

“They just translated zombie into Telugu and they had caste title next to it. So, together when they read it, they felt like an offensive thing. For example, people who treat mental patients are called mental doctors in Telugu. It does not mean doctors are mental. Just like that, Reddys fight zombies and they stop the zombie apocalypse from happening. I am sure if they see the film, they will not have any issues,” Varma said.

‘Zombie Reddy is the Baahubali of zombie films in India‘

“Zombie Reddy is the Baahubali of Indian zombie films. Out of all the zombie films made in India, this is the most expensive film. The scale of the film is huge,” Varma said.

He said that though they were wooed by OTT platforms, they eventually declined the offers.

Speaking about the film’s sound design, he said, “We worked on how a zombie speaks and did the rerecording accordingly. The visual effects, scale of the film, makeup, are huge. The teaser and trailer show only 10% of it. You will remember watching the film in theatres after 10 years.”

“Films like Baahubali, which was something new and spectacular, you would like to watch it on the big screen. Zombie Reddy is such a film where you can experience the magnitude of the film and feel happy only if you watch on screen,” said Sajja.

Zombie Reddy opened to 500 screens worldwide on Friday. It is backed by Raj Shekar Varma under the Apple Tree Studios banner. Sai Babu is the editor and Anith the cinematographer. While Baasha was in charge of make up, Mark K Robin has composed the music.