Section: Streaming

‘Tuck Jagadish’ OTT Release: Telangana Theatre Owners Clarify Stand on Nani-Starrer’s Release

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Telangana theatre owners clarified their stand to Silverscreen India after a press conference held on Friday to discuss the OTT release of Nani-starrer Tuck Jagadish turned sour.

At the meeting organised by the Telangana Cinema Theaters Association, which was attended by 80-100 film exhibitors and theatre owners, one of the members reportedly passed a comment on Nani, starting a huge row.

The association subsequently released a statement on Saturday, saying a few of them had spoken out in an “individual capacity” after learning that the makers of Tuck Jagadish had opted for an OTT release. “This was only out of anguish. This was not against anyone either personally or professionally,” they said and added that they sincerely apologised for any hurt caused.

Silverscreen India spoke to a couple of theatre owners from Telangana who said that the issue was getting overblown. They said they had requested the producers of the Nani-starrer to consider a theatrical release, and if that were not possible, to at least ensure that its OTT premiere did not clash with the release of Sekhar Kammula’s Love Story, starring Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi.

At the meeting on Friday, some exhibitors had reportedly expressed concern that Tuck Jagadish would premiere on an OTT platform on September 10, the same day as the planned theatrical release of Love Story.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Anupam Reddy, owner of Sudha theatres, said, “A familiar director’s film with familiar faces [Love Story] has announced a theatrical release and that can be a game-changer for the exhibitors. But Tuck Jagadish is also a film with a popular hero. So, if that comes on an OTT platform on the same day, that might affect the footfall for Love Story. Our request was to postpone or advance the premiere of Nani’s film by a few days to avoid that situation.”

Reddy, however, clarified that the producers of Tuck Jagadish were not a part of the meeting on Friday.

“So far, Tuck Jagadish‘s release date is still a question mark,” he added.

Photo source: Official Poster of ‘Love Story’

With theatres in the state receiving only a lukewarm response post their recent reopening, exhibitors have been hoping for a change in their fortunes with the release of big-banner or star-led films like Tuck Jagadish.

“We were not bothered until one and a half months ago, when Narappa and Maestro announced their OTT releases. We then requested producers to cooperate and wait till October 31 to see if theatres were allowed to reopen before opting for OTT releases. At some event, even Nani took a stand for theatres and that made us very happy and hopeful that he would opt for a theatrical release. Suddenly, some films announced their digital release, and that left most of us [theatre owners] disappointed,” Reddy said.

Balagovinda Raju, a theatre-owner from Hyderabad, added that post an OTT premiere, releasing a film in theatres is not viable. “We have seen this trend with Radhe and even Nani’s V. After premiering on an OTT platform, multiplexes refuse to screen films because very little people will come to theatres to watch something they’ve already seen on OTT. That is what we had mentioned [during the meeting].”

Several big-banner films across languages have skipped theatrical release and opted for a digital premiere in recent times, including Shershaah, Netrikann, Radhe, and Narappa.

However, other films, such as Thimmarasu, Paagal, Seetimaarr, and Bell Bottom, have chosen to stick to the conventional theatrical release model post the reopening of cinemas in several states.

Meanwhile, the makers of Tuck Jagadish released a statement on Sunday explaining their choice to go the OTT way. While they refrained from confirming a release date or mentioning the digital platform that the film will premiere on, the makers stated that they spoke to and convinced a reluctant Nani to agree to a “non-theatrical release” given the long gestation period of the film.

Theatre owners, however, clarified that they have no hard feelings either towards the actor or the producers.

“We are very sure that Tuck Jagadish would have come to the theatres as well. But it is a movie that was ready almost a year-and-a-half ago. So the producer of that film must have been under some financial burden. We respect that, actually, and understand that. Even a few weeks ago, Nani spoke about his support for theatres and cinemas. So, they must have been compelled to this step due to the delay,” said Raju.

While there is still no official word on the release date of Tuck Jagadish, The Hans India reported on Monday that September 20 has been locked for its premiere on Amazon Prime Video, suggesting that the request from theatre owners to avoid a clash with Love Story has been heeded after all.

‘Scam 1992’: Bombay High Court Stays Investigation Against Sony Pictures Network In Defamation Case Filed By A Pune Bank

BY Namrata Ganguly On

The Bombay High Court stayed investigation on a first information report filed against Sony Pictures Network India Private Limited and others involved in the making of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, in a defamation case by a Pune bank, Live Law reported on Monday.

Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, a 10-episode drama web series directed by Hansal Mehta premiered on SonyLIV on October 9, 2020.

Adapting the real-life stories of Gujarat-born and Mumbai-based stockbroker Harshad Mehta, who was the mastermind of the 1992 securities scam worth thousands of crores, the series is based on the book titled The Scam: Who Won, Who Lost, Who Got Away by journalists Debashis Basu and Sucheta Dalal. Harshad Mehta was convicted by the Bombay High Court and Supreme Court in the alleged financial scandal valued at Rs 500 crore. He died from heart failure while in judicial custody in 2001.

The series stars Pratik Gandhi in the lead along with Shreya Dhanwanthary, Hemant Kher and Nikhil Dwivedi.

On July 4, Pune’s Karad Urban Co-operative Bank (KUCB) filed a complaint against Sony Pictures Network Pvt Ltd under sections 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code, sections 102, 107 (falsely applying for trademarks) of the Trademarks Act and Sections 66C and 43(b) of the IT Act.

The bank stated that there was a display of its logo that resembles its trademark in Scam 1992’s third episode. The organisation said that it caused severe damage to its financial, commercial and social reputation.

After Sony Pictures Network India Pvt Ltd had moved the High Court on August 20 to quash the FIR petition by KUCB, the court had orally asked the Pune Police to not take any coercive action against the Sony pictures for the moment.

Denying the allegations by the bank, Sony Pictures claimed that the said logo- ‘Bank of Karaj’- appeared on a calendar in the background only for a few seconds. It was used to portray ‘Bank of Karad’ as it was widely known for its involvement in the scam and was placed under liquidation and later merged with the Bank of India in 1994.

In their petition to quash the FIR, Sony Pictures mentioning that there was a disclaimer at the beginning of every episode.

Sony Pictures also pointed out that despite the recording of the authorized representative’s statement, the police repeatedly called him and threatened him with arrest as they had not taken the series off air.

IFFM: Suriya, Vidya Balan Win Best Actor Awards in Feature Film Category, ‘Soorarai Pottru’ Bags Best Film

BY Anindita Banerjee On

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) on Friday announced the winners for its 12th edition, which was held virtually. The top awards were bagged by Suriya, Vidya Balan, Manoj Bajpayee, Samantha Akkineni, among others.

Suriya bagged the Best Actor (Male) award in the feature film category for Soorari Pottru while Vidya Balan won the Best Actor (Female) in the same category for Sherni. In the web series category, Manoj Bajpayee and Samantha Akkineni won the Best Actor awards for their web series The Family Man 2.

Mirzapur 2 bagged the Best Series award and Soorarai Pottru won the Best Feature Film award.

Talking about his win, Suriya said, “This film is very special. This is the first award I’m getting for this film. This is one of the first films that came to me during the pandemic. Thanks to all the fans who have given us so much love. In my career, I felt bored with what I was doing after having worked for 20 years. So thanks to my director Sudha – this film was her 10 years dream – she worked 4 years on writing or his film. The character of Maara will not be anything without her. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Balan, who could not be present at the virtual event, said in a video message that she is thankful to her director and producers for giving her Sherni. While Balan won the award, the jury gave an honorable mention to actor Nimisha Sajayan for The Great Indian Kitchen.

Bajpayee thanked the writers of The Family Man 2 and said, “It’s highly embarrassing for me to take away the award to myself without mentioning everyone involved. Amazon, Raj, and DK, but it’s the writers for the series that make a lot of difference. It’s that team of writers, so thank you to them for giving me the space to become this character.”

Akkineni too thanked the creator of the show and said, “Thanks to Raj and DK to see past the cute girl image I have and to give me this role which is so different from what I have done so far. To give me this character that has so many layers and such diverse parts to it.”

The Best Director award was given to filmmaker Anurag Basu for his Netflix project Ludo. Other awards given were as follows:

Equality in Cinema (Short Film) – Sheer Qorma
Equality in Cinema Award (Feature Film) – The Great Indian Kitchen
Best Indie Film – Fire in the Mountains
Diversity in Cinema Award – Pankaj Tripathi
Disruptor Award – Sanal Kumar Sasidharan
Best Documentary Film – Shut Up Sona

#Home, Boomika & More – 8 New OTT Releases This Week

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

Films lined up for a theatrical release this week include Paagal, the Telugu film starring actors Vishwak Sen and Nivetha Pethuraj, and Akshay Kumar’s Bellbottom. Also, the makers of Amitabh Bachchan’s Chehre as well as Love Story, starring Chaitanya Akkineni and Sai Pallavi, announced their decision to release their respective movies in theatres.

However, even with more films opting for theatrical release, OTT releases are still going strong, including actor Aishwarya Rajesh’s Boomika, which will premiere on Vijay TV on August 22 and release on Netflix on August 23.

Here are eight films and shows releasing on OTT platforms this week, including #Home and Boomika.

1. #Home – Amazon Prime Video (August 19)
According to the official synopsis, #Home is a light-hearted and thought-provoking family drama about a humble but technologically-challenged old man, Oliver (essayed by Indrans), who constantly strives to remain close with his two sons, who are hooked to social media like any other millennial.

2. Boomika – Netflix (August 23)
Boomika is an eco-horror thriller that pits humans against nature. Strange things and scary incidents unfold when Gayathri and Gautham try to convert a dilapidated school into a resort.

3. Comedy Premium League – Netflix (August 20)
Netflix presents 16 Indian entertainers who will leave the audience laughing uproariously. They must pull out all stops and go to any lengths to be crowned the ultimate comedy champions.

4. The Chair – Netflix (August 20)
The Chair, starring Sandra Oh, follows Ji-Yoon as she becomes the first woman of colour to become chair of the English department at a fictional New England university. In her new position, she tries to meet the demands and high expectations of a failing English department.

5. Sweet Girl – Netflix (August 20)
Sweet Girl is about a devastated husband (Jason Momoa) who vows to bring to justice the people responsible for his wife’s death while protecting the only family he has left, his daughter (Isabela Merced).

6. Nine Perfect Strangers – Amazon Prime Video (August 20)
Based on The New York Times bestselling book from Australian author Liane Moriarty, the drama is set at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation. According to the official press release, nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this ten-day retreat is the resort’s director Masha, a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies.

7. 200 Halla Ho – ZEE5 (August 20)
Inspired by true events, this ZEE5 Original film narrates the powerful tale of 200 women who jolt the nation out of its indifference towards years of caste oppression and injustice. 200 armed and masked Dalit women marched into a court hearing and lynched a gangster who was accused of harassment and rape. The women suffered at hands of the gangster for 15 years before they found courage to call out apathy of the system and take matters into their own hands.

8. Space Jam: A New Legacy – BookMyShow Stream (August 19)

When LeBron James and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue AI, LeBron must get them home safe by leading the Looney Tunes to victory over the AI’s digitised champions on the basketball court.

#Home Review: Indrans Brings His Signature Mirth to a Fluffy Film

BY Aswathy Gopalakrishnan On

A relentless and inept background score leads #Home, a Malayalam comedy-drama directed by Rojin Thomas. It is all-pervasive, dictating the viewer’s emotional response in every scene, drowning the characters in a mindless mush and turning the conflicts they face in everyday life into highly processed Instagram stories.

In one instance, the BGM is a piece of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, a desperate reassertion that the film wants to tug on the viewer’s heartstrings.

Thomas, who made his debut eight years ago through Philips And The Monkey Pen, continues to pass fluff for quirk and sweetness. His films are closer, in texture and soul, to narrative ad films where human relationships are mediated and transformed by consumer products. In #Home, Oliver Twist (Indrans), a genial sexagenerian, feels left out in a world run by smartphones and social media. When he realises that his elder son Antony (Sreenath Bhasi), a successful film director, is ashamed of his old-fashioned low-brow father, Oliver decides to tame the elusive modern technology.

There must be numerous ways to narrate a story about the social isolation that elders face. Thomas uses the device of nostalgia and saccharine sentiment. Now and then, the film salutes the idea of home as a safe place directionless youngsters can run back to, where their old but spirited mother will do the chores and simplify the pains of their adulthood, and their father will affectionately oversee the smooth functioning of the household.

The house in #Home, despite the low economic status of the inhabitants, boasts modern architecture and gorgeous decor. The terrace has a flourishing garden. When shit hits the roof, rather than addressing the real issues driving Antony’s film career to an early death, the film relies on motivational speeches and miscellaneous beauty shots.

Characters are cardboard cut-outs embodying an idea – the parents are awkward but loving, the young sons lack a focus in life, Antony’s girlfriend (Deepa Thomas) is nagging and silly, but fiercely loyal. The lead characters transform but mildly, careful enough to not upset the balance of a traditional middle-class family, and arrive in a climax scene where laughter galore.

The son’s refusal to appreciate the father gets the treatment of a tragedy. The mother (Manju Pillai) being subjected to passive harassment – endless domestic labour – laughed over. When a superstar actor (Anoop Menon), a writer-academician (Sreekanth Murali), and a bearded psychologist with a quirky edge (Vijay Babu) enter, wearing an aura of wisdom and success, the viewers are expected to take notes.

Nothing in the initial parts of the film suggests that Oliver is a man without self-esteem. He needs some assistance in understanding his new smartphone, but it is not something his best friend (Johny Antony) cannot help him with.

For no real reason, the film inserts a long-drawn sequence where Oliver consults a psychologist who encourages him to practise Tai Chi while his assistant (Pauly Valsan) tutors him on the basics of social media and messaging applications. The movie stands still in this portion, refusing to engage with the central plot or entertain the viewer.

Similarly, the dinner scene in the end where the family’s inner turbulences come out in the open seems painstakingly dull and contrived; the characters behave as though they learned nothing from the proceedings until then. Oliver and the film blame smartphones for a generation’s inability to succeed in the career they choose. What if the problem isn’t the phone but Antony’s lack of talent or motivation?

The film solves Oliver’s crisis by granting him a heroic story, an elaborate flashback sequence filmed without any flourish or profoundness. It is a lazy way out. It might be foolish to try to solve the complex problem of ageism using the image of the old man as a spirited teenager.

Not many of Malayalam cinema’s great character artists have been lucky enough to grow old on the screen. Indrans, now in his sixties, dons roles that remind millennials of their parents, awkward and fragile, caught between memories and a reality where they have to squeeze themselves in.

In Monroe Island (2016), Veyil Marangal (2019) and here, in #Home, he portrays the anxieties of an average man in a place where he no longer has a grip. Indrans elevates Oliver several notches above the ‘believable’, turning him deeply personal, into a man who deserves not just the viewer’s sympathy but time and attention.

He unsolicitedly walks into the caravan of a superstar actor, and he comes out as an adorable nuisance. Indrans, who built a career playing the fool in 90s Malayalam cinema, has an incredible grasp of the line that divides buffoonery and an accident. The former is meant to be laughed over, the latter to elicit responses that determine the onlooker’s core values.

Manju Pillai delivers a solid performance as his aide, the wife who tackles the unruly family members using a sarcastic tongue, and Naslen as the happy-go-lucky younger son. Other than these sturdy performances, #Home is a dull watch. All dressed up in colourful costumes, but there is nowhere to go.

*****

This #Home review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

Ankahi Kahaniya: Netflix Anthology Helmed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Abhishek Chaubey, Saket Chaudhary to Release on September 17

BY Anindita Banerjee On

The trailer of Ankahi Kahaniya, Netflix’s next anthology, was released by the streaming platform on Thursday. The three-part anthology is set to release on Netflix on September 17.

Chronicling “three unheard and untold tales of love,” directed by filmmakers Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Abhishek Chaubey, and Saket Chaudhary, Ankahi Kahaniya is produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP Movies and Ashi Dua Sara.

The ensemble cast includes Abhishek Banerjee, Zoya Hussain, Kunal Kapoor, Nikhil Dwivedi, Palomi, Rinku Rajguru, and Delzad Hiwale.

Talking about her segment, Iyer said in a statement, “With every story, I want to challenge myself as a storyteller and create varied emotional connections between the viewers and the characters that will last in their minds for a while. I hope with this story I can captivate the imagination of movie lovers with questions of untold and unanswered emotions every human goes through.”

Her segment stars Banerjee and is based on a story written by Piyush Gupta, Shreyas Jain, and Nitesh Tiwari.

Based on the Kannada Story Madhyantara by Jayant Kaikini, Chaubey’s segment features Rajguru, who shot to fame with Sairat, and Hiwale. Talking about his film, which is set in Mumbai, Chaubey said it is a “story of the city in the 1980s and young love in the world of single-screen theatres. When you’re young and caged in Mumbai, looking for love is a sweet escape. And what’s better than finding it at the movies, however fleetingly?”

Without divulging much about his segment’s story, Chaudhary, known for directing the 2017 Irrfan Khan-starrer Hindi Medium, said that love stories have always been one of his favourite genres to work with. His film features Kapoor, Hussain, Dwivedi, and Palomi. The story is penned by Zeenat Lakhani and Chaudhary himself.

Netflix has previously released several Hindi anthologies. Some of the popular ones being Lust Stories, Ghost Stories, and Ajeeb Daastaans.

Review Roundup: What the Critics are Saying about ‘Kuruthi’, ‘Shershaah’, ‘Netrikann’, & Other Films that Released last Week

BY Shrija Ganguly On
With films resuming production post the Covid-19 second wave, several makers have started lining up their movies for release. A number of new films were announced as well, including the upcoming R Balki directorial that will feature actors Dulquer Salmaan, Sunny Deol, Pooja Bhatt, and Shreya Dhanwanthary in the lead roles, and Hansal Mehta‘s next project that will star and be co-produced by Kareena Kapoor Khan.

While the makers of Akshay Kumar‘s Bellbottom and Amitabh Bachchan‘s Chehre announced their decision to release their movies in theatres, films like Netrikann, Shershaah and Kuruthi ditched cinemas last week and went the OTT way.

Silverscreen India brings to you, a summary of critic and audience reviews of the major releases from last week.

Shershaah (August 12 – Amazon Prime Video)

Photo Caption: Poster of Shershaah; Credit: Amazon Prime Video

Shershaah, starring actors Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, has garnered mixed reviews with the audience largely lauding the adaptation of the life of Captain Vikram Batra, who was killed during the Kargil War of 1999 and posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra.

Silverscreen India’s Aswathy Gopalakrishnan, however, wrote that Shershaah faithfully follows Bollywood’s recipe for every new biopic on national heroes and refuses to look at “Batra as an ordinary human being.” She further added, “Post his death, a national hero can only become a motivational story about selfless courage and determination.”

Anupama Chopra of Film Companion blamed the “clunky structure” for making the film less than gripping and also called out the shallow portrayal of Batra and his girlfriend’s relationship. Meanwhile, Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV, wrote that “a little more cinematic firepower and flint might have taken Shershaah much higher – and further – as a war drama.”

Despite the lukewarm reviews from critics, Shershaah has clocked an average IMDb user rating of 8.8.

Kuruthi (August 11 – Amazon Prime Video)

Photo Caption: Poster of Kuruthi; Credit: Amazon Prime Video

Kuruthi is a Malayalam-language invasion-thriller that relies heavily on conversations. It stars actors Prithviraj Sukumaran, Roshan Mathew, Srindaa, Shine Tom Chacko, Mamukkoya, and Murali Gopy.

While the audience celebrated the film as another feather in the cap of Malayalam cinema, it left critics divided.

Aswathy Gopalakrishnan of Silverscreen India called the film “uninspiring” despite a stunning performance from Mamukkoya. “In a ship sinking into the depth of faux seriousness and wobbly urgency, Mamukkoya brings some self-styled mirth. When irrational hatred is staring on the face, perhaps it is wiser to use the shield of cynicism than wear nobility on the sleeves,” she wrote.

For Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion, Kuruthi “redefines the concept of the home invasion thriller,” by transcending beyond one’s physical concept of home. But Anna MM Vettikad, writing for Firstpost, said that the film “undermines its own lofty messaging on Hindu-Muslim ties.”

The film has an average user rating of 7.9 on IMDb.

Netrikann (August 13 – Disney+ Hotstar)

Photo Caption: Poster of Netrikann; Credit: Disney+ Hotstar

Netrikann, the Tamil-language thriller featuring Nayanthara in the lead role, garnered mixed reviews from the audience as well as the critics.

A remake of the Korean film Blind, Netrikann follows Durga, a CBI officer who loses her eyesight and her brother in an accident, and later crosses path with a psychopath.

“This premise would have been enough, really, to carry home a thriller of certain heft, but as always, the compulsive need for more ultimately runs the script down. We can still buy the motive of the assaulter but not the forced themes of abortion and morality that are thrust into the film,” wrote Sinndhuja for Silverscreen India.

While Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion lauded director Milind Rau and cinematographer RD Rajasekhar for the camera work, he found the dialogues “very ordinary and worse, super-explanatory.” Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in felt that Nayanthara, Manikandan and Sacchin Nachiappan delivered efficient performances, while Ajmal Ameer hammed far too much. M Suganth of the Times of India, meanwhile, pointed out that the backstory for the antagonist’s sadomasochistic behaviour might “send the wrong signals about people with a particular medical condition.”

The film has an average user rating of 6.1 on IMDb.

———–

Apart from these films, Bhuj: The Pride of India, headlined by Ajay Devgn, and The Kissing Booth 3 also premiered digitally last week.

Devgn’s Bhuj, which revolves around the story of 300 Gujarati women who helped the Indian Air Force during the Indo-Bangladesh war of 1971, fell flat for both critics and the viewers. The film has been criticised for its “hyper-nationalism” and logical fallacies, and currently has an IMDb rating of 5.3. It is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Joey King-starrer The Kissing Booth 3, that released on Netflix, could not live up to the franchise’s name either. Ananya Shankar of Silverscreen India called it a film with a “non-existent plot” and a “painful reminder that not every film needs a sequel.”

Applause Entertainment Partners with Amar Chitra Katha to Create Animated Content

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Applause Entertainment, on Tuesday, announced an exclusive partnership with Amar Chitra Katha, publisher of the iconic Indian comics, to produce animated content.

As a part of this collaboration, which marks Applause’s foray into animation, the production house has acquired the license to Amar Chitra Katha’s catalogue that comprises more than 400 titles.

Founded in 1967 by Anant Pai, Amar Chitra Katha has been a pioneer in comic book storytelling for children in India. Most of the comics are based on Indian epics, mythology, folktales, and historical figures. According to the press release, with more than 1.5 million copies sold every year, the comics have secured a niche in the audience’s hearts and minds.

Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, said in a statement, “Amar Chitra Katha is a household name in India with a diverse and celebrated library which deserves to be retold. Like millions of other people, I have grown up reading these iconic comics and as a child, imagined them with dynamic visuals and dramatic sound and action. This is our opportunity to realise that dream.”

“This partnership is also a small step towards helping export Indian culture by taking a unique and deep-rooted cultural brand like Amar Chitra Katha to screens across the globe,” he added.

Preeti Vyas, President & CEO, Amar Chitra Katha, said in a statement, “While we continue to keep our founder, Mr Anant Pai’s dream alive by telling new stories in print and digital formats, we are also keen on presenting our iconic stories in an animated format.”

“We are confident that the Applause team, by adapting our stories to animation, will help in providing the new and future generations of Indians a crucial link to our past,” she added.

Applause Entertainment has backed 25 original series to date, including popular shows such as Hansal Mehta’s Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, the Tigmanshu Dhulia and Vishal Furia-directorial Criminal Justice, and the Ronit Roy and Tisca Chopra-starrer Hostages.

Recently, the production house announced a new web series starring Jaideep Ahlawat and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub. Directed by Shaad Ali, it will be the Indian adaptation of the British mystery series Guilt.

LOL – Enga Siri Paapom: Actor Shiva Says Working with Vivekh was an ‘Unforgettable Experience’

BY Anusha Sundar On

LOL: Enga Siri Paapom, the unscripted Tamil comedy show hosted by actor Shiva and late comedian Vivekh, is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on August 27. The show’s trailer was released on Tuesday.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Shiva said that it was an “unforgettable experience” working with Vivekh.

The show, which is releasing posthumously after the demise of the actor-comedian in April, marks Shiva’s only collaboration with Vivekh.

“We were shooting amid Covid-19 protocols and since we could not venture out much, we got to spend a lot of time indoors and chat. He would narrate his experiences and talk about his career,” the actor told us.

“I found that he had an opposite style of working compared to mine. He was very organised with pen and paper, while I am more casual. It is because of his style that he is celebrated. I feel blessed to have worked with him,” Shiva added.

The six-part show features 10 comedians, who will compete against each other for six consecutive hours with two objectives – to make others in the house laugh and ensure that they do not laugh themselves. The last contestant standing wins the title along with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh.

The 10 contestants, a mixed bag of big and small-screen personalities, are Maya S Krishnan, Abhisek Kumar, Premgi, Harathi Ganesh, RJ Vignesh, Sathish, Pugazh, Powerstar Srinivasan, Baggy (Bhargav Ramakrishnan), and Syama Harini.

The format has used by the streaming giant to create shows across various continents. In India, it has previously been made in Hindi as LOL: Hasse toh Phasse.

“When Amazon Prime came up with the concept, it was novel. They sent us the Australian and South American versions as references. Each version is tailored to the local culture. We were considering how to adapt it to our style, and that’s when director Madhumita came on board and we began the show,” said Shiva.

The main idea of the show is to provide entertainment and make people laugh, the actor added. “It isn’t a quiz programme, but a comedy show, so it was an easy task. Moreover, as the contestants were our friends, it was all very spontaneous.”

On how Vivekh and he chose to host LOL: Enga Siri Paapom, Shiva said, “We decided to just go with the flow. Since it is sort of like a cricket commentary, we chose to go the unscripted way. Also, humor is something that cannot be developed or written; it has to come naturally. Otherwise, it will just feel like one is reading from a paper. Comedy is an in-built quality and one has to go with the flow.”

The show marks Shiva’s debut in the OTT space. The actor said that more than the platform, it was the concept of the programme that drew him. “The show is an original and proven concept of Amazon. It is the first of its kind in Tamil and I hope that the audience will enjoy the novel concept as much as we did.”

‘The Empire’ Creator Nikhil Advani Says They were Lucky to Film in Uzbekistan

BY Anindita Banerjee On

The Empire, the Disney+ Hotstar series about the Mughal Empire which is set to release on August 27, was filmed partly in Uzbekistan. The show’s creator, director, and executive producer Nikkhil Advani says they were “lucky” to film it where the dynasty had its birth.

Based on the historical fiction novel series Empire of the Moghul, written by Alex Rutherford, the show depicts the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire. The book series tells the story of a young king called Babur from Central Asia’s Fergana Valley, and his early struggles in and around Samarkand, a major city in what is today Uzbekistan.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Advani said that although the story has been modified a bit, they have remained true to the book and its fans.

Mitakshara Kumar, who is making her directorial debut with The Empire, added that while the book had good descriptions of the locations and the backdrops, the script needed to have characters with different shades and stark personalities. “The book has a lot of details and it’s very tricky to choose exactly what you want to show on-screen. Also, when you bring these characters on screen, it requires the efforts of so many people from costume designers to set designers and the direction team. We took almost a year and a half to make this show. So, it’s been a very long process,” she said.

The series is being called India’s answer to Game of Thrones. Addressing this, Kumar said, “I hadn’t seen Game of Thrones when I was making The Empire. I don’t agree with the comparisons. But, if people are still comparing it, I will take it as a compliment.”

The series will feature Kunal Kapoor as Mughal emperor Babur, Shabana Azmi as Babur’s grandmother Esan Daulat, and Dino Morea as Babur’s nemesis Shaybani Khan.

Actors Aditya Seal, Rahul Dev, and Drashti Dhami also play pivotal roles in the series.

“There were two interesting things for me with this part,” Kapoor said about his character. “One was that the character was physically strong but had moments of emotional weakness. The other thing that I found interesting was, he becomes the king but he has an incredible amount of self-doubt about whether he deserves this or not.”

To prepare for his part, Kapoor said he read Rutherford’s novel and other books to understand the mindset and values of the people belonging to the era.

Azmi said she always wanted to play a historical character. “She is such an interesting character. You usually see a man being a kingmaker but in this case, the woman is. That excited me about the part. I am in love with the Urdu language and I got the opportunity to speak in that language,” the actor said, noting that there should be more such stories where female roles are given importance.

Talking about the character he is playing, Morea said, “Shaibani Khan is the most dynamic and interesting antagonist I have played in my career. I had to be a different person altogether – menacing, shrewd, and sometimes, downright scary! From the moment I put on my costume, I had to become that person. The detailing, complexity, and love and hate for this character is what makes him so special.”

The Empire is produced by Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani of Emmay Entertainment. The show will be available in Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Bengali, Tamil, Marathi, and Kannada.

Plan A Plan B: Riteish Deshmukh, Tamannaah Bhatia Star in Upcoming Netflix Romance

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Riteish Deshmukh and Tamannaah Bhatia, the Indian actors, headline Netflix’s upcoming romantic film titled Plan A Plan B.

The streaming giant announced the project on Monday and revealed the film’s first look. This will be the first collaboration between Deshmukh and Bhatia. It also marks Deshmukh’s digital debut.

Touted as a coming-of-age romance, Plan A Plan B is directed by Shashanka Ghosh and written by Rajat Arora.

According to a press release from Netflix, the “unplanned love story” follows a matchmaker who believes marriage is for everyone except herself, and a successful divorce lawyer with a secret, who cross paths.

Talking about the film, Ghosh said in a statement, “It is a one-of-a-kind story with unusual characters pitted against each other and a refreshing take on what love entails, tapping into many different emotions.”

Bhatia said, “This film is very special to me. Everything from the story to my character won me over right from the start. Working on this film has been a great experience with the whole team as we had a blast on the sets almost every time we shot!”

On her character, the actor added that while she is a “matchmaker, making others fall in love, she doesn’t want the same for herself.”

The film is produced by Trilok Malhotra and KR Harish for India Stories Media & Entertainment and Arora’s Funk Your Blues Entertainment.

The cast includes Poonam Dhillon as well as Kusha Kapila, who was also seen in Netflix’s Ghost Stories.

Plan A Plan B will release on Netflix soon.

Meanwhile, Bhatia will next be seen in Maestro alongside Nithiin. The film is the official Telugu remake of the Hindi film Andhadhun. She also has a few other Telugu films in the pipeline, including the Gopichand-starrer Seetimaarr and Gurthunda Seethakalam, which is directed by Nagasekhar.

Deshmukh, on the other hand, has the upcoming Hindi film Kakuda, which will be directed by Marathi filmmaker Aditya Sarpotda. The horror-comedy also stars Sonakshi Sinha and Saqib Saleem.

Vir Das Acknowledges That He ‘Messed Up’ after Getting Called Out for Transphobic Jokes in His Comedy Series ‘Ten On Ten’

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Vir Das, the Indian actor and comedian, issued a statement on Sunday acknowledging that he “messed up” after getting called out for transphobic jokes in a recent episode of his comedy series Ten On Ten.

In the fifth episode of the series that released on YouTube on Tuesday, Das makes jokes on gender pronouns, trans people, privilege and cancel culture.

Das begins the episode titled Tribalism & Cancel Culture vs Comedy by talking about cancel culture and says he experienced it recently when he had tweeted a joke on pronouns: I am so stupid. I think my pronouns are just ‘huh’.

He mentions getting called out by “fellow liberals” for the joke and says he deleted it immediately. However, he continues, when some people told him that he cannot make jokes about pronouns, he then really wanted to because it is the “equivalent of saying you cannot joke about the government.”

Das adds that he is not comparing trans people to the government “because trans people have the courage to discard an organ if it isn’t working properly.” He goes on to joke about gender pronouns, saying, “Your kids will have a longer chapter in school when they learn pronouns.”

Several people called out Das for making transphobic jokes and pointed out that accountability is not ‘cancel culture’ and accused him of not having understood the complexity of genders and of “normalising transphobia in an effort to salvage his bruised ego.”

Demanding that he take down the video, an Instagram user with the handle @paralleldimensions, who identifies as she or they, wrote that Das has “mocked and infantilized” pronouns by making jokes that punch down on trans and non-binary people.

Photo Source: Twitter

On Thursday, Das posted a response on Instagram claiming that his comments were taken out of context. “Lots of people seem to be discussing a single screen shot of half a sentence removed and posted out of context from my new video,” he wrote and went on to share screenshots of other parts of the video to illustrate the “points actually said, and errors acknowledged in the SAME video, where I make fun of myself and ALL sides.”

However, on Sunday, the comedian put out another statement on Instagram, admitting that he got the “joke wrong.”

“My intent in the moment, was to say trans people have courage the government never ever could and it was set up wrong and uninformed. I messed up. It had the opposite effect and trivialized your struggle. Articulating my intent effectively is my responsibility, not yours. I got that joke wrong. Plain and simple. No buts,” he wrote.

Das further added, “I’d like to be an artist who unabashedly, deliberately, uncomfortably pushes the line every single day, and never stops acknowledging his audience, always using their voice as his guide. A conversation, where the focus is them, always.”

Pawssible: Upcoming Malayalam Puppies Survival Short Film To Premiere on Saina Play

BY Chandhini R On

Pawssible, the upcoming Malayalam short film starring two puppies in the lead, will premiere on the Saina Play OTT platform. The short film’s first look poster was released on Wednesday by Malayalam actors Vinay Forrt, Jayasurya and Johny Antony on social media. 

Produced by Aashiq Bava under the Saina banner, Pawssible is written and directed by Akshay Keecheri. The technical team of the film has previously worked together on the Dada Saheb Phalke award-winning short film, Muddaples.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Akshay said, “Pawssible is a survival story of two puppies named Hachi and Laaby. The 25-minute film follows the events that these two puppies encounter.”

On the motive behind making the film, Akshay said, “The film tries to convey an important message. In recent times, gifting pets to friends and family has become a trend. However, it is not the right to treat pets like property. We need to value pets and not gift them to people without determining if they can take care of them. Otherwise, it will lead to people abandoning them, which is very pathetic.”

An interesting aspect of Pawssible is that the whole film is shot at the puppies’ eye level. “All the scenes were shot naturally without resorting to any animations or computer graphics,” the filmmaker added.

The film was shot in Kochi over a period of five days. 

Pawssible is the first short film to be backed by Saina’s founder Aashiq Bava, who has previously produced two Malayalam web series. “I got an opportunity to pitch the idea to Ashiq Bava through one of my associates. He was very excited about the concept and agreed to produce the film,” said Akshay.

The film is currently in the post-production stage and the makers are hoping to release it in August, first on Saina Play, and later on their YouTube channel. 

Disney CEO Defends Decision to Release ‘Black Widow’ on OTT and in Theatres Simultaneously

BY Shrija Ganguly On

Bob Chapek, CEO of Disney, defended the company’s decision to go with a hybrid release for Black Widow. The film, a prequel to the Marvel’s Avengers films, was released on July 9 in theatres and on Disney+ simultaneously.

During a call with the investors on Thursday, Chapek said the company had decided on this strategy after determining it would enable them to reach the “broadest possible audience.”

This follows Scarlett Johansson‘s lawsuit against Disney over breach of contract. Johansson said her agreement with Disney-owned Marvel Entertainment came with the guarantee that the film would have an exclusive theatrical release, with the box-office performance determining her salary. She alleged that the simultaneous release was an intentional breach of the agreement to prevent her from realising “the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel.”

Disney responded to the actor’s statement at the time by calling it “sad and callous” for failing to consider the global impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Thursday’s call, Chapek, who was named the CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2020, after Bob Iger, the current executive chairman, stepped down from the position, said, “Both Bob Iger and I, along with the leaders of our creative distribution teams, determined this was the right strategy because it would enable us to reach the broadest possible audience. And just to reiterate, distribution decisions are made on a film-to-film basis, based on global market health conditions, and considering the area.”

Not naming Johansson or Black Widow, Chapek added that such decisions will be taken “in the best interest of the film and the best interest of the constituents.”

Disney also followed the hybrid release model for films such as Cruella, Black Widow, and Jungle Cruise.

In response to an investor’s query about how the company compensated its talent, Chapek said, “Just like we’ve done many times before as the business has evolved and transformed, we’ve figured out ways to fairly compensate our talent so that no matter what the business model, everybody feels satisfied.”

Chapek explained in the call that Disney’s “three-pronged” strategy to release its films came after the pandemic hit in 2020, taking into account the reluctance on the audience’s part to return to cinema halls.

The three-pronged release model includes a “theatrical release, direct to Disney+, and a hybrid of theatrical plus premier access.”

Netrikann, Shershaah & More – 9 New OTT Releases This Week

BY Ramya Ashok Kumar On

Theatres in Telangana are open again and screening new releases such as Satya Dev-starrer Thimmarusu and Ishq, starring Teja Sajja and Priya Prakash Varrier. The Telangana government has granted permission to theatre owners to run five shows a day.

Earlier this week, the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala had requested the state government to consider permitting theatres to reopen in the state and had also submitted a set of demands, including the waiver of various taxes and a financial package to support the revival of the business.

Even as theatres in some parts of the country are slowly resuming operations, the OTT scene still remains strong.

Here are nine new films and shows streaming on OTT platforms this week, including Shershaah and Netrikkan.

1. Shershaah – Amazon Prime Video (August 12)

This war drama is inspired by the life of Kargil war hero, Captain Vikram Batra, essayed by Sidharth Malhotra. In conversation with Silverscreen India, director Vishnuvardhan said he spoke to soldiers who fought alongside Batra to bring authenticity to the film, which was also shot in Kargil, close to where the actual war was fought in 1999.

Read Silverscreen India‘s review of Shershaah here.

2. Netrikann – Disney+ Hotstar (August 13)

According to the official synopsis, Netrikann, starring Nayanthara, is a thriller that revolves around a visually-challenged woman, who gives testimony in a hit-and-run case. The police soon realise that the incident she is reporting is related to a series of cases in the city where girls have gone missing. It also sets off a chain of events that further entangle her in this case. But there is more to her than meets the eye. Her disability has strengthened all of her other senses and she uses her heightened awareness to help the police bring the mysterious serial kidnapper to justice.

3. Bhuj: The Pride of India – Disney+ Hotstar (August 13)

Set in the backdrop of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and starring Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt and Sonakshi Sinha, Bhuj: The Pride of India is based on the life of IAF Squadron Leader Vijay Karnik (Devgn) and tells the story of his bravery, patriotism and determination.

4. Modern Love Season 2 – Amazon Prime Video (August 13)

The new season of this romantic anthology series, inspired by The New York Times column of the same name, consists of eight half-hour episodes which will explore love in all forms, according to the official press release.

5. Beckett – Netflix (August 13)

Directed by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, this film features John David Washington as an American tourist vacationing in Greece who becomes the target of a manhunt after a devastating accident. Forced to run for his life and desperate to get across the country to the American embassy to clear his name, tensions escalate as the authorities close in, political unrest mounts, and Beckett falls even deeper into a dangerous web of conspiracy.

6. India Shayari Project – Zee5 (August 15)

India Shayari Project is a 90-minute special that celebrates poetry and freedom in honour of India’s independence. The concept was produced by Zee Live. The show will be headlined by Javed Akhtar and will feature Kausar Munir, Zakir Khan and Kumar Vishwas.

7. AlRawabi School for Girls (Limited Series) – Netflix (August 12)

This Middle Eastern series is a high school drama produced with a full-female Arab cast and crew. AlRawabi School for Girls is the story of how a bullied girl gets her revenge, only to find out that no one is all bad, and no one is all good, including herself.

8. Godzilla vs Kong – Amazon Prime Video (August 13)

Godzilla vs. Kong is the 12th film in the King Kong franchise and the 36th film in the Godzilla franchise. The film pits the two icons against each other with humanity caught in the balance. The movie focuses on Kong and his protectors, who undertake a perilous journey to find his true home. With them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. However, they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe.

9. Shantit Kranti – SonyLiv (August 13)

Directed by Sarang Sathaye and Paula McGlynn, the founders of the Marathi content page – Bharatiya Digital Party (BhaDiPa), this show is the story of three best friends – Shreyas, Dinar and Prasanna. The friends go on a road trip to Goa, while dealing with issues like relationship insecurities, the uncertainty of life, and unfulfilled dreams.

The Kissing Booth 3 Review: A Painful Reminder That Not Every Film Needs a Sequel

BY Ananya Shankar On

The end is finally here. Netflix dropped the third part of the self-proclaimed saga The Kissing Booth on Wednesday.

Picking up from where the previous film ended, the main plot yet again focuses on protagonist Elle Evans (Joey King), who has finally finished high school. Over an extended summer break, Elle and her friends find themselves at a large ocean-front mansion.

Although there is a change in setting from the high school town in the previous two films, Kissing Booth 3 has not come with any change in storyline. Once again, Elle must choose between her best friend Lee (Joel Courtney) and her boyfriend Noah (Jacob Elordi), who happen to be brothers. This time though, the predicament lies in who she goes to college with.

It does not help that both men are extremely entitled and expect to be her first choice. To make matters more complicated (and frustrating for viewers), Elle’s former romantic interest Marco (Taylor Zakhar Perez) is also present. And she finds it difficult to accept her father’s new girlfriend.

The plot of the film, directed by Vince Marcello, is a mess. But it is even more difficult for the audience to sympathise with Elle’s aforementioned problems when she spends most of her time on Californian white-sand beaches, attending huge parties.

As if the plot was not dull enough, she also finds it difficult to follow the juvenile set of friendship rules that she and Lee created when they were children. This ironclad list of rules governs their friendship and if one of them breaks a rule, it is considered a huge betrayal. With rules like “Always go to the same school as your bestie” and “Relatives of your bestie are off-limits,” it is frankly shocking that three films revolve around this list.

The film’s visuals are no better. Most of the backgrounds are obviously green screens making the scenes featuring the Hollywood sign and the kissing booth look unnatural.

The movie also has endless montages. We have to sit through countless shots of Lee and Elle ticking off things from their summer bucket list. From cliff diving and flash mobs to a ridiculous Mario Kart-themed Go-Kart race, the activities, unlike our patience, never run out. The already non-existent plot is stretched thinner with these scenes.

As a genre, teenage comedies are not necessarily ground-breaking. But they can be fun to watch. From the greats like Clueless and 10 things I Hate About You to contemporary examples like The Duff and Love, Simon, these films showcase romantic relationships, friendships, and even identity crises in a manner that is enjoyable and believable.

This film, however, has no memorable moments. Instead, it is filled with clichés: Noah’s insecurity with Marco culminates in them throwing hands and there are games that quickly become an excuse to show off each other’s (toxic) masculinity. This becomes more tiresome when it dawns upon you that versions of these scenes recur in all three films. At this point, the movie begins to feel like an extension of its predecessors rather than a sequel with an actual story.

To its credit, The Kissing Booth 3 does try to redeem itself towards the end. Elle slowly decides to put herself first and not base her decisions on the men in her life. But her decision comes two films too late. Having spent three entire movies dealing with the same exact situation, her realisation is not nearly as satisfying as it intends to be.

In the end, The Kissing Booth 3 does very little to make its mark and is yet another reminder that the ‘saga’ should have ended after the first film.

Indrans Starrer ‘#Home’ Set to Premiere on Amazon Prime Video on August 19; Casting was the Biggest Challenge, Says Director Rojin Thomas

BY Chandhini R On

#Home, the upcoming Malayalam film starring Indrans, Sreenath Bhasi and Vijay Babu in the lead roles, will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on August 19, the streaming platform announced on Tuesday. 

Produced by Vijay Babu under the Friday Film House banner, #Home is written and directed by Kerala State Award-winning filmmaker Rojin Thomas.

The film also features Manju Pillai, Nalsen, Kainakary Thankaraj, KPAC Lalitha, Srikanth Murali, Johny Antony, Pauly Wilson, Maniyan Pillai Raju, Anoop Menon, Aju Varghese, Kiran Aravindhakshan, Chithra and Priyanka Nair in pivotal roles. 

According to the streaming platform,  #Home is a light-hearted and thought-provoking family drama about a humble but technologically-challenged old man, Oliver (essayed by Indrans), who constantly strives to remain close with his two sons, who are hooked to social media like any other millennial.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Rojin says that he got the idea for #Home seven years ago. “At the advent of the digital revolution, my father was a technologically-challenged person. He asked me to teach him to recharge his mobile pack. In those days, we could only do it on desktop. When I taught him the procedure, he took notes in his diary. Later, when he did it all by himself, the joy on his face was something I’ll never forget. That moment was the spark for this story.”

Rojin pitched the idea to producer Vijay Babu in early 2016. “He was excited about the idea and I completed the script within two months. The biggest challenge, however, was casting. We waited for almost five years to get the apt artists for the characters in #Home,” the filmmaker adds.

They considered a lot of options for the cast but none were satisfactory. The makers were also particular about roping in unique artists for these roles and did not want to repeat any combinations. “While we were waiting to find the right artists, especially for Oliver’s character, I also had to simultaneously update the script with the advancements in technology over the years. Finally, we locked Indrans ettan and went on floors in September 2020.”

The filming was completed within 42 days, Rojin reveals. “80% of the film was shot inside a house in Ernakulam.”

While their primary aim was to have a theatrical release for #Home as it is a film for a family audience, the situation with the pandemic forced them to opt for a direct-OTT premiere, says the filmmaker. However, he is glad the film will reach a wider global audience now. “In the recent past, the family audience in theatres has dropped and I wanted them to come back to theatres for a happy film. However, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, theatrical release seemed uncertain. That’s when our producer struck a deal with Amazon Prime Video. It is truly a delight for us to release the film on this streaming platform as we can reach a wider family audience.”

Rojin has previously directed Philips and the Monkey Pen (2013) and Jo and the Boy (2015) and his collaborators on those films, music composer Rahul Subrahmanian and cinematographer Neil D’Cunha, have worked on #Home as well.

Indrans, a costume designer-turned-actor who has starred in over 400 films, said in a statement, “I am extremely happy to be a part of this project and glad the filmmakers considered me for this role. In my 40-year long career, from old Malayalam cinema to new age Malayalam movies, I have seen it all. The only way to stay relevant in the industry is to adapt to the changes and go with the flow. When it comes to work, I am not rigid, nor do I have any demands from my directors or writers. I enjoy working with the new generation of actors. In fact, there’s so much that I get to learn from these young and budding artists.”

Actor-Producer Vijay Babu said in a statement, “With #Home, our focus was solely to highlight a socially-relevant topic portrayed in such a way that it leaves viewers with food for thought. The beautifully relatable characters have been carefully weaved into the narrative and are presented in a light-hearted way that will make for a perfect family watch.”

Shershaah Review: War as a Matinee Show

BY Aswathy Gopalakrishnan On

In the initial half of Shershaah, one of the sub-characters, Naib Subedar Bansi Lal Sharma (Anil Charanjeett), confides in his superior officer Captain Vikram Batra (Siddharth Malhotra) a piece of personal news, about his baby girl’s christening ceremony. If you are familiar with the age-old template of Indian action dramas, this mention of something as tender as a baby daughter in a film teeming with army uniforms, guns and muscles could only mean that Bansi Lal is fodder for a tearjerker moment.

Two scenes later, Bansi Lal is brutally gunned down by masked terrorists, prompting his young boss to shed his boyish softness and unleash an assault on his enemies. At the funeral, the latter takes a long look at the photograph of the child who has just lost her father and vows to hunt down the killers.

One would think screenwriting a sports/war/action drama is strenuous work that requires intellect and imagination. But with every new biopic on national heroes, Bollywood has been demonstrating to its audience that writing is a bot’s job, a task akin to assembling pieces manufactured elsewhere and creating a narrative that goes from one predictable plot point to another.

Directed by Vishnuvardhan, who has to his credit commercially-successful lowbrow Tamil action flicks such as Arrambam, Shershaah is based on a real-life hero, Param Vir Chakra recipient Captain Vikram Batra, who lost his life while trying to recapture a post in Kargil War in July 1999. Vishnuvardhan mixes his pot-boiler sensibilities with the nationalistic fervour that is expected of a war biopic, an August 15 special release. Amidst executing high-octane military attacks, the young officers indulge in banter. Unlike their senior officers who maintain stiff body language, they laugh and scream, “Yeh dil maange more!” The film, seldom reflective or subtle, is not about a soldier’s inner experiences of fighting a war but a tabloid presentation of war as a sport.

The action sequences are well-filmed, not as slick or straight-faced as the procedural scenes in Uri, but neat enough to keep the audience on edge. In the last leg of the film, Batra delivers an electrifying speech to his battalion, with a punchline reminiscent of Uri’s ‘How’s the josh’, and they proceed to the frontline. These moments evoke a strong sense of déjà vu, but the restraint in the staging of the scenes and the performances make the proceedings riveting.

Outside the war field, Shershaah is painfully bland. It follows the codes of mythology where heroism is a result of genes and destiny. To inquire into the hero’s motivations is blasphemy. As a child, Batra fights with a bully in the neighbourhood for his cricket ball. It is the kind of scene, cheesy and unintentionally funny, that inspires Bollywood biopic parodies. “It is my stuff. I will not leave without taking it back,” the little boy says, as his twin brother tries to drag him away. The child wants to become a soldier, so much so that he attends August 15 celebrations at school dressed up in army uniform.

The film doesn’t ask if Vikram ever had self-doubts or felt exhausted. When Batra says he is cutting short his vacation and returning to the army camp, his friend asks if he got a call from the superior officers. Batra replies smilingly, “The call came from within.”

Indian army’s troubled relationship with Kashmir is hinted at in a line: “Your Kahwa could come mixed with poison,” said by an officer to Batra, as a warning against him befriending the local population. But the film immediately resolves the tension using a supporting character, a local boy forcibly recruited by militants to work for Pakistan, who says he would sacrifice himself to help the army capture the terrorists.

But there is an explanation for the film’s refusal to look at Batra as an ordinary human being. The film is presented as an elaborate flashback recounted by Batra’s twin brother to an audience at a motivational talk show. Post his death, a national hero can only become a motivational story about selfless courage and determination.

The women in the film are cheerleaders or collateral damages who exist in the background as a blur. Dimple (Kiara Advani) is Batra’s beautiful, earnest and ever-supportive girlfriend. Nothing about her existence in the film breaks new ground. She encourages him to follow his dream to join the army, promises to wait for him and love him forever, and sticks to that promise.

Shershaah is one of numerous films made in the last 10 years centred on the idea of the nation as an unquestionable force. Collectively, these films seek to create a sense of nationalistic pride among filmgoers who had been, in the 90s and the following decades, overly exposed to romantic comedies, domestic dramas and crime dramas that held the state culpable. This movement doesn’t tolerate detractors, which is why Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020) kicked up a controversy over scenes that questioned patriarchy within the armed forces. Shershaah earnestly sticks to the unspoken rules of India’s new nationalist cinema and ends up as a forgettable drama.

*****

The Shershaah review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

‘Tharagathi Gadhi Daati’, Telugu Remake of TVF’s ‘Flames’, to Premiere on August 20; the Aha Series is Not a Straight Adaptation, Says Director

BY Anusha Sundar On

Tharagathi Gadhi Daati, the upcoming Telugu web series, directed by filmmaker Mallik Ram, is set to premiere on Aha Video on August 20, the streaming platform announced while releasing the teaser on social media on Tuesday.

The series is the official remake of TVF’s Hindi series Flames that revolves around teenage romance.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Ram says the show is not a straight adaptation. “We have changed so much, but kept the core emotion the same. The original show had a shorter runtime, about 10-12 minutes per episode, but we made it a bit longer, so we have more characters and subplots. While Flames is set in south Delhi, our series takes place in a small village and there is a big difference between how people behave in the two places.”

The series, which consists of five episodes, each spanning 21-22 minutes, is set in a village in Andhra Pradesh. The show was primarily shot in Guntur and the Godavari region in Andhra Pradesh, along with a few indoor shots in Hyderabad. “My roots are from the same region, so I was comfortable shooting there and was able to bring in the slang,” adds Ram.

The dialogues have been written by Kittu Vissapragada, who also hails from the Godavari region.

According to the director, the core emotion of the series is first love. The coming-of-age drama revolves a boy who falls in love at first sight with a girl who has just moved to his village. “The only thing that we retained from the original series, is the use of 90s music and classic hits in the background in the place of an original score. It helps to infuse the same sense of nostalgia that first love inspires.”

Tharagathi Gadhi Daati features Harshith Reddy and Payal Radhakrishna in the lead roles. The actors play first-year college students and were cast through auditions. “They play IIT aspirants who attend the same coaching centre and that is where the story is set,” says Ram.

The filmmaker was approached by the platform in August 2020 to helm this remake and he took it up since he is comfortable with the romantic comedy genre.

Apart from this series, Ram is also awaiting the release of the Telugu film Adbhutham, starring Teja Sajja and Shivani Rajashekar. Asked about the release of the film, which the filmmaker had earlier told us was in the final stages of post-production, he says, “Theatres have opened up, but the numbers are not promising so far. It is slowly picking up but a lot depends on the genre. The audience prefers watching only larger-than-life films in theatres for the most part. So, personally, I would opt for an OTT release. But it is entirely the call of the producers.”

As a filmmaker who works on both series and films, Ram feels the primary difference between the two formats is in the screenplay. “The challenge with series is determining how to break up the story into episodes. You have to make the audience eager for the next episode. And that comes down to the way an episode ends. Also, unlike films, you get to explore several different subplots, do character studies, and establish the characters slowly. There is so much you can do in the web space.”

Ram will next work on a sci-fi investigative thriller web series for Disney+ Hotstar which will go on floors in December. He also reveals that he has an action-thriller caper-comedy film with actor Satya Dev that will kickstart in March 2022.

Kuruthi Review: Mamukkoya Delivers a Stunner in an Otherwise Rambling Thriller

BY Aswathy Gopalakrishnan On

One of the central characters in Kuruthi is a boy who has barely crossed his teen years. Arrested by the police for the murder of a shopkeeper and being taken to the police station, he has the victim’s vengeful son and his people hot on his heels. In what could be his final moments, he dishes out hot takes on contemporary India. “Aren’t we (the Hindu community) far better than Shah Jahan and his likes?” he asks a family of Muslims, the tone of his voice resembling that of a high-schooler in a classroom discussion.

Someone who doesn’t understand the physiology and the internals of the Malayalam language might miss the unintended folly of Kuruthi which is, to a large extent, a chamber drama that relies a lot on conversation. Barring veteran actor Mamukkoya and a bunch of supporting artistes who appear in passing roles, none of the actors in the film show signs of having lived their life in that milieu, a forest hamlet that is quietly but quickly evolving thanks to natural and political activities.

Right from the first sequence, there is relentless verbal commentary about political arrogance, communal hatred and other themes the film is based on. The characters represent the different shades in a gradient of faith — the good, the bad, and the ugly. The choice of words in their exchanges is absurd, betraying subtlety, as though they are reading out of a manifesto. The cop’s commitment to the law is reminiscent of the Amar Akbar Anthony days.

Yes, communalism and religious extremism are tearing India apart. Films must address the State’s persecution of the minorities and Dalit community. Kuruthi seeks to do that by looking at how these ideas play out in a largely homogenous group comprising of villagers who lead a life of poverty and ordinariness. The result is an uninspiring film wrapped in deliciously dark atmospherics and an excessively sensitive sound design, which has the spirit of a tableau.

Laiq (Prithviraj Sukumaran) is the epitome of this caricatured vision of the screenplay. He is a hunter looking for his prey. Prithviraj brings an air of theatricality to the movie that had already been struggling to find a footing in its genre. The actor’s face, in the long and pivotal scene, is a canvas of bad acting. He spells out Liaq’s religious extremism by refusing to blink his eyes and move his head, mistaking sincere and sensitive performance for an act of squeezing the last drop out of a toothpaste tube. To an audience of frightened simpletons who haven’t seen the world beyond their hamlet, he narrates an anecdote about his brush with neo-Nazis in Paris. When he is ventriloquizing a white woman, he switches to broken English. “Nothing personal, dear…” he says, stressing the wrong consonants, feigning unsophistication. But it is not the imperfect English that should signify a person’s upbringing and existence but the demeanour — recklessness or their tactics — or their eye for people who come from similar places as them.

On the paper, the initial 60 minutes might have looked terrific, burning with tension. The house of Moosa (Mammukkoya) and his son Ibrahim (Roshan Mathew), a devout Muslim man who is still mourning the death of his wife and daughter in a landslide a year ago, is invaded twice the same night. First, by a wounded policeman (Murali Gopy) with a handcuffed criminal in tow (Sagar Sathyan), and next by Liaq and his accomplice (Navas Vallikkunnu) who want to kill the boy. Suma (Srinda), a friendly neighbour, accidentally gets caught in the proceedings. The cop, on his deathbed, makes Ibrahim vow to hand over the boy to the police, and not to the blood-thirsty extremists who have surrounded the house.

Ibrahim has to stick to his vow because he desperately wants heaven, to join his dead daughter. But most importantly, the mission to save the boy from the extremists and hand him over to the police becomes a litmus test for his allegiance to the State. Is he a good Muslim?

The escalation of events inside the modest house, lit only by an old-fashioned tungsten lamp and equipped with simple furniture, could seem edgy if one is ready to buy that Kuruthi is a zombie home-invasion drama. The techniques applied by Warrier and cinematographer Abhinandan Ramanujam in the latter half of the film, where the characters abandon dialogue for full-blown assault and defence, are effective to a decent extent. Laiq and his accomplices take the shape of hate-fuelled vampires who won’t stop until they get what they want.

But the pleasures of any genre cannot sustain without unapologetic commitment to the codes of the genre. The thriller elements are weakened by long-drawn debates on ethics that only reiterate something recent films such as Jallikattu (2019, Lijo Jose Pellissery) said, and arguments that seek to establish that Muslim and Hindu extremism are mere reactions to each other.

Mamukkoya’s Moosa Khader is a charmer, armed with a gift of repartee and clarity of thought that comes with age. The makers of the film rightly recognise the worth of the character and the actor playing the role, so he gets the best build-up moment in the latter half of the film. When Ibrahim asks him, in the sombre tone that has come to be the film’s identity, to bury him by his daughter if he dies that night, Khader responds casually, “Once you’re dead, it doesn’t make a difference where you lie and rot!” In a ship sinking into the depth of faux seriousness and wobbly urgency, Mamukkoya brings some self-styled mirth. When irrational hatred is staring on the face, perhaps it is wiser to use the shield of cynicism than wear nobility on the sleeves.

*****

The Kuruthi review is a Silverscreen original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the movie. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.

‘Sennai’, Tamil Indie Film Streaming on Neestream from August 11, Conveys the Guilt He Feels about Caste Oppression, Says Director

BY Anusha Sundar On

Sennai, the Tamil film that premiered at the Tagore International Film Festival 2021 and won several accolades, is set to stream on Neestream from Wednesday.

Produced by Leeju under the Enso Pictures banner, the film set in an unnamed village in Tamil Nadu follows the life of undertaker Annam, who carries on her ancestral job as a means of survival. She suffers from tuberculosis due to smoke from the cremations. Annam faces caste discrimination when the doctors at the hospital she works at, refuse to treat her or lend her an ambulance.

The trailer of the 60-minute social drama, written and directed by Jaikumar Sedhuraman, was released on Friday.

Sennai documents the suffering of the oppressed that, in Annam’s case, extends until her deathbed, the film’s director Jaikumar says in conversation with Silverscreen India.

He adds that Neestream is the best option for the film amid the pandemic. “We knew that this film would not run in theatres since it is not headlined by big stars. I saw The Great Indian Kitchen on Neestream and they had also seen my film in festivals,” he says, adding that the streaming platform approached them.

Still from the film

Metaphors and inception:

Sennai means wild dog in Tamil and the film takes its name from a metaphor involving dholes (a species of wild dogs).

Annam’s story in the film is juxtaposed with the tale of a fertile forest where all animals live in harmony until a herd of deer deplete the forest’s resources. As the resources dry up, all the living beings leave the forest. Eventually, an old man who comes that way decides to bring two dholes to the forest, to bring back the equilibrium.

On how he conceived this idea, Jaikumar says, “In 2019, I took up agriculture in Tiruvannamalai for a period. On the last day, I went to a forest nearby and I could observe only deer there. It provoked a thought in me: what if the forest comprised only of deer?”

“The forest, the herd of deer, the dholes, all represent society and the diversity that exists among people that we meet and cross paths with. Anything that affects this diversity can bring about destruction,” the director adds.

“I took deer as my starting point because it is often assumed that the ones that appear calm are non-problematic. I wanted to show the destructive ability of herds, and draw a parallel to humanity,” Jaikumar explains.

The film speaks about various aspects of caste oppression: caste-based occupations, the brutality of oppressors, honour killings, criticism against reservation, and so on. Jaikumar says, “The idea is to show how oppressors will assert their dominance even in a democratic sphere.”

Still from the film

‘All discrimination is rooted in the oppression of women’

On choosing a woman as his protagonist, the filmmaker says, “All discrimination and related politics are rooted in the oppression of women. The moment we adopt patriarchy, we treat women as property. I have shown the same here.”

Jaikumar says he has adopted a mix of non-linear, linear, and hyperlinked modes of screenplay, centred around Annam’s story.

“I have shown Annam’s story in a linear fashion and it is hyperlinked with other stories. She is discriminated against  and oppressed in every way. Even her husband leaves her. Finally, she runs to freedom and her ultimate death.”

The filmmaker adds that his favourite moment is the one near the end where Annam’s silhouette is seen running towards the sun as it fades out.

Still from the film

Fiction or non-fiction?

The film features the line: “Is the story fiction or non-fiction?” It was a question the filmmaker asked himself before writing Sennai. The answer, Jaikumar says, was fiction.

The filmmaker explains that the instances of caste oppression shown in Sennai are all based on true incidents that provoked a feeling of guilt in him. “There was an Odisha man who walked miles carrying his wife’s dead body, student Anitha who died by suicide, a couple who split due to caste differences following which the man (Ilavarasan) was found dead. I have put them all together to present this fictional film,” he adds.

The film was shot in Tiruvanamalai with Ravindranath Guru as the cinematographer. “When I wrote, I was conscious that I did not want to go beyond a 5-km radius of the place. I also did not want to involve big cameras or feature famous faces. This film is not to entertain people but to convey the guilt I feel,” the director says.

Jaikumar believes that films like Sennai can initiate discussions about caste oppression and thus have the power to change society.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Heeramandi’ to be a Netflix Original Series on the Courtesans of Lahore

BY Anindita Banerjee On

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the Hindi filmmaker, has joined hands with Netflix India for his upcoming series Heeramandi. The streaming platform took to Twitter and announced on Tuesday that Heeramandi will be a Netflix Original series.

“The show will explore stories of courtesans and the hidden cultural reality of Heeramandi, a dazzling district in pre-Independence India. It’s a series about love, betrayal, succession, and politics in the kothas which promises Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s trademark larger-than-life sets, multi-faceted characters, and soulful compositions,” a press release stated.

Bhansali, who made his directorial debut with Khamoshi: The Musical in 1996, marked 25 years of his filmmaking journey this year. He is known for his larger-than-life films such as Devdas, Padmaavat, Bajirao Mastani, Guzaarish, Ram Leela, and Black.

Talking about the series, Bhansali said in a statement, “It is an important milestone in my journey as a filmmaker. This is an epic, first-of-its-kind series based on the courtesans of Lahore. It is an ambitious, grand, and all-encompassing series; therefore I am nervous yet excited about making it.”

Monika Shergill, VP of Content, Netflix India, added, “Heeramandi will be a story that will intrigue audiences and transport them into a world of incredible grandeur, beauty and harshness at the same time.”

No details regarding the cast and crew have been announced yet.

“It is a huge saga about the courtesans of Lahore, it is something I was living with for 14 years,” Bhansali told Variety, adding that it is “a very difficult one.”

“I like to take a little time and the scale is big. I live with a subject for a long time, then I build and build and I keep thinking of it… So it’s a lot of time I give to a particular idea, but it’s great fun. That’s how it finally emerges. So now, I think I’m ready to make Heeramandi,” he further said.

Bhansali’s upcoming projects include Gangubai Kathiawadi with Alia Bhatt, which has completed shooting. He also has Baiju Bawra, which was announced in 2019 and is yet to go on floors.

TM Krishna, Leena Manimekalai Call Out Netflix & ‘Navarasa’ Makers For Being Casteist

BY Namrata Ganguly On

Summer of ’92: Hasya, a segment in Navarasa, the recently-released Netflix Tamil anthology, has been termed ‘casteist’ by musician and activist TM Krishna and filmmaker Leena Manimekalai on social media.

The nine-part anthology premiered on Netflix on Friday. Each segment of the anthology deals with one of the nine rasas or emotions — anger, compassion, courage, disgust, fear, laughter, love, peace and wonder.

Directed by Priyadarshan, Summer of ’92: Hasya, dealing with the emotion of laughter, stars Yogi Babu, Nedumudi Venu, Remya Nambeesan, and Manikuttan among others.

It revolves around Veluswamy (Babu), a celebrity comedian who visits his school as the chief guest for an event and shares his stories of mischief. The final story that he shares is about his teacher (Nambeesan) and her father (Venu), also the school principal, who happened to be searching for a suitable groom for her. The principal asks Veluswamy to get rid of their troublesome dog ahead of a potential groom’s visit, based on the advice of Krishna Iyer (YG Mahendran), an upper-caste teacher at the school. Krishna draws parallels between the principal’s dog and Veluswamy, and says “I will give you an idea. One dog won’t like another. We have such a dog.” He goes on to add, “Looks like a pig, but is a dog. Our Veluswamy.” Later in the short, the dog manages to escape after falling in a feces pit and reaches the teacher’s house leading to the marriage getting cancelled.

“Hasyam in Navarasa is truly disgusting, insensitive, casteist and body shaming. Nothing to laugh about. We cannot make films like this in 2021. Just not done!” TM Krishna tweeted on Monday.

He further wrote, “This film would have worked to show disgust (bhibatsam) towards our society.”

On Friday, Manimekalai had the quoted the “Looks like a pig, but is a dog,” line from Summer of ’92: Hasya and expressed her outrage over it on Twitter.
Photo Source: A screenshot from ‘Summer of ’92: Hasya’ from ‘Navarasa’

In her tweet, Manimekalai said, “Shame on you Netflix India, Priyadharshan, Mani Ratnam. What hypocrisy, Netflix. You play BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and People of Colour] friendly, Social Justice keenly in America and play casteist in India.”

“All your #BlackLivesMatter politics you do in America is a farce when you play a brahmin in India, Netflix,” she further wrote. 

Earlier, calling out the streaming giant’s choice of films, Manimekalai tweeted: “Hello Netflix, do you remember how you started 10 years ago? You went to Sundance to acquire films. You invested in films and filmmakers who pushed film as an art form to new horizons. You had some bones. In India, you became brahminical, a sucker for brands and market forces. Sad to see how wasted you are!”

Produced by filmmaker Mani Ratnam in collaboration with Jayendra Panchapakesan, the nine short films in Navarasa are directed by Karthik Subbaraj, Vasanth, Arvind Swami, Bejoy Nambiar, Karthick Naren, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Sarjun KM and Rathindran R Prasad.

Navarasa Teaser screenshots

On Friday, #BanNetflix was also trending on Twitter with several tweets calling out Navarasa for an advertisement on the film in a Tamil daily featuring a verse from the Quran.

One such tweet was by Raza Academy, a ‘Sunni Barelvi organization of Indian Sunni Muslims that promotes Islamic beliefs through publications and research’.

“Netflix has published a verse of the Quran in the advertisement of its film Navarasa in Daily Thanthi newspaper. This is an insult to the Quran. We demand strict action against Netflix India. #BanNetflix #BanDailyThanthiNews,” the organisation tweeted. 

The advertisement referred to Navarasa’s segment on fear, Inmai, directed by Rathindran and starring Siddharth and Parvathy in the lead roles.

Meet Sadam Hanjabam, Founder of Ya_All NGO, who Featured on Oprah and Prince Harry’s Show ‘The Me You Can’t See’

BY Srishti Lakhotia On

“Mental health is often stigmatised, and being queer is considered abnormal,” says Sadam Hanjabam, founder of the first registered queer and youth-led NGO in Northeast India, Ya_All.  

His fight to de-stigmatise queerness and mental health in regions surrounding Manipur’s capital Imphal has caught international attention after he featured on Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry’s Apple TV+ show The Me You Can’t See.

The six-episode series, which premiered on May 21, focuses on mental health and emotional well-being. Popular talk show host Winfrey and Prince Harry speak about their own journeys and showcase the lives of individuals from around the world, like Hanjabam, who have prioritised holistic well-being in their communities.

Speaking to Silverscreen India, Hanjabam narrates emotional and intensely personal anecdotes of coming out in a community which usually looks down on homosexuality. It was not an easy decision to leave his city to travel to the opposite end of the country to pursue an M Phil in Development Studies at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, he says. But it had to be done. 

“I found my safe space there. Every time I returned home, I had to go back in the closet. In 2019, I decided to register an NGO called Ya_All in an effort to make my hometown Manipur a safe space for me and for others like me,” he adds.

 Ya_All, which began as a collective in 2017, started by Hanjabam and his two friends, has grown since and is now registered as an NGO. The organisation provides tele-counselling support and online workshops on inclusivity in the regional language to young individuals from the queer community in Manipur. They also conduct film screenings, fashion shows and sporting events to engage the youth of the community. The NGO has capitalised on the region’s love for football and has formed the first all-trans football team in Manipur.  

In a conversation with Silverscreen India, Hanjabam talks about the lack of awareness about the queer community in Manipur, recovering from addiction and depression, and establishing a helpline for his people.

What does the term ‘Queer’ mean to you?  

I think of queer as solidarity. It is the term that brings the LGBTQIA+ community together.

When you registered your NGO in 2019, did you think that a big platform like The Me You Can’t See would come your way?

When we started, we just wanted to create a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community in Manipur and the Northeast. This region has been invisible in the larger Indian queer movement. The mainland movement does not see us. Besides being shunned for our gender and sexuality, we also have our own issues of political conflict and militarization. When we began, we never thought we would reach a point where we would get to tell our story on a global platform like The Me You Can’t See. But I think this was long overdue. 

How did the organisation approach you? 

The communication from the show’s team came in the latter part of 2019. A crew from the United States was supposed to come down in 2020. However, things got delayed due to Covid-19. When they attempted to schedule the shoot in 2020 after restrictions eased, the crew faced visa issues. The team hence decided to have a crew from India conduct the shoot. They began shooting in November 2020 and were here for a week. We ensured Covid-19 protocols were followed while filming. 

At the shooting of The Me You Can’t See | (Credit: Ya_All Facebook)

In the show, your brother features as part of your story. Did your family become more accepting after the show aired?

My brother Hanjabam Shukhdeba Sharma has been my biggest support. He understands me. I have had a conversation with my mother about my sexuality. She is over 60 years old and understands the fact that I am queer, but has not had a conversation with me about it. However, I am her child and she is hence supportive of me. This has helped me to talk freely about the topic with others.

My mother is still confused about the kind of work I do because I initially studied agriculture and am now working in the mental health space. But there is a better understanding now.

Has the show begun a larger conversation with neighbours and relatives?  

It has. During the process of filming, the entire conversation got more visibility. I could come out openly with my stories. Even my friends were unable to understand my work and my sexuality earlier, but that has changed. The parents of many young children, who are part of the NGO, now understand what we do. They ask, “If Sadam’s mother and brother can accept him, then why not us?” It has become a larger conversation.  

Many NGOs often view people as data. Ya_All has been looking at them from a different emotional well-being angle. This change has been visible for parents too. They have also started coming for the football practice and are supporting their kids.

(Credit: Ya_All Facebook)

How has sports helped you create a positive change in your community?  

In 2017, it was difficult for us to get grants because people here — students, volunteers — did not want to connect with us through workshops. We then organised a football match in a big field in the centre of Imphal near the highway and saw passersby stop and cheer for us. It was a positive change and that is why we have continued organising a football match every year.

In our state, football tournaments are often organised in March around the time of Holi. The festival is celebrated for five days in Manipur. Every locality has sports meets for boys, girls, women, and men in different categories. There is a large-scale exclusion of queer people, particularly members of the transgender community. Most never realise that sports is so binary and discriminative. We slot one day during the festival to send a message to everyone that it’s time for queer people to be included in these celebrations.

In an article you wrote for Varta in 2019, you mentioned that not enough has been done to address the issues of the queer people in Manipur. What are the policies that the State should be focusing on? Does the government hear suggestions from NGOs like you? 

The Supreme Court of India stated that trans people will be considered the third gender, but it’s just in forms. They have not provided toilets, safe space at work, schools or colleges, or proper health care in terms of therapy and transition. Trans people still have to cough up a lot of money to transition. And they have to go outside Manipur to do this, as there is no such facility in the Northeast.  

Policies are made by older people who fail to consider the changes happening currently. The government does not check with us and thinks that young people are immature.

What is your organisation looking forward to doing for the community? Will it start providing walk-in therapy soon?  

We have not stopped working. Through Covid-19, we had more than 100 volunteers — all young people from Manipur — helping us out. We provided training for trans youth to do tele-counselling. We also collected Rs 20 lakh in two phases through crowdfunding and helped provide ration and healthcare to queer people in need.

Online and offline work cannot be compared. We are more comfortable offline, where we can go to schools, villages and interact with people here. But right now, we are confined to online and tele-counselling. We have five helpline numbers that are connected with the State’s helplines for mental health support. We have also resumed organising online workshops. 

‘Lucifer’ Could Soon be Made into an 8-Episode Hindi Miniseries, Reveals Prithviraj

BY Chandhini R On

Prithviraj Sukumaran, the Malayalam actor and filmmaker, who made his directorial debut with the Mohanlal-starrer Lucifer, revealed in a recent interview with Film Companion that there are discussions about making Lucifer into an eight-episode miniseries in Hindi.

The film, the actor said, was initially conceived as a series. Designed by writer Murali Gopy and developed by Prithviraj, the story arc from the beginning till the end of the third part was completely sketched out, he added. “Initially, we planned it as a three-part streaming series. We then made a feature film, Lucifer, out of the first season. Now, we’ve decided to make feature films with the original material from seasons two and three,” Prithviraj said.

In the meantime, discussions are on to make it as a miniseries in Hindi, he revealed. 

In 2016, Prithviraj announced that he would make his directorial debut with Lucifer, starring Mohanlal, from a script written by actor and writer Murali Gopy and produced by Mohanlal’s close associate Antony Perumbavoor of Aashirvad Cinemas. The film was released in theatres worldwide on March 28, 2019.

Lucifer revolves around Stephen Nedumbally (Mohanlal), a politician from the high ranges in central Kerala, who is revealed to have a second identity – that of an international drug lord named Abram Khureshi. 

Three months after the film’s release, Prithviraj and Mohanlal announced a sequel titled Empuraan, which would follow the protagonist’s life before and after the time period covered in Lucifer. The film, Prithviraj said, would be a bigger project than Lucifer and the shoot was scheduled to begin after Mohanlal completed his debut directorial Barroz: Guardian of D’Gama’s Treasure.

However, on June 18, this year, Prithviraj announced that his second directorial would be Bro Daddy, a light-hearted fun film, also starring Mohanlal in the lead role. Bro Daddy went on floors in Hyderabad in July as the Kerala government had not permitted film shooting in the state at that time. 

In an interview with Film Companion South shortly thereafter, Prithviraj said that he was supposed to start shooting for Lucifer’s sequel but due to the prevailing circumstances (with the Covid-19 pandemic) a big canvas film like Empuraan could not be done anytime soon and thus, he decided to make Bro Daddy.