Irrfan Khan’s ‘The Song of Scorpions’ Sets India Release – Global Bulletin

Naman Ramachandran Sudipto Sen’s “The Kerala Story,” produced by noted filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah, is in the eye of a storm in India. It has divided the country’s political classes, with some banning the film and others encouraging it. “The Kerala Story” follows the travails of three women from the southern Indian state of Kerala who are abducted and recruited by ISIS in Syria. The modestly budgeted film released on May 5 to poor critical reviews, but is emerging as a major box office success, having grossed $5.6 million to date. The film claims that some 32,000 women from Kerala had been abducted and recruited by the ISIS though the veracity of this number has been disputed. There were widespread objections in Kerala to the film, but it is running there in a limited number of cinemas.

India Amarteifio is all everyone is talking about after the debut of Queen Charlotte on Netflix.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Prime Video has set May 18 for the global release of its upcoming Indian anthology series “Modern Love Chennai.” This is the third Indian adaptation of “Modern Love,” the internationally acclaimed original anthology directed by John Carney, following “Modern Love Mumbai” and “Modern Love Hyderabad.” Produced under the banner of Tyler Durden and Kino Fist, with Thiagarajan Kumararaja as the creator, the six-episode anthology presents a bouquet of love stories set in the city of Chennai that explore relationships, push boundaries, and open minds.  “Love stories and rom-coms have never been my cup of tea. Thus, ‘Modern Love Chennai’ was an interesting challenge,” said Kumararaja, creator of the series and writer-director of one of the episodes. “With these stories, we have explored and celebrated the old-world charm of the city, which remains rooted in a distinct blend of tradition and modernity.” 

U2‘s The Edge says the band have “a lot of great material in the pipeline” as they gear up to release new material.The Irish rockers shared new album ‘Songs Of Surrender’ this year, with 40 of the band’s biggest songs given a “21st-century reimagining”.Another LP called ‘Songs Of Ascent’ has also been heavily teased by the band, though is now seemingly on the backburner after Bono said he first wants to release “a noisy, uncompromising, unreasonable guitar album”.Now, The Edge has shared the frontman’s excitement over a return to guitar-based material, telling Guitar Player magazine: “I know the answer to that. [laughs] I’ve been working a lot on new guitar music, and I’m very excited about it.

Naman Ramachandran Indian studio Excel Entertainment has promoted business head Vishal Ramchandani to the newly created position of CEO. An MBA by qualification, Ramchandani joined Excel in 2008, in the marketing division. In 2013, he was entrusted with the duties of heading the division, where he spearheaded award-winning marketing campaigns for films such as “Fukrey,” “Baar Baar Dekho,” “Gold” and “Gully Boy.” In 2018, Ramchandani was elevated to the position of business head. In this role, he played a pivotal role in transforming Excel Entertainment from a creative production house to a studio that self-funds, markets and distributes its films. Under his leadership, the company’s distribution business diversified with the K.G.F. franchise, which became a nationwide blockbuster. He was also instrumental in Excel expanding into different verticals such as a talent division and co-production deals, as well as facilitating new media ventures.

The Simpsons being “the bane of my life”, owing to the fuelling of racial stereotypes.The Indian actress said in a new interview that Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu’s “exaggerated” Indian accent would lead people to question why hers wasn’t as pronounced.Chopra Jonas, who is married to Jonas Brothers‘ Nick Jonas, made a cameo in the long-running cartoon in an episode that showed the pair getting married.She said that the feature was ironic, given how the cartoon impacted her teenaged years growing up in the US.“To be on The Simpsons in my wedding dress was really fun and ironic considering Apu was the bane of my life when I was growing up,” she told British Vogue as she looked back at some of her key Instagram photos.“Everybody kept asking why don’t I speak like Apu [Nahasapeemapetilon], why my accent wasn’t like Apu?”She added, “Apu had a really exaggerated Indian accent as we all know now,” before noting that the cameo was “bittersweet and funny because obviously The Simpsons are an iconic part of most of our childhoods”.Chopra Jonas also noted the “irony of me in an Indian dress marrying a white guy”.The character of Apu was previously voiced by American actor Hank Azaria.In 2021, he apologised on Dax Shepherd’s Armchair Expert podcast for his longtime portrayal of Apu while also acknowledging the show’s participation in “structural racism”.Four years previously, widespread calls for Azaria to stop voicing Apu began, following Hari Kondabolu’s criticism of the portrayal of the character in his documentary The Problem With Apu.Elsewhere in Armchair Expert, Azaria called for greater and more diverse racial and ethnic representation in entertainment.“If it’s an Indian character or a Latinx character or a Black character, please

Ed Sheeran celebrated a big court win Thursday after a jury found the "Bad Habits" singer-songwriter didn't copy Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" in his own 2014 song, "Thinking Out Loud." Sheeran, 32, shared a statement on Instagram shortly after leaving the New York courthouse following his win.   "It’s all over, back to what I love doing," he captioned a video clip addressing the public.

Naman Ramachandran The next decade will belong to Indian stories, according to Sushant Sreeram, country director of Prime Video India. Sreeram was delivering a keynote at the ongoing FICCI-Frames 2023 convention in Mumbai. “The coming decade belongs to Indian stories, with streaming enabling expansion of linguistic palette and content diversity,” Sreeram said. The executive also highlighted the impact of streaming services on the Indian media and entertainment industry, noting their role in taking Indian stories to a global audience. “By offering convenient and easy access to the finest Indian content, OTT [streaming] players have made Indian entertainment accessible to viewers worldwide,” Sreeram said.

K.J. Yossman Content company Catalyst has partnered with intimate apparel company Knix to launch a documentary fund. The Knix Fund Catalyst Docs for Change Project is set to launch at Banff World Media Festival, which kicks off on June 11. Catalyst founder Julie Bristow and Knix founder Joanna Griffiths will appear at the festival in a moderated conversation on June 14 to outline the fund’s objectives. The fund will open to submissions around the same time, with Catalyst and Knix green lighting the most promising entry. “The values of Knix and the thought-leadership that Joanna has provided on so many women’s issues align perfectly with Catalyst’s mission to open eyes, minds, and hearts with unapologetically brilliant storytelling by and about women,” said Bristow. “To achieve a more inclusive world, we need more stories led by women creators. Sometimes the only way to catalyse change is to challenge legacy business models by investing in new paradigms. This partnership does just that. We will ensure important stories get told because we’ll finance them.” 

Naman Ramachandran India is the fastest growing market market in the world for giant streamer Netflix and Monika Shergill, VP, content, for the country, has a clear plan to keep the trajectory going. “A healthy streaming business, according to us, has to be built on the strong fundamentals of engagement, where we are doing very well, and revenue and profit as a global service. We are a profitable service – in many of our markets, we are on the path to profitability,” Shergill told Variety. Earlier this year, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos had said that content watching grew by 30% last year in India and revenue grew by 25%. In a subsequent earnings call, Sarandos addressed the importance of pricing in India, saying: “We’ve got to get pricing and the main payment methods right.”

Naman Ramachandran India’s official entry to the 2023 Oscars, Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show,” and Rima Das’ acclaimed 2017 festival favorite “Village Rockstars,” are amongst the films screening at the inaugural Nirvana – Festival de la Culture et du Cinema Indiens. Taking place in Saint-Tropez May 26-28, the festival will also screen Shubhashish Bhutiani’s 2016 Venice winner “Hotel Salvation” and Rajat Kapoor’s “RK/RKAY” (2022). On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, the director’s cut of the international version of Ketan Mehta’s freedom fight themed “The Rising” (2005) will be screened. Indian filmmakers Sundaram Tagore, Deepa Sahi, Surina Narula and Sanjay Bhutiani will speak at a roundtable on Indo-French cinema.

Donald Sutherland has been cast in a key recurring role in Taylor Sheridan’s Lawmen: Bass Reeves (fka Bass Reeves), exec produced by and starring David Oyelowo.

Paramount+ shows. The honorary Oscar recipient will star in “Lawman: Bass Reeves” in a recurring role. Sutherland will portray Judge Isaac Parker, who is described as “an imposing and commanding judge in the Fort Smith Courthouse with a complicated legacy.” .Previously titled “Bass Reeves,” the Paramount+ series will now be officially titled “Lawman: Bass Reeves” and will be an anthology series.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Donald Sutherland is the latest addition to the cast of the Bass Reeves series currently in the works at Paramount+. The show is now officially titled “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” and is now described as an anthology series with future installments to follow other iconic lawmen who have impacted history in subsequent seasons. The logline for the Bass Reeves season states it will “bring the legendary lawman of the wild west to life. Reeves, known as the greatest frontier hero in American history, worked in the post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, capturing over 3,000 of the most dangerous criminals without ever being wounded.”

Naman Ramachandran Indian streamer Sony LIV and production house Applause Entertainment have extended their existing partnership with two new series and renewals for four more. Among the new series, “36 Days,” produced in association with BBC Studios India is a suspense thriller, directed by Vishal Furia, featuring an ensemble cast including Neha Sharma, Purab Kohli, Shruti Seth, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sharib Hashmi, Shernaz Patel, Faishal Rashid, Chahat Vig and Kenneth Desai. “Kafas” (“Cage”) is a social drama series starring Sharman Joshi, Mona Singh, Vivan Bhathena, Preeti Jhangiani and Mikail Gandhi in lead roles and directed by Sahil Sangha.

Naman Ramachandran A galaxy of senior Indian content creators shared their insights on burning topics dominating the local landscape. They were speaking at at Indiantelevision.com’s annual industry event, The Content Hub, in Mumbai on Tuesday. At the Content Creation: No More Formulas panel, Shobha Sant, head of content alliances at Jio Studios, broke down the process behind the selection of its 100-title slate. Sant said that the selection was the result of five years of very a definite plan in terms of understanding audience segmentation and what people are watching.

First Look At Nicola Coughlan & Lydia West In ‘Big Mood’

NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry is joining the network’s 149th Kentucky Derby coverage in the segment “Handicapping 101 with Matthew Berry,” which will air during the “Derby Day Show” on May 6 at 12 p.m. on NBC and Peacock. His coverage of the Derby will be a big shift from his usual NFL season analysis and commentating. Leading up to the race, Berry will also host a special edition of “Fantasy Football Hour” via Peacock on May 4. He will be hosting live from the Derby’s home of Churchill Downs, and will joined by Jay Croucher, Connor Rogers and special guest Drew Dinsick. “Being at the Kentucky Derby is a sports bucket list moment for me as a long-time fan and viewer of the race,” Berry said.

Naman Ramachandran Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap is back in Cannes with thriller “Kennedy,” starring Rahul Bhat in the title role. The film, which also stars Sunny Leone, will play in the Midnight Screenings strand of the festival. Several films directed by Kashyap have played at Cannes, including “Psycho Raman” (2016), “Ugly” (2013), “Bombay Talkies” (2013) and “Gangs of Wasseypur” (2012). In addition, several films produced by him have made it to the Croisette, including “Masaan” (2015), “The Lunchbox” (2013), “Monsoon Shootout” (2013), “The Congress” (2013) and “Udaan” (2010). The plot of “Kennedy” is being kept under wraps at the moment. “Kennedy is a ghost in the system looking for redemption,” is how Kashyap describes the film to Variety.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Director Stanley Tong (“Rumble in the Bronx”) is to team up with Jackie Chan for the tenth time on “The Legend.” State media in China report that Chan, who recently reached the top spot in the mainland Chinese box office with aged stuntman comedy “Ride On,” will play an archaeologist on a quest through time and space. With production by Bona Film Group, “The Legend” is pitched as being in the same vein as Tong and Chan’s 2005 effort “The Myth,” which was a fantasy love story. Tong and Chan have worked together on other titles including “Police Story 3,” “Supercop” and “Vanguard.” India’s Jio Studios is backing “Khashaba,” a Marathi-language film on the life of India’s first Olympic medalist Khasaba Dadasaheb. After delivering the sleeper hit Sairat and Fandry, the new film will be directed by Nagraj Manjule. The title is considered as part of Jio Studio’s ambition to deliver more than 100 stories this year. With production to begin shortly, the film will be mounted on a large scale. “Along with entertaining the audience, this film will also introduce the audience to a brave and exceptional athlete who made India proud all over the world,” said Manjule. “Khashaba” will be presented by JioStudios and produced by Aatpat Production, Jyoti Deshpande and Manjule.