City Mumbai Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Prime Video has announced a slate of upcoming releases for its India service ahead of Prime Day 2023 (July 15-16 in India), including horror series Adhura and a Telugu adaptation of hit YA drama Hostel Days. 

Naman Ramachandran Sony Music-owned music distribution company AWAL has launched in India and South Asia, following the acquisition of OKListen, a digital music platform for independent artists and record labels. Based in Mumbai and supported by Sony Music India, AWAL will offer independent artists in the region a range of services including global marketing, creative, synch and brand partnerships, radio promotion and distribution as well as access to real-time music analytics. Vijay Basrur, who founded OKListen in 2012 as India’s first homegrown digital distribution service, has been appointed head of India and South Asia, AWAL, reporting into Lonny Olinick, CEO of AWAL and Vinit Thakkar, managing director, Sony Music India.

EXCLUSIVE: Rain has brought in talent/lit manager and producer Barney Slobodin. He will start in July. Slobodin joins Rain from Cavalry Media, where he helped launch a management division.

from Loewe’s autumn/winter 2023 collection, she's all about muted tones on the red carpet right now. And J.Law’s latest looks are in keeping with this theme: she just wore two all-white looks in one day.At the New York premiere of her latest rom-com, , the actor wore an ivory off-the-shoulder dress from Dior’s pre-fall 2023 collection, which showed in Mumbai earlier this year.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Mother of all Lies, a docu-drama film that probes the secrets of Morocco’s 1981 Bread Riots, was Sunday named the best picture at the Sydney Film Festival. The jury, headed by Anurag Kashyap, called the Asmae El Moudir-directed film “audacious, cutting-edge and courageous.” It presented the A$60,000 ($41,100) cash prize film ahead at the State Theatre ahead of the Australian premiere screening of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” The film, which uses doll-like figurines, recently premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, where it earned the section’s best director prize. “Juxtaposing evidence from barely existent public materials with private family memory, this film reconstructs the history of the state, the family and the individual, in three distinct levels,” said the jury of Kashyap, actor Mia Wasikowska (Australia), film curator and journalist Dorothee Wenner (Germany), writer and director Larissa Behrendt (Australia) and filmmaker Visakesa Chandrasekaram (Australia – Sri Lanka).

AniMela, India’s first-ever international festival for animation, VFX, XR, gaming and comics (AVGC-XR), has revealed dates for its inaugural edition in 2024. The festival is backed by India’s Aniverse and Visual Arts Foundation (AVAF) in partnership with Annecy Festival, France. AVAF is a not-for-profit organization founded by Kireet Khurana, Archana Trasy, Anne Doshi, Neha Jain and Tehzeeb Khurana to promote animation and other visual arts in India. The inaugural edition will take place Jan. 18-21, 2024 in Mumbai. AniMela has also confirmed leading leading South Asian player Hungama as the event’s digital media partner. Hungama offers content in more than 20 South Asian and international languages and boasts some 87 million music and video monthly streaming users.

Naman Ramachandran India’s Rajshri Deshpande, star of Rotterdam winner “Sexy Durga” and hit Netflix series “Trial by Fire,” headlines “Privacy,” the first teaser for which has been unveiled. The film will have its world premiere at Korea’s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan). “Privacy” is a voyeuristic social thriller set in and around the slums of Mumbai. It follows Roopali (Deshpande), who works at the Mumbai surveillance command and control center as an operator. While being ambitious, she constantly fights her own guilt and resists her dark past. Things start to get complicated when Roopali ignores protocol and begins to investigate a robbery and murder that takes place on her watch. The film takes the neo-noir approach to explore themes of mental health, voyeurism and access to information.

Naman Ramachandran India’s Rajshri Deshpande, star of Rotterdam winner “Sexy Durga” and hit Netflix series “Trial by Fire,” headlines “Privacy,” the first teaser for which has been unveiled. The film will have its world premiere at Korea’s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan). “Privacy” is a voyeuristic social thriller set in and around the slums of Mumbai. It follows Roopali (Deshpande), who works at the Mumbai surveillance command and control center as an operator. While being ambitious, she constantly fights her own guilt and resists her dark past. Things start to get complicated when Roopali ignores protocol and begins to investigate a robbery and murder that takes place on her watch. The film takes the neo-noir approach to explore themes of mental health, voyeurism and access to information.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Women Talking,” which won Sarah Polley an Oscar for best adapted screenplay, was this weekend named best narrative feature at the Bali International Film Festival (aka the Balinale).Ashen Nadeem’s “Crows Are White” won the feature documentary prize and “The Tone Wheels,” by Yuda Kurniawan, was named winner of the Gary L Hayes Award for Indonesian Filmmaker. The festival jury called “The Tone Wheels” “an outstanding endeavor that transported us into the backstreets of Jakarta on a captivating musical journey.” The film depicts a busking village where dreams flourish, despite the scarcity of resources and equipment.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer SPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot developments and surprises throughout “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” now playing in theaters. For months, the directors of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” had been working exhaustively on a critical sequence that launches the movie’s second act. For the first time in his life, the animated film’s hero — Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a.k.a. the Spider-Man of Earth-1610 — enters a different dimension: Earth-50101, a.k.a. Mumbattan, a dazzling amalgamation of New York City and Mumbai. Within minutes, Miles and his BFF from 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), encounter that world’s Spider-Man, Pavitr Prabhakar (Karan Soni), an Indian teenager who received his powers not via spider bite, but through magic. The sequence launches them all through the vertiginously vertical metropolis, as they frantically try to stop the film’s villain, the Spot (Jason Schwartzman), from using Mumbattan’s supercollider to increase his dimension-hopping abilities.

Jason Isaacs was born June 6th, 1963 in Liverpool to a very close Jewish family. Even while studying law, Jason found himself more drawn to acting and was constantly performing in theater. He then trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama and immediately began landing roles.

Naman Ramachandran Bollywood star Bhumi Pednekar, celebrated for her films that advocate social change, has revealed ambitious goals for World Environment Day. Pednekar founded non-profit advocacy platform Climate Warrior – funded from her acting remunerations – through which she strives to neutralizing her and her family’s carbon footprint and making her own home sustainable and the organization also has larger goals. Initiatives include supporting an NGO called Healing Himalayas that clears pollution from the mighty mountain range after every tourist season;  Mumbai beach cleaning drives; working towards plastic free film shoots; working with upcycling and recycling organizations and waste segregation initiatives across India; leading anti open defecation campaigns; marching for climate justice; supporting transformative companies that make ink from pollution and various other projects.

Naman Ramachandran Indian cinema superstar Rajinikanth has wrapped principal photography on Sun Pictures’ “Jailer.” The film is directed by Nelson, who previously helmed the hits “Kolamaavu Kokila” (2018), starring Nayanthara, “Doctor” (2021), starring Sivakarthikeyan and “Beast” (2022), starring Vijay. While the plot is under wraps, the film belongs to the action genre. The cast includes Kannada-language cinema star Shiva Rajkumar, Malayalam-language cinema legend Mohanlal and Tamannaah Bhatia and Ramya Krishnan from the Baahubali franchise. Kalanithi Maran produces for Sun Pictures.

Travel blog by Travels of Adam (Hipster Blog) – Travels of Adam (Hipster Blog) - Travel & Lifestyle Hipster Blog Mumbai might be off-putting because of its crazy and hectic atmosphere, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying some of the truly unique things to see and do in one of India’s most vibrant cities Cities like Mumbai may seem chaotic at first, and even if the first reaction of many travelers is to flee to the relatively peaceful beaches of Goa, Mumbai is a diverse, cosmopolitan, noisy city, and one of the most interesting places in India. India, as a subcontinent, is huge and traveling around it is both refreshing and challenging.

Uday Shetty is an angry man, consumed by his desire to kill the man who killed his son. Actually, Shetty has an appetite for killing in general that shocks even his fellow police officers, whose own methods are unnervingly direct. They all appreciate the efficiency of simply tipping criminals, or those who fail to pay protection money, into the river – it saves time – but only Uday Shetty rhapsodizes about the wonderful moment when you see a victim die and the light in his eyes turns off, as if you had flicked a switch. Only Uday Shetty goes to shake down an uncooperatively honest politician and ends up massacring his entire family. “No witnesses!” Shetty says abruptly, when the chief accuses him of being a monster. No witnesses indeed.

Naman Ramachandran Shant Joshi’s Los Angeles and Toronto-based company Fae Pictures (2023 Cannes title “In Flames”) has boarded Cape Town-based company Giant Films’ “Runs in the Family.” Fae will executive produce and handle the festival launch of the LGBTQ+ road trip family drama, a clip for which has been unveiled. The film is by real-life father-son duo Ian Gabriel (“Ludik”) and Gabe Gabriel (“No Hiding Here”). Ian directed and Gabe wrote and stars in “Runs in the Family.” The film marks Gabe’s first professional role since he came out as trans in 2019. The film follows a reformed con artist, Varun (Ace Bhatti), and his transmasculine son, River (Gabe Gabriel), on a road trip across South Africa to break River’s estranged mother (Diaan Lawrenson) out of rehab. When injury befalls Ollie (Cleo Wesley), River’s drag partner and best friend, his mother propels father and son to partner up for a drag competition that could win River his gender-affirming surgery.

The BBC has been issued an Indian high court summons over its documentary, India: The Modi Question, according to local reports.

Kumar Mangat Pathak’s Mumbai-based Panorama Studios is teaming with South Korea’s Anthology Studios, co-founded by former Warner Bros exec Jay Choi, Cobweb director Kim Jee-woon and Parasite star Song Kang-ho, on a Korean-language remake of India’s Drishyam franchise. 

Naman Ramachandran Entertainment One (eOne) has solidified its collaboration with U.K. independent production company Hardcash Productions through an exclusive first-look agreement. Under the deal, brokered by Kate Cundall, eOne’s VP of acquisitions, and Robin Barty-King, Hardcash’s business affairs consultant, the partnership aims to develop and produce investigative factual content for the global market. eOne will handle international rights for all projects resulting from this collaboration. Previously, eOne and Hardcash worked together on the distribution of award-winning documentaries such as “Inside China,” “Fearless: The Women Fighting Putin” and “Outbreak: The Virus that Shook the World,” which have been sold to over 160 territories worldwide.

For foreign audiences, Indian cinema long has been closely associated with Bollywood — sprawling, colorful spectacles that feature songs and dance routines — and often one of the three Khans (the unrelated trio of Aamir, Salman and Shah Rukh). But there has been a shift across the past year as focus turned from Mumbai, which had suffered a string of misses until Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan took off on a tear early this year, toward Southern India.

Zendaya and Tom Holland took their love to Italy, where they showed off some sweet PDA. The stars traveled to Venice and were spotted sharing a few special moments on a boat.Zendaya and Tom, both 26, looked relaxed as they dressed casually for the occasion.

Naman Ramachandran Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for hard hitting crime drama series “Scoop” from acclaimed filmmaker Hansal Mehta (“Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story”). Based on journalist Jigna Vora’s 2019 memoir “Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison,” the series is created by Mehta and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul (“Thappad”). The book recounts how renowned journalist Jyotirmoy Dey was murdered by members of the Chhota Rajan gang in 2011. A few months later, fellow journalist and crime reporter Vora was arrested in connection with the murder.  “Scoop” marks Mehta and Netflix’s maiden partnership and the series is set up as the first season of a franchise. Mehta has directed all six episodes of the first season.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is opening up about her priorities these days.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is opening up about her unwavering dedication to her daughter, Malti Marie.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Warwick Thornton’s “The New Boy” has been set as the opening title of next month’s Sydney Film Festival, which will celebrate its 70th edition, June 7-18. The film, a tale of sprituality and survival in 1940s Australia, starring Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair and Aswan Reid, will also play in the festival’s competition section.

Numerous celebrities have arrived at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles III, including Katy Perry and Emma Thompson. Actress Emma, 64, led the star-studded arrivals in London on Saturday, and was joined by the likes of Ant and Dec, Edward Enninful, Nick Cave and Stephen Fry at the historic event. Royal fans were surprised to see certain stars at the the King's Coronation, especially US pop star Katy, 38, who is set to take to the stage on Sunday at the Coronation Concert.

Katy Perry narrowly avoided a disaster as she left Westminster Abbey following the Coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in London on Saturday.The US pop singer, 38, who is set to take to the stage on Sunday at the Coronation Concert, looked glamorous in a lilac two-piece skirt suit by late fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. She paired her outfit with a matching hat, gloves and a statement pearl choker.

Numerous celebrities have arrived at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles III, including Katy Perry and Emma Thompson. Actress Emma, 64, led the star-studded arrivals in London on Saturday, and was joined by the likes of Ant and Dec, Edward Enninful, Nick Cave and Stephen Fry at the historic event. Royal fans were surprised to see certain stars at the the King's Coronation, especially US pop star Katy, 38, who is set to take to the stage on Sunday at the Coronation Concert.

Zendaya and Tom Holland have taken their romantic travels back to the Bay Area for some date night fun in San Francisco. On Thursday, the couple checked out Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals, watching the Golden State Warriors defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 127-100.The stars kept it casual for their date night, with the Oakland native sporting a white shirt, black cap and gold-rimmed glasses.

EXCLUSIVE: With the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike underway, and guilds around the world expressing solidarity, issues surrounding writers and the way they’re compensated have become front and center of a global conversation. 

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.

Naman Ramachandran The Indian media and entertainment industry grew 20% to reach INR2.1 trillion ($26 billion) in 2022, 10% above pre-pandemic 2019, according to the annual EY report released during the ongoing Frames conference in Mumbai, organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The report collates data from television, digital media, film, animation and VFX, out of home media, live events, music, radio, online gaming and print. Overall, the M&E sector is projected to grow 12% to reach $28.6 billion in 2023, the report says. While television remained the single largest component of the M&E sector in 2022 with a valuation of $8.6 billion, it shrank 1.5% from 2021 levels, despite advertising revenues growing 2% to reach levels just behind 2019. The reason for the shrinkage is that subscription revenue continued to fall for the third year in a row, reducing 4% due to a reduction of five million pay-TV homes and stagnant average revenues per user. Linear TV viewership declined 7% over 2021. Television is projected to grow slightly to $8.8 billion this year.

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.” 

Global audiences have been gaga for Baba Yaga with Lionsgate/Thunder Road Films/87 Eleven’s John Wick: Chapter 4 now having passed the $400M mark worldwide.

Tomdaya’s back in the spotlight!

Zendaya and Tom Holland shared a rare moment of PDA and fun this week! The couple attended Usher's Las Vegas residency show, jamming out to the 44-year-old performer's hits in the audience at The Colosseum.Zendaya documented part of the fun on her Instagram Stories, singing along to «Confessions Part II,» as she panned the camera over to Holland and then to some other friends.For the outing, Zendaya wore a tan halter dress, hoop earrings and oversized glasses. Holland, 26, rocked a green hoodie.Fans also filmed the couple hugging one another in the stands as they enjoyed the show.A post shared by tomdayaahub (@tomdayaahub)A post shared by ♡ Happy and in Love very ♡ (@lovefortomdayax_)The jet-setting pair have been traveling all over the world together, spending time in London, England, Mumbai, India, New York City, andParis, France, in recent months.Zendaya was in Vegas for the CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards, which she attended on Thursday.