City Mumbai Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Naman Ramachandran Rohit Shetty, the filmmaker known for his Singham cop franchise, and Reliance Entertainment, will produce a biopic on one of Mumbai’s most revered top cops and former commissioner of police, Rakesh Maria.The biopic will be based on Maria’s 2020 memoir “Let Me Say it Now” and will be mentored by Shetty. A director and cast have yet to be finalized.As deputy commissioner of police (traffic) in 1993, Maria cracked the Bombay serial blasts case. He was later deputy commissioner of police (crime) and then joint commissioner of police (crime), of the Mumbai police.

It has been a month since the 2022 Academy Awards but the celebs are still weighing in on Will Smith slapping Chris Rock.

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are trying to find the best path forward in the wake of The Slap.

Amazon’s top U.S. and international execs are banking on even bigger things in India after launching the streamer’s biggest ever slate in the country.

Naman Ramachandran Amazon Prime Video India is betting big on India. At a marquee event in Mumbai the streamer announced that it will more than double its investment in Prime Video India over the next five years and revealed a 40-strong slate, its biggest to date in the country.The titles are in the Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages, across new and returning scripted and unscripted original series and co-productions, streaming over the next 24 months.

Will Smith has reportedly travelled to India for "spiritual purposes". The 53-year-old actor arrived in Mumbai, over the weekend, and he's said to be on a spiritual journey after he smacked Chris Rock at the Oscars. Will - who won the Best Actor gong for his performance in 'King Richard' - is also planning to practice yoga and meditation, a source told People.

EXCLUSIVE: Jonathan Fuhrman has joined Castle Rock Entertainment as EVP and Head of Business Affairs.  

Chris Rock’s mom, Rose Rock, has spoken out for the first time since her son was slapped by Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars.

Is Will Smith ready to put the infamous slap behind him? It seems so…

Will Smith resurfaced in India for the first time since slapping Chris Rock at the 94th annual Academy Awards, and the Oscar-winning actor was all smiles. The star arrived Saturday at a private airfield in Mumbai, where a horde of paparazzi awaited his arrival. Smith wore a white T-shirt over a muscle shirt, grey shorts over white compression pants and Jordan sneakers.It's unclear at this time if Smith embarked on this trip for business or pleasure, but the 53-year-old appears to have put the infamous Oscars slap behind him, at least on the surface.In video obtained by, photographers can be heard repeatedly shouting his name in an attempt to get close to the actor.

Naman Ramachandran Leading Indian producer Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Motion Pictures has signed a multi-film production deal with Armaan Zorace’s U.S. genre label Dark Hell and prolific Hollywood producer Steven Schneider.Under the terms of the deal, a slate of high-concept films in the thriller-horror genre will be produced in Hindi and other Indian languages jointly by the three entities.

EXCLUSIVE: ABC comedy pilot The Son In Law has found its father in law.

Popular Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were married Thursday in a private ceremony at their Mumbai residence.

NEW DELHI -- Popular Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt were married Thursday in a private ceremony at their Mumbai residence.The couple wore ivory outfits as they came out and waved to photographers from their apartment building. Kapoor picked Bhatt up and walked back into the apartment with her in his arms.The wedding ceremony was attended by close relatives, Bollywood stars and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and his wife.Kapoor, 39, belongs to Bollywood’s popular Kapoor clan which has dominated the Hindi film industry since the 1940s.

Naman Ramachandran Psychological thriller “Forensic,” starring Radhika Apte (“Andhadhun”) and Vikrant Massey (“Love Hostel”) will premiere on South Asian focused streamer ZEE5 Global.Directed by Vishal Furia, who previously helmed the Disney Plus Hotstar Indian adaptation of “Criminal Justice,” “Forensic” is the Hindi-language remake of the 2020 Malayalam-language film of the same name, starring Tovino Thomas and Mamta Mohandas.Apte plays a female police officer in the small hill town of Mussorie, while Massey plays a forensic expert. Together, they are on the trail of a serial killer.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Studios is negotiating a feature deal on the Shipli Somaya Gowda novel Secret Daughter, with an impressive package that has Chinese helmer Anthony Chen (llo llo, Wet Season) attached to direct Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sienna Miller in the lead roles. Shruti Ganguly will adapt the novel.

EXCLUSIVE: Since it opened in late February, Hindi crime drama Gangubai Kathiawadi has been racking up impressive numbers at the international box office and setting pandemic-era records for an Indian title. Starring Alia Bhatt, the feminist tale based on the true story of a girl from an affluent family sold into prostitution who became a so-called “mafia queen” of Mumbai, is proving a rare breakout for a female-led Bollywood feature.

“Save your over-acting for the movies,” Ganga’s boyfriend Ramnik (Varun Kapoor) advises her, as she gasps with exaggerated joy at the train ticket to Mumbai — home of Bollywood, the world’s biggest film industry — he holds up to her in Gangubai Kathiawadi. It’s a knowingly self-aware joke. Popular as they are, Bollywood films are often lampooned for their frequently coarse acting, along with their melodramatic subjects, corny romance, absurd pantomime villains and the fact that even the most tragic scene may turn on a dime into a massive dance number. Unless you grew up with them, the Bollywood approach to giving bang for every buck can be hard to swallow.

EXCLUSIVE: I Am Woman star Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Stephen Graham are set to co-star opposite Daisy Ridley in Disney’s Young Woman and the Sea. Joachim Rønning is on board to direct with Jeff Nathanson writing the script and Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman producing. The film will premiere on Disney+.

Naman Ramachandran Netflix has greenlit a trio of series across Japan, Australia and Taiwan, featuring top talent.Japanese sitcom “Let’s Get Divorced” follows a rookie politician and his actor wife who struggle with their marriage life and they decide to split up. However, their parents and agents don’t allow them to do it.

Naman Ramachandran Radhika Madan, star of 2018 Toronto winner “The Man Who Feels No Pain,” will play the lead in acclaimed Indian filmmaker Sudhanshu Saria’s “Sanaa.” The film, a social drama, follows a headstrong and ambitious girl who is raging against an internal battle that is rooted in unhealed trauma.Saria is writing, directing and producing via his Four Line Entertainment outfit. Saria said: “I’ve always believed in making films that are ambitious in quality and rich in story and messaging. I’ve nurtured this dream for seven years and I couldn’t be more excited that Radhika Madan agreed to bring my titular character to life.

A collective of filmmakers in India have banded together to protest the cancellation of this year’s Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI), addressing their concerns to chairperson Priyanka Chopra.

Naman Ramachandran Fifteen prominent Indian independent filmmakers have issued an open letter to the Mumbai Film Festival, appealing to festival chair Priyanka Chopra Jonas to lay on physical screenings at the canceled – but partially online – event.The letter is signed by several filmmakers whose films premiered at A-list festivals, including Aditya Vikram Sengupta (“Once Upon A Time In Calcutta,” Venice), Gurvinder Singh (“Adh Chanani Raat,” Rotterdam), Irfana Majumdar (“Shankar’s Fairies,” Locarno), Natesh Hegde (“Pedro,” Busan/London), Nithin Lukose (“Paka,” Toronto), Payal Kapadia and Ranabir Das (“A Night of Knowing Nothing,” Cannes) and Rahul Jain (“Invisible Demons,” Cannes).The physical edition of the festival was called off earlier this month, “due to a multitude of challenges brought upon by the continuing pandemic,” per a statement from the festival. “At this point, we do not know when, what form and shape the festival will take in the future,” the statement from the festival, run by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image popularly known as MAMI, added.

Naman Ramachandran “Adipurush,” starring Prabhas (the “Baahubali” films), is one of the most anticipated Indian films of 2022. It is directed by Om Raut, who directed Ajay Devgn-starring “Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior,” the biggest Indian box office hit of 2020 with $50 million.“Adipurush” is Raut’s take on Indian mythological epic “Ramayana,” which has been adapted for film and television numerous times in India, including a series which ran for several years on state broadcaster Doordarshan.

The 22nd edition of the Mumbai Film Festival, due to be held March 12 – 22, is moving online in the face of enduring challenges first brought about by the pandemic.

Alokesh Lahiri aka Bappi Lahiri, the popular Indian singer, composer and record producer, has died at the age of 69.

Shalini Dore Features News EditorBappi Lahiri, a celebrated Bollywood singer, composer and politician, died Wednesday in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. He was 69.Lahiri had been ailing from various health issues, including sleep apnea.Lahiri’s music popularized disco in the 1980s and ’90s, long after it had left the West, with his music used in films such as “Namak Halal,” “Disco Dancer” and “Commando.”Dressed in his trademark golden chains and glasses, Lahiri was an instantly recognizable figure around Mumbai.

Lata Mangeshkar was a legendary Indian playback singer whose voice was lip synced by actresses in countless Bollywood movies. Lata Mangeshkar was a legendary Indian playback singer who was the singing voice of Bollywood’s top female stars for several decades.

Naman Ramachandran Amazon Prime Video India has revealed Hindi, Tamil and Telugu-language versions of hit series “Modern Love.”Based on the weekly The New York Times column of the same name, the U.S. version of “Modern Love” was developed by John Carney (“Once,” “Sing Street”), who also directed several episodes over its two seasons in 2019 and 2021.

a red-carpet favourite at Cannes and the Met Gala, where she has appeared adorned in dramatic tulle confections and voluminous satin gowns. But growing up, she was more familiar with sportswear than high fashion. The daughter of India’s first major badminton champion, Prakash Padukone, she played the game competitively in her youth.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has revealed a disabled presenting team for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, who will present on the ground in China.

NEW DELHI -- Lata Mangeshkar, a legendary Indian singer with a prolific, groundbreaking catalog and a voice recognized by a billion people in South Asia, has died, her doctor said. She was 92.The iconic singer died of multiple organ failure at Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai, Dr.

Naman Ramachandran Leading Indian music label and film studio T-Series is diversifying into producing series designed for streaming platforms and has signed up an A-list directorial talent roster.The company’s stated aim is to create content “which shall appeal to all sectors of the audience, with gripping shows across genres,” including action thrillers, biopics, murder mysteries, jailbreak dramas.”Signed up as show runners are Aanand L. Rai (“Atrangi Re”), Anubhav Sinha (“Article 15”), Nikkhil Advani (“Mumbai Diaries 26/11”), Hansal Mehta (“Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story”), Sanjay Gupta (“Mumbai Saga”), Bejoy Nambiar (“Solo”), Suparn S.

Naman Ramachandran Leading Indian streamer Disney Plus Hotstar has revealed the first trailer for its upcoming blockbuster series “Rudra: The Edge of Darkness,” starring top Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn (“Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior”). Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with BBC Studios India, “Rudra” is the Indian adaptation of hit BBC series “Luther,” starring Idris Elba.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefWarnerMedia has made three more senior content hires in Asia to bolster its original productions teams in advance of the launch of HBO Max in the region.In the Singapore-based team, Mark Francis has been appointed group lead of production and development (scripted and unscripted) and Wee Shi Ming has been named lead of entertainment content acquisition for North Asia content. They both report into Magdalene Ew, WarnerMedia’s head of content – entertainment for Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.In Mumbai, Saugata Mukherjee joins WarnerMedia as head of content – entertainment, India.

WarnerMedia has bolstered its Asian original production teams in advance of the launch of HBO Max in the region, with three hires made in Singapore and India.