India Showbiz Latest News and Updates

K.J. Yossman International writers guilds representing 67,000 professional screen writers across the globe are collaborating on developing an “ethical framework” for the use of AI in screenwriting.

The Apprentice winner Harpreet Kaur is set to tie the knot with fellow contestant Akshay Thakrar in the show's first ever wedding, and Lord Alan Sugar is on the guest list.The couple, who met during the 2022 series of the hit reality show and got engaged in 2023, are planning to say their vows at the end of next month. Harpreet has revealed that not only is Lord Sugar invited, but also Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell from the show.The lovebirds have planned three separate days of celebrations, including a traditional English-style white wedding, followed by an Indian ceremony and then a "big fat reception party".

Netflix has dropped the trailer for upcoming Indian series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, showcasing the private exchanges of courtesans amid sweeping scenes of revolution in British-ruled India.

The BBC‘s news operation in India has formally split in two, as the UK broadcast organization seeks to comply with local media rules.

Studiocanal’s The Copyrights Group Bolsters Exec Team

Alex Ritman Rwandan actress Eliane Umuhire (“Augure by Baloji,” “My New Friends”), French producer Sylvie Pialat (“Timbuktu,” “Staying Vertical”), Belgian cinematographer Virginie Surdej (“The Blue Caftan,” “Our Mothers,” “Casablanca Beats”) and Canadian film critic, journalist and frequent Variety contributor Ben Croll have been named on the jury for the Critics’ Week section of the Cannes Film Festival. The four will now join Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen, who last week was named Critics’ Week jury president, with the group set to choose the sidebar competition’s award winners, including the Grand Prize for best feature film, the French Touch Prize of the Jury, the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star award for best actor or actress and the Leitz Ciné Discovery Prize for best short film.

Naman Ramachandran The BBC‘s news operations in India have been effectively divided from Wednesday with the launch of Collective Newsroom. Collective Newsroom was formed in December 2023 in order to comply with India’s strict foreign direct investment (FDI) in media rules. The Indian government’s cap on FDI in digital news outfits is 26%.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Leading European distributor Global Screen, part of Telepool, has secured further international sales of high-end drama “Davos 1917” at MipTV. New acquisitions of the six-part thriller include SBS Australia, TVP in Poland and Big Tree Entertainment in India and the subcontinent. “Davos 1917,” which launched at the end of last year on SRF in Switzerland and ARD in Germany, has already been bought by a strong lineup of premium international broadcasters and streamers across North America, Europe and Asia.

Rihanna opened up about the beginning of her relationship with A$AP Rocky… and there were some glaring red flags all over their love story!

Lexi Carson ‘80s nostalgia is heading back to Netflix’s theaters with Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection – 1984. The Milestone Movies collection will screen across three theaters: New York’s Paris Theater, The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and The Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Selected films turning 40 this year will play in Netflix’s theaters and the 1984 collection is also available to stream.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent New York-based group FilmRise has dropped a gripping first trailer for “Missing From Fire Trail Road,” Sabrina Van Tassel (“The State of Texas vs. Melissa“)’s documentary film about the crimes against indigenous women.

Rihanna has shared an update on her long-awaited new album, revealing that she has “a lot of visual ideas” for the material.The singer spoke about the anticipated album in a newly shared discussion with Interview Magazine, which took place at the rehearsals for her first show in eight years.On the night, Rihanna took to the stage at a pre-wedding ceremony in India to play her first full live show since 2016 – and was reportedly paid $6million (£4.7million) for the private concert.During the discussion before the set, she was asked about what it was like to be back in a rehearsal space, and if she had “the vibe to do music again”.“I have a lot of visual ideas. It’s weird.

Naman Ramachandran Netflix has unveiled a spectacular trailer for Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.” The series is set in Heeramandi, Lahore, British India, where Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala) rules over an elite house of courtesans. She schemes, fearing no one — until the return of her late nemesis’ daughter, Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha), brings tensions in the house to a boil. Outside, the city is also roiling, with revolutionaries demanding India’s freedom from British rule, with Bibbojaan (Aditi Rao Hydari), one of Mallikajaan’s daughters, joining the fight for freedom.

Naman Ramachandran Indian actor Vipin Sharma is earning global acclaim for playing a trans character in Dev Patel‘s feature directorial debut “Monkey Man.” Sharma plays Alpha, the leader of a trans community known in India as hijras, who is instrumental in providing a new lease on life to Patel’s character when he’s down and out in “Monkey Man.” Aamir Khan’s “Taare Zameen Par” (2007) was Sharma’s breakthrough role, and since then he has won plaudits for “Paan Singh Tomar,” “Gangs of Wasseypur” and “Shahid” (all 2012), “Raanjhanaa” (2013), “Raman Raghav 2.0” (2016), “Paatal Lok” (2020) and “Dear Jassi” (2023). When director Anthony Maras offered Sharma a role in “Hotel Mumbai” (2018), starring Patel, the actor accepted.

Producers in Southeast Asia are facing a very different, much quieter landscape to the one in front of them just 12 months ago, as U.S. players rein in their spending to appease shareholders, and neighboring countries such as Korea, Japan and India draw attention.

EXCLUSIVE: Israeli format Power Couple has been picked up by Banijay in the Nordics and been awarded a slew of recommissions.

Naman Ramachandran Indian cinema A-list actor-producer-director Prithviraj Sukumaran is extremely busy, with a hit film in theaters, another due this week and several more in the works. Malayalam-language “Aadujeevitham” (“The Goat Life“), directed by Blessy (“Thanmatra”) is based on Benyamin’s bestselling 2008 novel of the same name and tells the true story of Najeeb, an immigrant laborer from Kerala forced into slavery on a remote goat farm in a Middle Eastern country. Sukumaran plays Najeeb.

Annika Pham On the heels of its successful world launch at IDFA, the critically-acclaimed anti-colonial pic “Our Land, Our Freedom,” sold by First Hand Films, has landed a deal with BBC Africa Eye. “Our Land, Our Freedom,” a Kenyan/U.S./Portuguese co-production, and the upcoming India-set “Kalari,” to be pitched in Visions du Réel docu festival’s Swiss Preview showcase, epitomize what First Hand Films stands for.

Freddy Knatchbull was reportedly the target of a terrifying kidnap plot last year.The Made In Chelsea star, who is distantly related to King Charles III, was filming in Corsica when he was allegedly locked in a 4x4 by the plotters. Freddy, who is the great-grandson of Lord Mountbatten, Prince Philip’s uncle, was filming for Made In Chelsea: Corsica at the time of the horrifying kidnapping attempt. And it's believed that while the cast were left terrified following this, show bosses were not made aware of the ordeal at the time.

Jack Dunn David Barrington Holt, longtime manager of the Jim Henson Company’s Creature Shop in L.A., died March 13 of complications from cancer, his son, Chris Holt, announced. He was 78. After receiving a BA in industry design with honors from London’s University of the Arts in 1963, Holt began his illustrious 30-year career as a creator, quickly building his reputation as a skilled photographer, designer, engineer and model maker.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor Cole Brings Plenty, the actor who played Pete Plenty Clouds on “Yellowstone” spinoff series “1923,” was found dead in Kansas a week after he was reported missing. He was 27. Plenty was a suspect in a domestic violence case.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON: Legendary/Warner Bros’ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is leading as planned at the weekend B.O. with a $7.5M second Friday, -80% for a what’s shaping up to be a $25M-$28M second frame at 3,948 theaters, -65% on the high end. Hopefully, there’s more of a bounce.

Rafael Nadal announced he’s dropping out of the Monte Carlo Masters. It’s the third tournament this year where he’s been unable to compete due to his injuries. Pau Gasol praises Nadal and Alcaraz Netflix matchRafael Nadal calls himself a fan of Carlos Alcaraz after exhibition defeatA post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal)Nadal shared the statement on social media, alongside a video of him training in a clay court.

An earthquake has shaken the densely populated New York City metropolitan area and much of the Northeast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). A preliminary magnitude of 4.8 was recorded as locals reported feeling the quake.

Monkey Man has hit cinema screens this week, and its soundtrack has proven popular with viewers.Produced by Get Out and Nope’s Jordan Peele, the action thriller stars Patel in the lead role, exploring a man seeking to avenge a loved one, and detailing the topics of discrimination and corruption in Indian society.Also starring in the film are Sharlto Copley, Sobhita Dhulipala and Pitobash. So far it has received generally positive reviews, with 87% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, and Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian awarding it four stars out of five, describing Patel’s work as “a very exciting and stylish movie.”However, for some viewers it was the film’s soundtrack which had the most impact.

India’s Zee Entertainment Enterprises is planning to cut its workforce by 15%. At the same time, MD and CEO Punit Goenka is proposing a “lean and streamlined” board structure.

Naman Ramachandran Punit Goenka, MD and CEO of Indian media conglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, is trimming the organization’s workforce by 15%. “In line with his overall strategic approach, the MD and CEO has initiated the process of rationalization of the workforce by 15%, that will prune the staff strength across the company to arrive at a streamlined team that is sharply focused on the set goals for the future,” Zee said in a statement on Friday.

Naman Ramachandran For veteran Bollywood filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra, his latest film “12th Fail” is the gift that keeps on giving. Based on the 2019 book of the same name by Anurag Pathak, the film tells the true story of Manoj Kumar Sharma who conquered extreme familial poverty to pass one of the world’s toughest examination processes and become an Indian Police Service officer. Distributed by Zee Studios, the modestly budgeted “12th Fail” released theatrically in October 2023 in a Bollywood market where only big-budget action spectacles were working and many smaller films were taking the easier route to bowing directly on a streamer.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate Play has landed another carriage deal in the Philippines.

Monkey Man was originally expected to stream on Netflix — but Jordan Peele gave Dev Patel‘s feature directorial debut a different fate, and sent it to the big screen.

Jeff Bezos continues making colossal investments, and his latest acquisition in Miami is no exception. Reports have emerged that Bezos, with an alleged net worth of $203.7 billion, has splurged a staggering $90 million on a third mansion on the exclusive Indian Creek Island, further solidifying his status as one of the area’s most prominent residents.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Kurt Sutter‘s upcoming western series “The Abandons” is rounding out its cast. Variety has learned exclusively that Ryan Hurst, Michael Greyeyes, Michiel Huisman, and Toby Hemingway have all joined the Netflix series in recurring roles. Exact character details are being kept under wraps.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Dev Patel refused to let the slew of injuries he suffered while filming his elaborate fight scenes in “Monkey Man” get in the way of him completing the movie. Patel not only directed and co-wrote the action movie, but he also stars as Kid, a young man who seeks to avenge his mother’s death at the hands of India’s corrupt law enforcement officials, political figures and spiritual leaders. He earns money by competing in a brutally violent underground fight club.

A former Scots businessman who masterminded an armed robbery that ended in a police officer being shot dead has been found guilty of her murder.

Film at Lincoln Center and African Film Festival Inc. have revealed the slate for the 31stNew York African Film Festival, a lineup that includes more than 50 films hailing from over 25 countries.

Naman Ramachandran Bollywood A-list actor and musician Ayushmann Khurrana has signed a global recording deal with Warner Music India. Hit songs sung by Khurrana over the past decade include “Mitti Di Khushboo,” “Paani Da Rang” and “Mere Liye Tum Kaafi Ho.” Signing with Warner Music India will enable Khurrana to access the label’s global ecosystem, helping him connect with audiences and artists beyond India’s borders, Khurrana and the label said.