Prosenjit Chatterjee, Srabanti Chatterjee-Starring ‘Devi Chowdhurani’ Nabs Indo-U.K. Co-Prod Status (EXCLUSIVE) – Global Bulletin

Naman Ramachandran “Second Chance,” the directorial debut of Indian filmmaker Subhadra Mahajan, has been picked up for international sales by Thailand-based Diversion ahead of its world premiere at the 2024 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The film is set to debut on July 2 in the festival’s Proxima Competition section. The film tells the story of Nia, a young woman from the city who returns to her family home in the western Himalayas after a decade-long absence.

Naman Ramachandran As the Indian film industry reaches the midpoint of 2024, Malayalam-language cinema from the southern state of Kerala has emerged as the breakout success story, while traditional powerhouse Bollywood recalibrates after an uneven start to the year. “This year has been the year of Malayalam cinema,” says former Disney India head and veteran producer Siddharth Roy Kapur in his half-yearly analysis of the Indian entertainment business for Variety.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The family drama “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” has become the highest-grossing Thai film of all time in The Philippines, distributor Westec Media claims. The company, which released the film, does not quantify the receipts or the record. But there is little doubt of the film’s hit status across Asia.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Malaysia International Film Festival (Miffest), which runs July 21-28, will open with horror film “Indera” by local director Woo Ming Jin and starring Shaheizy Sam and Azira Shafinaz. The festival will conclude with the double feature of “Love Lies” by Ho Miu Ki and “Peg O’ My Heart” by Nick Cheung.

Naman Ramachandran Creativeland Studios has tapped industry veteran Shobha Sant as its new CEO, Variety can reveal. Sant brings over 30 years of experience to the role, most recently serving as head of content alliances – films, at billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Studios. In her new position, Sant will lead Creativeland’s filmed entertainment division and oversee the talent business of AIG-India, the joint venture between Creativeland Studios and Artist International Group.

‘Peppa Pig’ Writer Part Of Kartoon’s ‘Winnie-The-Pooh’ Team

Sony Pictures Networks India has named Disney+ Hotstar content chief Gaurav Banerjee as its new Managing Director and CEO.

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has confirmed Gaurav Banerjee as its new managing director and CEO. He will take the reins on or before Aug. 26, pending approvals.

Screen Siren Pictures, the Canadian-based independent production company behind such recent titles as French Exit, Bones of Crows and Indian Horse, on Thursday announced the launch of Scream Siren, a new arm at the company focusing on original, genre-driven storytelling with a spotlight on female protagonists.

Naman Ramachandran Ketan Mehta, the revered Indian filmmaker who also serves as founder and chair of animation house Cosmos-Maya, known for long-running animated Nickelodeon show “Motu Patlu,” says that the global companies who operate TV channels in India create content that is local-specific and fails to resonate with international audiences. Mehta was speaking at the ongoing Mumbai International Film Festival which hosted a lively panel debate on animation. The discussion featured some of the top Iranian and Indian names in the business.

Ethan Shanfeld Following the success of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” Will Smith is teaming up again with Sony Pictures for the sci-fi thriller “Resistor,” based on Daniel Suarez’s 2014 novel “Influx.” The movie hails from Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch and Tony Shaw of Escape Artists, which has been developing the project for years alongside Smith and Jon Mone through Westbrook. Heather Washington is executive producing, and Dave Wilson is a producer.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Coralie Fargeat’s Demi Moore-starring feminist body horror film “The Substance” has been set as the closing night title for the New Zealand International Film Festival. The picture is one of 16 which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last month selected for the NZIFF which is now under the artistic leadership of Paolo Bertolin.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has hired Nachiket Pantvaidya as general manager of productions in India. 

Naman Ramachandran Mohaan Nadaar’s The Production Headquarters Limited, one of the producers of Cannes-prizewinning film “The Shameless,” has boarded Indian documentary “Legend of Abbakka.” “The Shameless” was directed by Bulgarian-American filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov and appeared in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival this year. There, Anasuya Sengupta won the best actress award. Rani Abbakka of Ullal, southern India, a 16th-century warrior-queen, defied the Portuguese Empire, a feat often overlooked in history books.

Naman Ramachandran Series “Barzakh,” starring top Pakistani actors Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed, has set a streaming date. The six-episode series is produced by Waqas Hassan and Shailja Kejriwal for Zindagi, the Indian subcontinent focused programming block on streamer ZEE5 Global. It is helmed by critically acclaimed director Asim Abbasi who also directed Zindagi’s first Pakistani original “Churails” and the feature film “Cake,” which was Pakistan’s entry for the 2019 Oscars.

Naman Ramachandran Far from the bright lights of Bollywood, the indomitable Indian documentary filmmaking industry has been making waves globally. The recent past has several examples of India‘s international success.

Naman Ramachandran India‘s Handmade Films has boarded two Indian shorts pitching at Annecy, “Hide & Seek” and “Rising Tides,” as producer. In addition, France’s NoJo Studio Animation will also serve as a producer on “Hide & Seek.” Both films are at the Annecy Animation Festival‘s MIFA Pitch and the Namaste MIFA initiative that focuses on India. “Rising Tides” is directed by Pari Satarkar and produced by India’s Studio Mikudi and Satarkar.

Naman Ramachandran In a significant development for the Indian entertainment industry, Artist International Group (AIG), under the leadership of David Unger, and Creativeland Studios, helmed by Sajan Raj Kurup, have unveiled a joint venture to establish AIG India. This new talent and production company aims to bridge the gap between Hollywood and India’s vibrant creative scene. AIG India will focus on discovering, nurturing, and promoting Indian talent across various artistic fields, leveraging AIG’s global reach and Creativeland Studios’ in-depth knowledge of the Indian market.

Katcy Stephan UTA has signed rising global star India Amarteifio for representation. In 2023, Amarteifio starred in the eight-part Netflix series “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” written and produced by Shonda Rhimes.

Naman Ramachandran India’s Dream Slate Pictures is commencing a biopic of Kiran Bedi, the first woman officer in the Indian Police Service (IPS). Formerly India’s national junior tennis champion, Bedi joined the IPS in 1972. She earned fame for her campaign against drug abuse in Delhi.