Manori Ravindran International Editor New York’s South Asian International Film Festival has appointed Chayan Sarkar as its new president. A filmmaker, entrepreneur and festival director, Sarkar is also the founder of the Indian International Film Festival of Queensland in Australia. He takes over from SAIFF founder Shilen Amin, who will step down as president, but will remain a member of the festival’s board of directors. Sarkar joins SAIFF as the festival enters its 19th year as a leading film festival in the U.S. for new cinema from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, and within the Indian diaspora. In recent years, SAIFF has become increasingly influential as a platform for South Asian cinema, both in the U.S. and internationally. Fourteen of India’s submissions for the international feature film Oscar have had their North American premieres at the festival.
R. Madhavan, Khushalii Kumar Talk Thriller ‘Dhokha,’ India’s National Cinema Day (EXCLUSIVE)
23.09.2022 - 07:49 / variety.com
Naman Ramachandran After his directorial debut “Rocketry: The Nambi Effect,” which bowed at the Cannes market earlier this year that he also wrote and co-produced, R. Madhavan is back solely as an actor with thriller “Dhokha – Round D Corner,” directed by Kookie Gulati (“The Big Bull”). After stints in music videos, Khushalii Kumar makes her film debut, playing a woman with a personality disorder who is taken hostage by a terrorist. She is married to Madhavan’s character. “It’s very tightly knit and any sort of revelation might give you a hint and ruin it for people,” Madhavan told Variety about the plot of the film. “It looks like a pretty straightforward story, but as the film progresses, nobody is actually who they seem.”
For Madhavan, after the rigors of “Rocketry,” being back to acting duties and getting back on set after long months away due to COVID-19 lockdowns, was a relief. “It was great to be on the set, feel the smell of the sets and the unit and everything. But most importantly for me, I wanted to make sure that I was able to go onto a set and take the director’s hat off and take the producer’s hat off and play something that is completely different,” said Madhavan. “Because it’s so instinctive that when you’re directing a film or you’ve written the film, you’re prone to making comments and giving suggestions which might not be right for this particular film. So I wanted to shed myself of all that. And I couldn’t find a better project than this because I was playing a character that I’ve never done before.” Kumar, whose character has delusions, said that initially the role was challenging and it took her some time to get into the skin of it. Her research involved a lot of reading, briefings from Gulati
Win Bowers & Wilkins wireless headphones and vinyl with National Album Day
National Album Day returns for its fifth edition on Saturday (October 15) with the 2022 event set to celebrate debut albums from across multiple genres and decades.Franz Ferdinand and Sam Ryder will serve as ambassadors this year alongside KSI, The Mysterines, The Staves, Jake Bugg, India Arkin and others. Around 30 classic debut albums will be reissued alongside new debut LPs to coincide with National Album Day.“What a glorious medium the album is,” Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos said in a statement.“On the most basic level it’s a bunch of songs that sound good together, but what I love is that it is a moment in time for the artist and the listener, a way to define a period of a lifetime.
ILM Announces Full Production Facility in Mumbai (EXCLUSIVE)
Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) has announced its plans to expand global operations. The former head of studio at DNEG Bangalore and Chennai, Kiran ‘KP’ Prasad will head a full pipeline studio which will be based in Mumbai. The visual effects division of Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in San Francisco and has studios in Vancouver, London, Singapore and Sydney. It will open a new full pipeline studio, operating full visual effects and animation services for film and television in Mumbai to gain access to the talent base in the region. Prasad will lead operations and report to ILM SVP and General Manager, Janet Lewin.
Jason Momoa Takes A Magical Journey Through Dreamworld in 'Slumberland's Latest Trailer - Watch!
A brand new look for Jason Momoa‘s upcoming movie, Slumberland, is here!
Pope Francis YouTube Doc ‘The Letter: A Message For Our Earth’ Launches From Vatican City – Trailer
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent YouTube Original doc “The Letter: A Message For Our Earth,” an unprecedented call to action for climate change from Pope Francis, featuring his dialogues with activists from the Brazilian Amazon, India, Senegal and the U.S., launched on Tuesday from Vatican City. The high-profile ecological doc is directed by Emmy-winning director Nicolas Brown (“Serengeti Rules”) and produced by Off The Fence, the company behind Oscar-winning doc “My Octopus Teacher,” in tandem with the Laudato si’ Movement which is a global Catholic climate change organization. Shot in cinematic style, “The Letter” takes its cue from the pope’s landmark Laudato si’ environmental encyclical and interweaves the lives of five main characters, comprising Amazon rain forest tribe chief Cacique Odair “Dadá” Borari; Ridhima Pandey, a young climate activist from India; Senegalese climate refugee Arouna Kandé who is a student in sustainable development; and U.S. scientists Greg Asner and Robin Martin who have developed an innovative technique to map underwater heat waves that kill coral reefs.
'Yellowstone' Season 5 Trailer Warns the Duttons Are 'Already at War'
on Thursday, and the dramatics are about to reach another level. Newly appointed as governor of Montana, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) faces an even deeper well of issues and obstacles as he navigates the tumultuous waters of government.The jam-packed trailer opens with John being sworn in as the state's newest leader and being given the warning that he has no allies at the Capitol.
APOS 2022: Amazon Prime Video International Chief Kelly Day On Growth Of AVOD, Expanding South Indian, Japanese Scripted Content
Kelly Day, Amazon Prime Video Vice President, International, outlined the company’s localisation efforts across Asia, Europe and Latin America in the first keynote session of APOS 2022, which is taking place virtually and as an in-person event in Singapore (September 27-29).
Amazon Prime Video International Chief Kelly Day Highlights Localization Strategy in Asia, Latin America
Naman Ramachandran Localization, and in some cases hyper-localization, is the modus operandi for growth in global markets for Amazon Prime Video, according to Kelly Day, VP, International, for the streamer. “When we think about launching in a new country, we really want to make sure that we bring a truly local feel to it. So, we’re trying to be very thoughtful when we enter a new region to make sure that we’re not only bringing all of these amazing global series and tentpoles, but that we really do it right, locally,” Day said while delivering one of the keynotes at the APOS conference in Singapore on Wednesday. The service launched recently in Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines and the company has hired a local team in the region. Day was also part of the Prime Video team that launched a 40-strong Indian slate in April.
Beach House Pictures Launches Riverland India Unit With Raghav Khanna (EXCLUSIVE)
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Singapore-based production group Beach House Pictures has teamed up with executive Raghav Khanna to launch new unit Riverland Entertainment in Mumbai, India. The newly-formed production company will develop a slate of unscripted series and documentaries from India. It will do so by partnering with local Indian talent to create content intended for global and Indian audiences, while also leveraging Beach House Pictures’ international expertise and reach, and with access to Beach House’s post-production facility, Space Lion Studios. Khanna, who is a former head of Netflix’s documentary production in Asia-Pacific, is set as MD of the new operation. He will work closely with Beach House Pictures founders Donovan Chan and Jocelyn Little.
‘Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical’ Extends San Diego Run, Cast Celebrates Representation (EXCLUSIVE)
Naman Ramachandran San Diego’s The Old Globe has announced an extension of Aditya Chopra’s “Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical” due to popular demand. The Broadway-bound production has been extended for one week and will now play through Oct. 23, 2022. Chopra’s U.S. stage musical reimagining of his immensely popular 1995 Bollywood film “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” commonly abbreviated to DDLJ, addresses the need for cultural unification in a divided world. Shoba Narayan plays Simran, a young Indian American woman whose future is set via an arranged marriage back in India to a family friend. But when she convinces her strict father that she should spend a summer of freedom and fun in Europe, she falls for the charming Rog (Austin Colby), and her plans go out the window.
First Trailer Drops For ‘Bridgerton’ Spinoff About Queen Charlotte
Meet young Queen Charlotte! Netflix’s spinoff series centreed on the “Bridgerton” monarch has an official title, and ET was the first outlet exclusively sharethe very first look.
‘Tulsa King’: Sylvester Stallone’s Gangster Is “A Different Animal You Would Normally See” In Mob Dramas
He’s a well-read man who enjoys the classics. He hangs “with fellas who run a weed store.” In other words, Sylvester Stallone’s Dwight “The General” Manfredi from Paramount+’s upcoming Tulsa King is a “different animal from what you would normally see in a gangster film.”
‘Welcome to Chippendales’ Teaser Trailer Hints at Dark History of Famed Nightclub (Video)
The story of the most famous exotic male dance revue takes a dark twist in the just-released teaser trailer for Hulu’s upcoming limited series “Welcome to Chippendales.”Starring Kumail Nanjiani as Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the show will tell the story of the Indian immigrant who founded the male-stripping empire, a story that includes murder, mystery, entrepreneurship and dancing.Recent “White Lotus” Emmy winner Murray Bartlett joins Nanjiani in the show as producer and choreographer Nick De Noia, described by the streamer as a “charming, fast-talking New Yorker who’s certain he’s God’s gift to entertainment.”“Welcome to Chippendales” also stars Annaleigh Ashford, Juliette Lewis, Quentin Plair, Robin de Jesus, Andrew Rannells, Nicola Peltz and Dan Stevens.The first two episodes of the show will stream beginning Nov. 22 on Hulu.Robert Siegel and Nanjiani executive produce the show alongside Dylan Sellers, Jenni Konner, Matt Shakman, Emily V.
‘Welcome To Chippendales’ Trailer: Kumail Nanjiani Leads A True-Crime Saga About A Male Strippers Dynasty
Is there a dark secret lurking behind your guilty pleasures? Hulu’s new series “Welcome to Chippendales” reveals the true story of adult entertainment’s best-known dance troupe. The project focuses on founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who would find success before becoming embroiled in a criminal scandal.
Ruben Ostlund’s Palme d’Or Winning ‘Triangle of Sadness’ Sells Worldwide (EXCLUSIVE)
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or winning film “Triangle of Sadness” has been sold by Coproduction Office to major distributors around the world. “Triangle of Sadness,” which was acquired by Neon for North America at the Cannes Film Festival, just had its North American premiere at Toronto and is playing at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Coproduction Office has now sold the movie worldwide to major distributors. Recent deals have been closed with Stay Golden (China), Edko (Hong Kong), Impact (India), Gaga (Japan), Green Narae (South Korea), Catchplay (Taiwan), TBA Studios (Philippines), Sun (Latin America), Frontrow (Middle East), Forefont (South Africa) and Les Films 26 (French-speaking Africa).
'Welcome to Chippendales': Watch Trailer for Hulu's New True Crime Series
is here! On Tuesday, Hulu released the trailer for the true crime series, which gives a first look at Kumail Nanjiani as the real-life Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian American entrepreneur who started the stripper troupe Chippendales.“A world of luxury, right at your fingertips,” Banerjee says as he gets dressed in a dapper suit. The 45-second clip shows Banerjee inside of a club full of women, who are excited to see the Chippendale dancers strip down.
Dulquer Salmaan, R. Balki on ‘Chup,’ Where a Serial Killer Targets Bollywood Film Critics (EXCLUSIVE)
Naman Ramachandran Filmmaker R. Balki and actor Dulquer Salmaan are teaming for the first time on “Chup,” a thriller where a serial killer brutally murders Bollywood film critics and carves star ratings on their foreheads. The cast also includes Bollywood veterans Sunny Deol (“Gadar: Ek Prem Katha”) and Pooja Bhatt (Netflix’s “Bombay Begums”), Shreya Dhanwanthary (Amazon Prime Video’s “The Family Man”) and Tamil-language cinema stalwart Saranya Ponvannan (“Viruman”). Balki, whose credits include “Cheeni Kum” (2007) and “Paa” (2009), both starring Amitabh Bachchan, last directed “Pad Man” (2018), starring Akshay Kumar.
‘Come Fall in Love’ Review: Stage Adaptation of Bollywood Hit ‘DDLJ’ Doesn’t Yet Measure Up to the Movie
Shalini Dore Features News Editor As with so many western films, Bollywood has taken a beloved smash and turned it into a stage musical. Aditya Chopra’s “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge” opened in 1995 and is still playing in a theater in Mumbai, India, still popular thanks to toe-tapping songs that grabbed audiences from the start and a charismatic lead pair (Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol). The film seems to have created a built-in audience for the stage version, “Come Fall in Love,” now playing its Old Globe premiere in San Diego on its way to Broadway. The opening overture (the film’s composers are replaced here by duo Vishal-Sheykhar) includes snippets of the Hindi hit. Moving the story from cold and gray London to cold and gray Boston, the tuner opens on Baldev (Irvine Iqbal) who runs a small shop catering to racists and jerks, seemingly. He is saving up money for a venture he and his partner have set up in India called Maharaja Tours.