Kanguva teaser, trailer and songs launch: Everybody loves everybody else Suriya Sivakumar, Disha Patani, Bobby Deol, K. E. Gnanavel Raja, Jayantilal Gada and Devi Sri Prasad was the quorum this afternoon at the Fun Republic, Andheri, Auditorium 2. Director Siva was busy giving finishing touches to the film, and excused himself, but Suriya said that he was extremely excited at the Mumbai event, but just could not fly down. But they were nowhere to be seen when I arrived, horribly late for a 12...

MAMI’s Mumbai Film Festival treats media like dirt, and then denies accreditation ScreenShots from the MAMI website and information about the (now deleted) Registration Google Form, for PRESS Accreditation at the Mumbai Film Festival, October 19-24. All clicked around 12.45 pm-1.45 pm, on 20 October 2024. You have to go through more than a dozen stages before your application is even accepted by the Festival authorities. Getting Accreditation is another story altogether. Read on. Plea...

Dharma’s Dharmatic Decision: Will it make a difference? Film critics in Mumbai received a communication last week from Dharma Productions, which has been the talk of the community since then. Dharma was founded in the 1970s by the late Yash Johar, and is currently owned by the Johars, Karan and his mother, Hiroo Yash Johar. On the Dharma website, we are told that: “The name Karan Johar is synonymous with prestige, elegance, versatility and success. He is amongst a prolific group...

Jigra, Review: JigrAlia Though ‘jigar’ literally means liver in Hindustani, ‘jigra’ means courage, guts and gumption, essential qualities of a brave-heart. In an era of super-heroes and super-heroines, the title gives little away. So you try to relate the title to its star, Alia Bhatt. Having made a terrific impact with her performances in the last 2-3 years, you feel this might be a new avenue, an action showcase, for her considerable talent. You would not be far from...

Kusum Ka Biyaah: A bridge that divides Jharkhand was carved out of the state of Bihar many years ago. Perhaps some people in either state and the governments have not yet reconciled to the partition. There appear to be irreconcilable differences between them. With this background comes a small indie film, Kusum Ka Biyaah (Kusum’s Marriage), that is set in the border areas of the two states and involves the marriage of a graduate girl called Kusum, from Bihar, to a colliery worker from J...

Yodha, Review: You are on the wrong plane First they got the spelling wrong, using Yodha instead of Yoddha. Secondly, they got the meaning wrong. Yodhha means a warrior, whereas the Yoddha, who is the protagonist of the film, is an ultra-modern special missions operative, who is disgraced and demoted to the duty of an air security officer, as a result of being over-ambitious during a dangerous mission. At the core of the film is a long second segment inside an aircraft, which is also the most...

1) Abhaas (1997) directed by Bijaya Jena. This is an interesting ‘‘auteur’’ film by Ms. Bijaya Jena who has won India’s national award twice. It is based on a 3 pages long short story by famous Odia writer Rabi Das. This is a classic film that is set in 1951 and talks about deprivation, marginalization, sexual exploitation and neglect of a weak woman. It talks about the Zamindari system in which a landlord exercises complete control over a village. Apart from direct...

AMERICAN STAR is an engaging contemporary thriller, well-directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego, colourful, intriguing and enhanced by some unexpected star turns.Ian McShane- another 81-year-old!- excels as a grizzled, hardened professional--well, let's say he he has not come to Fuerteventura on holiday, or on real estate business.Gradually, there are enigmatic hints in dialogue and action, and bit by bit  connections between the characters are revealed. Settings and locations are fin...

There have been at least 50 film versions of what is probably William Shakespeare's most famous  tragedy Hamlet. There were a goodly number of silent screen shorts, and many celebrated features, most of which more or less trimmed its  customary four hours' traffic of the stage. There have been classical, award-winning versions such as the 1948 production, starring and directed by Sir Laurence Olivier, foreign-language translations- notably in Russian, or as a Finnish farce...

  Gravitas Ventures has acquired the drama/thriller BREAK, directed by Will Wernick (Follow Me), for worldwide rights and distribution and sets spring 2024 theatrical release date for April 26th in 120 theatres across the United States and Canada. Digital and international release dates to follow soon. The film stars Darren Weiss (Inside Man, Tin Soldier, Bardejov) Victor Rasuk (Reasonable Doubt, Netflix's The Baker and The Beaut...

Love & Latte launch: A feast for the eyes, both on and off the screen They call it the Red Bulb. It is a preview theatre, located on the third floor of a high-profile building, off Link Road, Andheri West. The invitation said 6.30 pm. Traffic jams made sure I reached at 7.15 pm. Too early. Things started moving at 9 pm, and went on until almost 11 pm. A little too long for the launch of a music video, which was projected thrice. Shot in Azerbaijaan, with a Sydney Opera House look-alike in...

Cinematography has always been more than just a component of filmmaking; it's an art form that deeply resonates with me, speaking directly to the soul. My journey into the world of cinematography began not in a theater or studio, but in my own living room, with classic films painting stories through light and shadow. This personal exploration has led me to appreciate the intricate art of visual storytelling. One film that profoundly impacted my understanding of cinematography was "Blad...

  Director Danny A. Abeckaser has unveiled the trailer and poster for his new film, the WWII drama Bardejov, in advance of its March 19th debut on digital.     The film stars Robert Davi, Danny A. Abeckaser, Dean Miroshnikov, Emma Renana Bardea, Kyle Stefanski, Omer Hazan, and Darren Weiss.   Many celebs are taking notice and sharing the news about this important film, including Gal Gadot.          Synopsis: Young Hlink...

We are very happy to announce that the director ANA BILIC won BEST DIRECTOR at the International Motion Picture Awards in Brooklin, CANADA. The festival describes itself: “We crave to form and empower alternate and diverse motion picture society with substantial networking opportunities as an alternate solution from mainstream regulations and culture.” Great honor for both the director and the entire team! ☞ Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/oXuEJiN3rD0 ☞ Wat...

Bakhtawar Mazhar: In Flames of Glory A day before the awards were announced, declaring In Flames the best film, at the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF), I was face–to-face with Bakhtawar Mazhar, one of the protagonists of In Flames, her feature debut, a film that had made a tremendous impression on me. This, a face-to-face with a Pakistani actress, had never happened before, and I was not going to let this opportunity go by. We got into a car, and started talking. “M...

Salaar, Part I-Cease Fire: Could cause a seizure Salaar is an Urdu-Persian word, meaning commander or leader. According to the beginning voice over, a Muslim invader could rule over India, during the 12th century, largely, due to the resources, strength and acumen of his trusted lieutenant, Salaar. There is a Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, India, which has a great collection of antiques, art and rare manuscripts. But I doubt if anything in the film is related to or valued by this prized anti...

Vijay Anand's film ‘‘Guide’’ (1965) remains one of the most irable classics of Hindi cinema that promoted secular values, emancipation of women and a philosophical approach to songs.     Hindi film ‘‘Guide’’ (1965) can be hailed as the first major, effective collaboration between an Indian writer writing in English and Hindi film industry. It is based on the novel by RK Narayan that won the prestigious Sahitya Academy A...

Hara Vahi Jo Lada Nahi (only he who did not fight loses) is the tagline on the book, 12th Fail, written in Hindi by Anurag Pathak and translated into English by Gautam Choubey and Lalit Kumar. For the film version, the writing credits go to Vidhu Vinod Chopra (who has directed the movie), Jaskunwar Kohli (co-writer), Anurag Pathak (associate writer) and Aayush Saxena. A village student, Manoj Kumar Sharma, who failed his 12th exams, who does not know where his next meal is going to come from, ...

IPTA’s Inter Collegiate Drama Competition scores 50, marches on Was it the first or was it the second? Was it 1972 or 1973? My introduction to the annual competition is nevertheless at least 49 years old. I had just finished college, and could not participate. How I wished I could! But I could watch the event, and, soon afterwards, write about it, extensively, in several publications, as a theatre critic. If memory serves me right, back then, it was called IPTA’s Inter Collegiate ...

DCIFF is the oldest independent film festival in Washington DC and acts as a forum for discussion around selected films. We combine a traditional competitive festival format with in-depth conversation around the films we screen - giving filmmakers a chance to connect, learn about the impact of their films and move their work forward. We have a wide range of relevant and up-to-date workshops, socuial events and lots of fun. Every year we welocme 60 or more filmmakers to us. All submissions ...

Garden City, Kansas. Posted By Robin Menken Bob Hurst’s Garden City, Kansas Is a crime documentary about a foiled terrorist attack and a warning against the violence of Trumpist America. We meet Angie Haflich, the content editor of High Plains Public Radio which broadcasts to Kansas and four other states. Interviews with Haflich and other local citizens portray a conservative Middle American small town (mostly Republican) which, because of it reliance on farming and meat p...

The Great Indian Family, Review: Pandit pop’s bhajan singing son is a Muslim What a roundabout route it has taken to emerge as The Great Indian Family! It began with the 2010 British film The Infidel, starring Omid Djalili (the D is silent), directed by Josh Appignanesi and a cast that included South Asian sounding names like Archie Panjabi, Saamiya Nasir, James Krishna Floyd, Nabi Nasir, Mina Anwar, Amit Shah, Uzma, Ravin J. Ganatra and Niraj Naik. Five years later, we had an Indian ad...

Tibetan Hearts had its world premiere on Saturday, September 9th at the Silicon Beach Film Festival. It was wonderful to see the film on the big screen. Tibetan Hearts is a romantic drama about two lovers from rival sheep herding villages in Tibet. It was filmed on location in Tibet and provides a rare look at this isolated culture from their own perspective. The festival took place at the esteemed TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The premiere had a great turn out, with many of the...

Jawan, Review: Eggs on the windshield You can be pardoned for believing that Jawan is Pathaan rebooted, if you walked in as ShahRukh Khan (SRK) is lying half-dead on a bed somewhere near the Indian border (with which country?) and a chinky medicine man is spending days, and possibly weeks, using all kinds of herbs and other local Ayurvedic medicine to revive him. It was exactly the same in Pathaan, where he was nursed back by a Pathaan tribe. Obviously, the makers thought once is not enough, ...