Category: Arts Entertainments

Simone Ashley | Photo Credit: PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN Simone Ashley, renowned for her role in Bridgerton, has secured a significant role in the upcoming Formula 1 racing film F1, starring alongside Brad Pitt and Damson Idris. The news was confirmed during filming at the British Grand Prix, where Ashley was spotted with Idris over the…

A word that has become synonymous with director Shankar is brahmandam (grandeur). This extends to his office as well. Amidst the scent of candles and floor-to-ceiling windows with drapes matching the furniture around, stands a 6-foot-tall illuminated robot from Enthiran. Seated on a long couch is the filmmaker, visibly unperturbed with mere days left for the…

A still from ‘Thangalaan’  | Photo Credit: @jungleemusictamil/YouTube Sorcery, hallucinations and exploitation of labour are some of the many themes Pa Ranjith teases us with in the latest trailer of his much-awaited film with Vikram, Thangalaan. The makers of the film took to social media to share the film’s trailer. In the trailer, Ranjith introduces…

From left: Anand Varadaraj (Artistic Director at BISFF) with Prasad Siddheshwar, Trupti Kulkarni, Vignesh Paramasivam and Udith Haritas. By Ananya Uthaiah Script To Screen, an event organised by the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) team was held at Goethe Institut Max Mueller Bhavan, Bengaluru recently. The event featured the screening of five short films, produced as part of the earlier…

The Guruvandanam Choir at Narada Gana Sabha in Chennai | Photo Credit: R. Ragu Conducting a large-scale Carnatic music choir is generally an energy-sapping exercise with disproportionately meagre returns in terms of melodic aesthetics. But not when you have someone as accomplished and inspiring as Avasarala Kanyakumari at the helm. So, it was an enchanting…

Arun Vijay in the trailer of ‘Vanangaan’ | Photo Credit: V House Productions/YouTube The trailer of Vanangaan, filmmaker Bala’s upcoming film starring Arun Vijay, was released by the makers today. The video begins to show ambulances arriving at the spot of a gruesome murder. Samurathirakani’s cop and Mysskin’s magistrate characters are shellshocked by the details…

Members of Delhi Chamber Choir during a performance at NCPA in Mumbai. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Fact 1: Choir singers wear a smile to keep their singing from sounding flat. Fact 2: Choir singers not only harmonise their voices but also their heartbeat. This is evident when you watch choral conductor Nadezda (Nadya) Balyan…

Vasanth Mokashi Punekar | Photo Credit: BHAGYA PRAKASH K. Vasanth Mokashi Punekar, who wrote the script of Shankar Nag’s cult-classic Kannada film Accident, passed away on Sunday (July 7). A native of Dharwad, Vasanth Mokashi, was suffering from a prolonged illness. He is survived by his wife Asha. Son of renowned Kannada writer Shankar Mokashi…

Actor Fahadh Faasil during the dubbing session of ‘Vettaiyan’. | Photo Credit: @LycaProductions/X Actor Fahadh Faasil has begun dubbing for the Rajinikanth-starrer Vettaiyan. Lyca Productions, the banner bankrolling the movie, took to social media to share pictures of Fahadh’s dubbing session. Directed by TJ Gnanavel of Jai Bhim fame, the film is set to hit…

The Hema committee report being submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by panel members on December 31, 2019. | Photo Credit: file photo More than four years after the Hema committee report to address issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry was submitted to the State government, the State Information…

A still from ‘the Batman’ DC Studio’s Arkham Asylum series set in the Batman Universe will not be going forward at Max in its current form, a report in Variety stated. In 2022, American filmmaker Antonio Campos (The Devil All the Time, The Staircase) had stepped on board to create and showrun an Arkham Asylum-focused…

A scene from the documentary, ‘Nizhal Yathrikan’, based on Tholpavakoothu artiste Ramachandra Pulavar’s life and work. Ramachandra Pulavar, legendary Tholpavakoothu (shadow puppetry) artiste, is convinced that cinema evolved from his art form that dates back centuries. He cites the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy’s choice of the official logo, influenced by shadow puppetry, for its premier event, the…

A still from ‘Despicable Me 4’  The sixth entry in the Despicable Me franchise and a sequel to 2017’s Despicable Me 3, Despicable Me 4 sees Felonious Gru (Steve Carell) heading to his school Lycée Pas Bon for a reunion. But he is also undercover for the Anti-Villain League (AVL) to capture Maxine Le Mal…

Saudi TV creator Abdulaziz Almuzaini, whose animated Netflix show has made waves for breaking social taboos, said he had been convicted by an anti-terrorism court, prompting condemnation from rights advocates. The kingdom’s Specialised Criminal Court, established in 2008 to try suspects accused of terrorism, “issued against me (a sentence of) 13 years, followed by a…

Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire (IWTV), is a canon text in how the audience’s perception of the blood-thirsty beast has changed over the years. Leaving behind a fearful monster to embrace a seductive spectacle, Rice’s vampires were enthralling, entertaining, but most importantly they were queer (at least in subtext). AMC’s latest iteration of Rice’s…

A still from ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ | Photo Credit: Netflix If you’re like me, fighting a horrid bug and feeling bleh, who you gonna call? Okay, you could probably call the ghostbusters or watch Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. That opening with our favourite motor-mouth, Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), cheerfully grinning as he…

The NAK team: (From left) Charulatha Chandrasekar, Swarathmika Srikanth, Adithya Raja, Shreelakshmi Bhat and Vamsidhara Anand. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Social media may have become the go to medium for young artistes to connect with audience across the globe, but the appeal of a live performance will never fade. Artistes are exploring new ways of in-person presentations….

The Bangalore Storytelling Society in action | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Storytelling is the oldest form of education and the art of storytelling has been an intrinsic part of Indian culture. From our folklore and Panchatantra to mythological tales and childhood favourites by grandparents, India is a land of wondrous stories. The Bangalore Storytelling Society…

Apeksha Niranjan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The famous Sanskrit shloka ‘Yato hasto tato drishtih, Yato drishtih tato manah/ Yato manstato bhao, yato bhavo tatah rasah’ from the treatise Abhinaya Darpana means, ‘Where the hands go, the eyes should follow, Where the eyes go, the mind should follow, Where the mind goes, the emotion or…

Kareena Kapoor Khan in ‘The Buckingham Murders Director Hansal Mehta’s much awaited film “The Buckingham Murders”, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, will hit the screens on September 13, the makers said on Monday. Kareena, who most recently appeared in “Crew” alongside Tabu and Kriti Sanon, will is also making her production debut with the murder mystery…

Denis Villeneuve | Photo Credit: COLE BURSTON Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have set their sights on their cinematic future with two major announcements reshaping their upcoming release schedule. Leading the charge is an untitled event film from Dune director Denis Villeneuve, slated for release on December 18, 2026, in IMAX format. While details on…

Growing up, Subodh Kerkar remembers watching his parents painting in their spare time, and happily joining along. “At 18, I wanted to be anything, except a soldier, a priest or a shopkeeper,” he chuckles. Kerkar ended up pursuing medicine, and pursued art as a hobby, much like his parents. When life as a doctor became…

FILE – Actress Sigourney Weaver poses at the premiere of the movie “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” at the Grauman’s Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California, July 27, 2010. | Photo Credit: Danny Moloshok Hollywood veteran Sigourney Weaver will be honoured with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. Weaver, who…

A still from ‘Land of Women’ The plot of AppleTV+’s Land of Women isn’t exactly a novel proposition. A New York socialite, stripped of her wealth, finds herself in the middle of a small town, where she learns some life-changing lessons. Swap out the Hallmark-signature Christmas backdrop for the sun-kissed vineyards of Catalonia, and you…

The play is being organised and performed by city-based Udalveli Arts Foundation  | Photo Credit: Special arrangement The street play Panchali Sabatham originally lasts an entire night. “It is usually performed from 10.30pm and goes on till 6am the next day,” says therukoothu veteran PK Sambandan. The 72-year-old, who runs the Purisai Duraisamy Kannappa Thambiran Therukoothu…

Chaithra J Achar in ‘Happy Birthday to Me’ | Photo Credit: Jhankar Music/YouTube If you had watched the trailer of Happy Birthday to Me, you might begin the Kannada movie knowing the film’s central conflict, waiting for the main twist to unfold. However, director Rakesh Kadri cleverly doesn’t delay the inevitable; the film straightaway gives…

Aname | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Raghav Meattle, Sahana Naresh, Akshita Mengi   June 30, 8 pm onwards Fandom at Gilly’s Redefined, Koramangala Tickets: ₹499 via Insider.in, plus ₹500 cover charge at the door Singer-songwriter Raghav Meattle is back in Bengaluru after long, this time as part of his multi-city Intezaar Tera tour, launched to promote…

Rasheen Siddique, the eldest of the three children of Malayalam actor Siddique, died reportedly owing to respiratory failure here on June 27. He was 37. He was rushed from his house in Kakkanad to a private hospital along Palarivattom bypass. However, he was declared brought dead, said hospital sources. A child with special needs, Rasheen,…

With questions being raised over the collection figures of some recent hits from the Malayalam film industry, the Kerala Film Producers’ Association has issued a warning to producers against indulging in unhealthy practices that can be detrimental to the industry as a whole. The action comes close on the heels of the Enforcement Directorate (ED)…

Daily Quiz | On Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone One of the first ever copies of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling. START THE QUIZ 1 / 5 | Let’s start with a simple and fun question. After the letters failed to reach Harry, which character travels to Harry’s house to…

Band Cooum | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement “Ellathukkume inga happy dhaan.”  This is Deepan Fathima’s response, when asked about the choice of Band Cooum’s location for its upcoming concert — Korukkupet. “In this area, most of us do not like sad music. Our tunes, songs…everything is happy, be it for a wedding, or for death….

From the Vivid Impressions series by artist MR Deshmukh | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement It is challenging to write about a reticent soul and a modest one at that. “I don’t think there is anything special in what I have done; there are far greater artists than me,” says MR Deshmukh. “Besides, I feel my…

Vijayashanthi in a still from ‘NKR 21’ | Photo Credit: @AshokaCreationsOfficial/YouTube The makers of Nandamuri Kalyan Ram’s upcoming film, tentatively titled NKR 21, have released a glimpse video for Vijayashanthi on the occasion of the veteran actor’s birthday. The film marks Vijayashanthi’s return to acting after Mahesh Babu’s 2020 film Sarileru Neekevvaru which was her comeback…

Universal Pictures had scheduled Monkey Man for a theatrical release in India on April 19, 2024 but it has still not been released officially in the country. Photo: Special Arrangement The Dev Patel-directed revenge drama Monkey Man, set in a dystopian version of India, is yet to be seen in the country because the Central Board…

A still from ‘Inside Out 2’ Pixar’s Inside Out 2 has become the highest grossing film of the year domestically and crossed $500 million at the worldwide box office, according to a Walt Disney statement released on Saturday. The movie had previously generated about $155 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales over its first…

Shriya Pilgaonkar. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Actor Shriya Pilgaonkar will be serving as a jury member for the shorts category for the 2024 edition of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). The film gala, which will run from June 27 to 30, will screen 20 films, including seven narrative features, twelve shorts,…

Emily Bader as Lady Jane Grey, Robyn Betteridge as Margaret Grey, Isabella Brownson as Katherine Grey and Anna Chancellor as Frances Grey in a still from My ‘Lady Jane’ | Photo Credit: Jonathan Prime Anna Chancellor says she did not do any research for her role as Lady Frances Grey in My Lady Jane. The…

Junaid Khan, Shalini Pandey in ‘Maharaj’ It’s a rare privilege, for any movie, to reflect the destiny of its subject matter. In the 1860s, Karsandas Mulji, a journalist and social reformer, was dragged to court over an article exposing the sexual predations of a powerful godman. Over 150 years later, Maharaj — a Netflix film…

A still from ‘Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc’ Japanese animation studio Ufotable has revealed plans to adapt the Infinity Castle arc from the popular anime series Demon Slayer into a trilogy of animated films. This announcement follows a leak from the Jump Victory Carnival’s website, where details about the upcoming project were inadvertently disclosed. The…

Acclaimed actor Donald Sutherland has died at 88. The actor’s career spanned six decades during which he earned an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and an honorary Academy Award. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Donald Sutherland, one of Canada’s most versatile and gifted actors, who charmed and enthralled audiences in films such as “M*A*S*H,”…

A still from ‘Federer: Twelve Final Days’ | Photo Credit: Prime Video Federer: Twelve Final Days – June 20 Federer: Twelve Final Days follows Federer at his most vulnerable and candid self, as he says goodbye to a game and the fans that shaped his life for the last two decades. Featuring interviews from legendary rivals…

Durga Venkatesan in Touchy Topic | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement In Touchy Topic, an artistically innovative and emotionally evocative performance, Durga Venkatesan explores the pervasive issue of sexual harassment through a non-verbal medium. This performance dissolves traditional theatrical boundaries by immersing spectators in an active role. In Touchy Topic, Durga stands motionless for a full…

A poster for ‘Lakshya’ Actor Hrithik Roshan got nostalgic as his film ‘Lakshya’ is all set to be re-released in theatres. Marking 20 years of the film, he shared a video to reflect on his transformative experience portraying Karan Shergill. Taking to their official Instagram handle, the makers shared a video of Hrithik Roshan recounting…

A still from ‘Munjya’ Horror comedy “Munjya” has earned Rs 55.75 crore in 10 days of its release, the makers announced on Monday. “Munjya”, the latest offering in Maddock Films’ horror comedy universe, follows the story of the eponymous mythical creature which has its roots in Marathi folklore. Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by…

The event will be held at Sri Pannalal Bansilal Pitti Kalyana Mandapam (Anandnagar Community Hall) in Khairatabad. Sangeetha Ksheera Sagaram, in collaboration with Saptaparni and Vignana Samithi, is hosting a Carnatic music concert in memory of Uppalapati Ankaiah and B. Lalitha at 6.30 p.m. on June 15. The concert will feature vocalist Bhavya Hari, violinist…

Sharanamma Chetti in ‘Shivamma’ | Photo Credit: Rishab Shetty Films/YouTube Jaishankar Aryar’s Shivamma Yarehanchinala, which has won several awards at film festivals across the globe, was a crowd favourite at the recently held Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes). Organisers added extra shows, and the film’s final few screenings witnessed mad rush for seats. Given this reputation, it’s ironic…

Maya Miriga Behind the scenes: Film Heritage Foundation | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT With Shyam Benegal’s Manthan (1976) making it to the headlines, thanks to the screening of its restored version at the Cannes Film Festival recently, the idea of lost and re-membered stands at the cross-section of visual retelling of the forgotten. The organisation…

A poster for ‘Maharaj’ Hashtags like ‘Boycott Netflix’ and ‘Ban Maharaj Film’ trended on social media on Thursday with a section of users calling for a ban on “Maharaj”, claiming the upcoming period drama hurts religious sentiments. The film, which premieres on Netflix on Friday, marks the debut of Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s son Junaid…

The actor’s over two-decade-old career has been marred by controversies, perhaps the biggest of them all being his recent arrest in connection with the murder of one his fans from Chitradurga district. | Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K Thoogudeepa Srinivas was a fiery villain on the big screen from the 1960s till the 1980s. However, not…

‘Matka King’ Poster | Photo Credit: @PrimeVideoIN/X Streaming service Prime Video on Wednesday announced that its upcoming series Matka King, headlined by Vijay Varma, has commenced filming. The crime thriller show is directed by Nagraj Manjule, known for films such as Fandry and Sairat. Manjule has also penned the script in collaboration with Abhay Koranne,…

A file picture of Sarod maestro Pandit Rajeev Taranath, who passed away in Mysuru on June 11, 2024 | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram Sarod maestro Pandit Rajeev Taranath, who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mysuru, passed away on June 11 evening. A source close to the 92-year-old veteran Indian classical musician said…

Prabhas as Bhairava in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Director Nag Ashwin’s Telugu science fiction Kalki 2898 AD, said to be one of the most expensive films to be made in Indian cinema, is set in the post-apocalyptic city of Kasi in 2898 AD. The trailer of the ambitious film, unveiled in…

Soubin Shahir, Navya Nair, and the announcement poster of ‘Pathirathri’ | Photo Credit: @soubinshahir/Instagram and @navyanair143/Instagram Actors Soubin Shahir and Navya Nair are all set to headline Puzhu director Ratheena’s sophomore film, Pathirathri. The project was announced in a special title-reveal event in Kochi on Monday. The title poster of the film features a police…

A still from ‘Chilli Chicken’ The trailer for the upcoming Kannada film Chilli Chicken has been released on the Anand Audio YouTube channel. This new film, set in Bengaluru, looks at the lives of a restaurant’s migrant workers, many of whom hail from the north-east of India. Directed by first-time filmmaker Prateek Prajosh, a Malayali…

The boom of Tamil-language entertainment content and the constant chatter about Kollywood on social media might deceive you, but it is no longer easy to pick a new film to watch. Tamil cinema has just gotten through a jittery five months into 2024, with only a handful of titles tasting varying degrees of success at…

A poster for the silent short film Mehroon which won the filmmaking grant at the KASHISH Film Festival. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Kolkata The short film Mehroon has bagged two laurels at the KASHISH International Film Festival in Mumbai. Director Abu Sohel Khondekar (she/they), a transwoman and a queer filmmaker, won the KASHISH QDrishti…

Bollywood actress and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Mandi, Kangana Ranaut. File | Photo Credit: ANI Actor-politician Kangana Ranaut on Saturday criticised people praising the CISF woman constable who allegedly slapped her, asking if they also justify “rape or murder”. Ms. Ranaut, in a video message on Thursday, said she was hit in the face…

Scenes from the Bengaluru leg of Swarathma’s India Tour 2024 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement This Saturday, even as fans eagerly waited for Swarathma to rock the stage, an unexpected guest made an appearance — rain. Yet, this did not dampen spirits, and the audience enthusiastically welcomed the rain along with the band’s powerful performance.  The…

Kalyani Menon Harikrishnan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement During the incipient stages of its revival in Kerala Kalamandalam in the 1930s, Mohiniyattam anchored mainly on padams of Swati Tirunal, the maharaja who was instrumental in the resurgence of the dance form. While most of the padams had vipralambha sringaram as their leitmotif, Mohiniyattam began to…

Artworks on display at Abstract Alchemy exhibition at Rang Mirage Gallery | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Different styles of abstract work have brought emerging and seasoned artists together,” says Adhvika Agarwal, who has curated the Rang Mirage Art Gallery’s latest exhibition Abstract Alchemy: A Fusion of Form and Color. It showcases the works of nine artists and…

Candlelight Concerts are based on diverse themes to reach out to a large audience. | Photo Credit: Courtesy: Fever On a warm humid evening after bracing Mumbai’s rush-hour traffic snarls, you finally enter the Grand Hyatt in Bandra Kurla Complex, where thousands of illuminated candles brighten your mood. The setting at the venue for the…

Pt. C.R. Vyas | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Delhi’s India International Centre recently hosted the centenary celebrations of two great vocalists — Pt. Ram Marathe and Pt. C. R. Vyas — from Maharashtra. Surprisingly, both were at the same point in their lives, disciples of the inimitable Pt. Jagannathbua Purohit, (1904-1968) called ‘Gunidas’, who learnt…

Well into the second half of her 100-minute performance, Brazilian jazz pianist and vocalist Eliane Elias presented the famous song ‘Desafinado’, composed by the legendary Antonio Carlos Jobim. The audience was familiar with the tune, and the pulsating bass solo and riveting drums added to their joy. The encore, comprising Jobim’s huge hits ‘The girl…

Ramesh Vinayakam | Photo Credit: Johan Sathyadas A lot of things can happen over a coffee break. In music composer Ramesh Vinayakam’s case, it certainly did. At the Goethe Institute in Chennai, the composer was speaking with Sebastian Grams, double bass player, and Jeremy Woodruff, now in Graz University, over a coffee break when he…

Taraji P. Henson attends the ELLE Women in Hollywood celebration | Photo Credit: JORDAN STRAUSS “Empire” star Taraji P Henson is set to return as host for the upcoming BET Awards 2024. According to Deadline, this will be Henson’s third time hosting the ceremony after 2021 and 2022. Rapper Fat Joe was trusted with the…

Nivetha Pethuraj and Naresh Agastya in a still from ‘Paruvu’ | Photo Credit: ZEE5 Streaming platform ZEE5 on Monday unveiled the trailer of its upcoming Telugu crime thriller series, Paruvu. With Pavan Sadineni as the showrunner, the series is written by Siddharth Naidu, who also directs with Vadlapati Rajashekhar, and produced by Sushmitha Konidela. Starring Nivetha…

Actor Rangayana Raghu | Photo Credit: Ravichandran N. Rangayana Raghu is reveling in a fresh phase of his career. The Kannada actor, with three decades of experience in cinema, is now being seen in stories that revolve around his character. Raghu rose to prominence with his terrific coming timing and admirable consistency as a character…

Asif Ali, Amala Paul, and Sharafudheen in stills from ‘Level Cross’ | Photo Credit: Think Music India/YouTube The teaser of the upcoming Malayalam movie, Level Cross, starring Asif Ali, Amala Paul, and Sharafudheen, was unveiled by the makers on Saturday. The film is written and directed by Arfaz Ayub. The teaser begins to show a…

Watch : Tamil cinema in 2024: Dull first half, a star-studded second half? In 2024, Tamil cinema has been experiencing a slowdown, with a dearth of successful star-vehicles and good content-driven mid-budget films. Industry insiders, including actors, producers, and theatre owners, explain the delays in producing these big-budget films and discuss whether the rising popularity…

Payal Kapadia, the 38-year-old whose movie All We Imagine as Light won the Grand Prix — the second most prestigious award at Cannes Film Festival — sees herself as a melancholic person, and this melancholy sets the tone for her movies. Ms. Kapadia, hailing from Mumbai but having spent more time outside the city, says…

Xochitl Gomez | Photo Credit: MARIO ANZUONI Actor Xochitl Gomez, best known for playing Marvel heroine America Chavez in the studio’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is shooting Hive, a horror short film from rising Colombian-American filmmaker Felipe Vargas, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Vargas wrote and directed Hive, which stars Gomez as…

Anasuya Sengupta at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2024 in Cannes, France. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES The best actress win in Cannes doesn’t feel like a personal trophy with the whole country feeling a sense of pride in her accomplishment, says Anasuya Sengupta, struggling to find…

Rohan Chakravarty is a cartoonist and illustrator from Nagpur. His series, ‘Green Humour’, consists of cartoons and comics on wildlife, nature conservation, environmental issues, sustainability and all things green. Read Comments Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit

Hues of Harmony at Art Life is an engaging  experience offered by six artists

Posters for ‘Mrs’ and ‘Sumo Didi’ “Mrs” and “Sumo Didi”, two films from Jio Studios, are set to be screened at the upcoming New York Indian Film Festival, the makers said on Thursday. Both the movies will be showcased on the last day of the gala, where Sanya Malhotra-starrer “Mrs” will close NYIFF on June…

The old Shakti band – Vikku Vinayakram, John Maclaughlin, Zakir Hussain and L. Shankar. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Although violinist L. Shankar and ghatam maestro Vikku Vinayakram were associated with the 1970s Indo-jazz band Shakti, their partnership goes back many decades, when they used to perform Carnatic concerts. “In 1973, when I was in…

The first-look poster of ‘Sookshmadarshini’. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The first-look poster of Sookshmadarshini, directed by MC Jithin and starring Basil Joseph and Nazriya Naseem, has been released. The film is produced by Sameer Tahir, Shyju Khalid and AV Anoop under the banners Happy Hours Entertainment and AVA Productions. The film’s story is written…

Director Robbie Grewal and Saif Ali Khan  | Photo Credit: @s1danand/Instagram Siddharth Anand is teaming up with Saif Ali Khan for a new film. The acclaimed director-producer posted a picture with the actor, captioning it, “Back on set with my first hero! How can nothing change!” This nostalgic reunion photo put an end to swirling speculations,…

Soori in a still from ‘Garudan’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Soori has hit a purple patch in his career. Not only did he turn kadhayin naayagan (the plot’s hero) last year with Vetri Maaran’s Viduthalai Part 1, but a slew of films he was part of also had a stellar run in the festival…

Ananya Panday on the poster for ‘Call Me Bae’ Amazon Prime Video has announced the premiere date of Call Me Bae, an upcoming slice-of-life comedy series starring Ananya Panday. The series, created by Ishita Moitra and directed by Collin D’Cunha, will stream on the platform from September 6. It is backed by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic…

Nirmala Kannan | Photo Credit: Special arrangement Ten years ago, a group of men and women who grew up during the heyday of rock and rock in the swinging sixties and seventies got together to play, sing and listen to their kind of music. Christening themselves Hard Day’s Night (HDN), they began to organise concerts…

Payal Kapadia and Resul Pookutty | Photo Credit: Andrea Alexandru; THG Indian cinema has once again made its mark on the global stage, with Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light clinching the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. This monumental win, the first for an Indian film in three decades, tells the…

Sivakarthikeyan in a still from ‘Amaran’ | Photo Credit: Raajkamal Films International/YouTube Actor Sivakarthikeyan’s much-awaited biographical action drama Amaran, directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, wrapped its shoot on Saturday. Kamal Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International, the banner producing the film, announced the news on Saturday with a special promo video. “DAY IS DONE”… the final frame…

Nicki Minaj said she was held at Amsterdam Schiphol airport on allegation of possession of soft drugs. File. | Photo Credit: Reuters American rapper Nicki Minaj said on social media on Saturday that she was held at Amsterdam Schiphol airport on allegations of possession of soft drugs. Minaj, 41, was detained hours before she was…

Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi. | Photo Credit: milliebobbybrown/Instagram Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown and model Jake Bongiovi got married last weekend, reported People. Brown, 20 and Bongiovi, 22, tied the knot in a low-key wedding ceremony in the presence of their parents. Reports say Bongiovi, son of Jon Bon Jovi, and Brown…

Chidananda S. Naik (second from left) after winning the top prize of La Cinef at Cannes. | Photo Credit: @Chidanandasnaik/X Mysuru filmmaker Chidananda S. Naik, a Film and Television Institute of India student (FTII), won the first prize of La Cinef at the Cannes film festival. Mr. Naik’s short film, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, bagged…

Nathan Lyon in ‘The Test’ | Photo Credit: Prime Video Nathan Lyon hobbles and limps gingerly as he walks out to bat to a cheering audience at the Lord’s Cricket Ground. Batting on one leg and visibly in discomfort due to a calf injury, Nathan would go on to add four off 13 excruciating balls…

This image released by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore on Thursday, May 23, 2024, shows a terracotta portrait of Florence landmark cathedral’s architect Filippo Brunelleschi dating back to the early Renaissance, which was recently found among the furnishings of an historic residence near the Tuscan capital. | Photo Credit: AP A previously unknown…

Michael Richards, who played Cosmo Kramer in ‘Seinfeld’ Fans of the iconic sitcom ‘Seinfeld’ were given a surprise last month when Michael Richards, famously known for his role as Kramer, made a public appearance at the Hollywood premiere of Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix movie ‘Unfrosted.’ This marked one of the rare instances Richards has graced a…

Music Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. File | Photo Credit: RAGU R Ace music composer R. Ilaiyaraaja has issued a legal notice to the producers of Manjummel Boys for having “unlawfully” exploited the song Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan, from the Tamil movie Guna, in their movie without obtaining any consent/permission/licence from him. The notice issued through his counsel stated…

Jan A P Kaczmarek. | Photo Credit: AP Polish composer Jan A P. Kaczmarek, who won a 2005 Oscar for the musical score of Finding Neverland, died Tuesday. He was 71. Kaczmarek’s death was announced by Poland’s Music Foundation which had been informed of his passing by the composer’s wife. Kaczmarek had suffered from MSA,…

Steve Carell attends the premiere of Paramount Pictures’ ‘IF’ at the SVA Theatre on Monday, May 13, 2024, in New York. | Photo Credit: AP Steve Carell, the former star of The Office, will lead the cast of a comedy drama from Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses (Scrubs), The Hollywood Reporter reported.The…

The release of Bridgerton’s Season 3 saw many around the world glued to their televisions to see what unfolds in one of Netflix’s most popular series (both seasons 1 and 2 feature in Netflix’s Top 10 shows of all time). This season’s narrative sweeps viewers giddily across breathtaking historic locations around the UK. The locales…

Demi Moore poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film ‘Kinds of Kindness’ at the 77th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Friday, May 17, 2024. | Photo Credit: Scott A Garfitt American actress and film producer Demi Moore stunned everyone with her look at the Cannes Film Festival. She graced the…

CANNES, FRANCE – MAY 17: Uma Thurman attends the “Oh, Canada” Red Carpet at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2024 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images) | Photo Credit: ANDREAS RENTZ Uma Thurman, renowned for her captivating performances and timeless beauty, graced the red carpet…

Stills from ‘Weapon’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The makers of Sathyaraj and Vasanth Ravi’s upcoming film Weapon have released the trailer. Directed by Guhan Senniappan, the film also stars Rajiv Menon, Tanya Hope and Rajeev Pillai.  The makers took to social media to share the trailer. #Weapon – A modest endeavour from director @GuhanSenniappan in presenting…

A still from ‘Election’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Election had all the prospects of being an interesting addition to the filmographies of Vijay Kumar and director Thamizh. While the filmmaker’s debut venture Seththumaan dealt with caste and food politics, the film that put Vijay Kumar on the map, Uriyadi, and its sequel, are politically charged…

Elia Cecino, in a concert for the IMAS, burst onto the stage of the Bangalore International Centre with an explosion of showmanship, his strong left hand asserting his arrival in Liszt’s Valse S407 from Gounod’s opera, Faust. It is no surprise that Liszt, partial to a good tune, transcribed many famous melodies from opera. However, he never…

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan attends the ‘Megalopolis’ Red Carpet at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2024 in Cannes, France | Photo Credit: Getty Images Indian star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan made her Cannes red carpet appearance this time around at the premiere of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. The actor…

Actress Keira Knightley. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES Keira Knightley has been picked to lead the film adaptation of Ruth Ware’s bestselling novel The Woman in Cabin 10 at Netflix, reported Variety. According to Variety, The Woman in Cabin 10 follows a travel journalist (Knightley) assigned to cover the launch of a luxury yacht. When…

Film producers’ associations pushed back earlier this year on accessibility guidelines proposed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to make cinemas more accessible to the visually and hearing impaired. In a summary of responses by producers’ associations, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), which liaised with producers on the issue at the Ministry’s…

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson, left, and actor Marisa Abela attend the premiere of ‘Back to Black’ at AMC Lincoln Square on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in New York | Photo Credit: Evan Agostini Director Sam Taylor-Johnson didn’t want her 2024 biographical drama film about the late British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse to be too similar to the…

Kalamandalam Rajasekharan performing Chintha Vishtayaya Sita. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement As the drums beat and the cymbals clashed, coloured curtains trembled in the lamplight. It was a different kind of Kathakali like no other. ‘Chintha Vishtayaya Sita’, one of the famous poems of poet Kumaranasan, choreographed by Kalamandalam Rajasekharan, appeared as the second solo…

Lea Seydoux | Photo Credit: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT Pathe has confirmed its involvement in the production of The Unknown, an upcoming thriller starring French actress Léa Seydoux from filmmaker Arthur Harari, known for his previous work on the Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall. Scheduled for completion in the first half of 2026, The Unknown is being…

Music scholar T.A. Sambandamurthy Achari’s (1913-1977) father Appadurai Achari was an authority on Tiruppugazh, and sang at Naina Pillai’s annual Thiruppugazh festival. “My father acquired a lot of knowledge by listening to my grandfather and through research,” says Sambandamurthy’s son Sahasranamam. Whenever T.N. Rajaratnam Pillai (TNR) visited Madras, he met Sambandamurthy to discuss apoorva ragas….

Ranjani and Gayatri at The Hindu Fridays, at The Hindu office premises on May 10, 2024. | Photo Credit: RAVINDRAN R “What is the use of a book “, thought Alice “without pictures or conversations.” ( Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland). Recently, The Hindu Friday Review decided to do what John Tenniel did to Lewis…

Watch | The young and vibrant world of Malayalam cinema The Malayalam film industry, known for setting new benchmarks in Indian cinema, has inspired another trend. Actors, who are less than 25 years of age, are big box office stars today in the Malayalam industry. New directors have made refreshing films with these young talents…

A scene from ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ | Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Screenwriter Dave Callaham, famed for his work on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is transitioning from the Marvel universe to the Monsterverse. Legendary Pictures has enlisted Callaham to script the next chapter in the Godzilla/Kong…

Chidananda S Naik’s Kannada short film, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know (2023), has been chosen to participate in the La Cinef section of the Cannes Film Festival.  The section showcases and promotes films from various film schools worldwide, fostering emerging talent. The jury will present the La Cinef awards during a ceremony on May 23 at the…

Peter Weir | Photo Credit: YouTube/Oscars Australian filmmaker Peter Weir, acclaimed for his directorial prowess in cinematic gems like Dead Poets Society, The Truman Show, and Master and Commander, is set to be honoured with the prestigious Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the upcoming 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival. This announcement was…

A still from Innocence | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Imagine a world where Franz Kafka’s absurdism intersects with modern India’s vibrant chaos. A world where an innocent man fights a desperate battle for justice against a system designed to silence him. This is the world of Innocence, a black comedy written and directed by Anmol Vellani,…

Watch | How Bengaluru lost its iconic Cauvery theatre A couple of months after celebrating its golden jubilee, the Cauvery Theatre in Bengaluru ended its glorious run. Curtains came down on the iconic single screen, which played several blockbusters for over five decades. The OTT wave and the booming multiplexes had a major impact on…

Hues and scapes exhibition by artist Nupur Kundu at Dhoomimal art gallery | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT “The mountain doesn’t necessarily have to be brown,” says Nupur Kundu referring to the inspiration behind her latest work, the Vibgyor Scape series. The painting presents itself as a 70-piece grid with a dynamic spectrum of colours flowing…

Varsha Bollamma and the team of ‘Iruvam’ Iruvam, an English-Tamil interactive film developed by ManMar Games, has been selected for the ‘Let’s Spook Cannes’ event at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The film stars Varsha Bollamma and is directed by Manoj Annadurai, known for his 2015 romantic comedy drama ‘Get Happy’. ‘Let’s Spook Cannes’ is…

Some works leave a lasting impression in the entire career of a filmmaker, eclipsing everything else he or she would go on to do later in their career. For Sangeeth Sivan, who passed away at a private hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday at the age of 65, that work came quite early in his career….

Jakes Bejoy and a still from the sets of ‘L360’ Jakes Bejoy has been roped in as the composer for Malayalam superstar Mohanlal’s 360th film, tentatively called L360. The makers of the film took to social media to share the news.  The makers also put out announcement posters for editor Nishadh Yusuf and sound designer Vishnu…

At Kaber Vasuki’s concert in Chennai, the first stop of his maiden tour titled Oorvalam, everyone is friends with the artiste. At least that is what it feels like. What else can explain elaborate conversations and silly little jokes between the artiste and his audience of 300, as the guitarist changes patches on the side?…

Steven Spielberg | Photo Credit: JORDAN STRAUSS A24 and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment have joined forces to bring James McBride’s celebrated novel, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, to the screen. While still in the early stages of development, Spielberg will serve as a producer, with no plans for directing at this time, according to…

Kavin in a still from ‘Star’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Right now, Kavin seems to be the darling of Tamil social media; anything involving him is bound to go viral. Offline too, the producer of his upcoming film Star, at the film’s press meet, calls him the “next big thing in Tamil cinema”. Mere…

FILE – Zendaya attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” exhibition on May 6, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) | Photo Credit: Evan Agostini Attention all you fashionistas: It’s Met Gala time. Yes, the first Monday in May is…

Cauvery theatre in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: File Photo A little over three weeks after celebrating its golden jubilee, the iconic Cauvery Theatre in Bengaluru has ended its glorious run. For old Bengalureans, who enjoyed the visceral movie-watching experience amidst a packed crowd, the huge single screen on Sankey Road, Palace Guttahalli, is a sepia-tinted…

Zazie Beetz and Elizabeth Debicki Actors Zazie Beetz and Elizabeth Debicki are set to star in the upcoming film This Blue Is Mine, described as a psychosexual sci-fi drama and marking the English-language debut of director Iuli Gerbase. Filming for This Blue Is Mine is scheduled to take place in Colombia during August and September….

A still from ‘A Man in Full’  Creator David E. Kelley has impeccable credentials as does director Regina King. Kelley is the creator of prestige shows including Big Little Lies, Mr. Mercedes and The Undoing, while King has directed the excellent One Night in Miami. When Kelley sought to adapt the patron saint of counterculture…

Asif Ali (third from left) with the team of his upcoming movie. | Photo Credit: iamantojoseph/Instagram Director Jofin T Chacko has teamed up with Asif Ali. The upcoming Malayalam film will also star Anaswara Rajan. The film is a joint production of Aan Mega Media and Kavya Film Company. The film went on floors on…

Actor Kevin Spacey. | Photo Credit: AP/PTI Kevin Spacey is pushing back against the upcoming Channel 4 documentary Spacey Unmasked, which will explore his career and the allegations of misconduct against him. The documentary is set to premiere in the UK on May 6-7. “I will not sit back and be attacked by a dying…

Berlin is an unusual title choice for a Hindi film set entirely in 90s New Delhi. In Atul Sabharwal’s atmospheric spy drama, ‘Berlin’ refers to a café — or coffee house, as they were once known — in the national capital. Shrouded in cigarette smoke and intrigue, it is tucked away on a nondescript plaza…

Ores of Trance exhibition at Hauz Khas Village | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT “The power of zero in an artwork should never be underestimated,” says art curator TK Harindran, underlining the imperative value of silence in the work of a Cholamandal artist, S Bhagwan Chavan. He points to the artwork Shadows of the Palm Trees…

Chris Stuckmann’s upcoming horror film Shelby Oaks has received a significant boost with the addition of horror veteran Mike Flanagan to the executive team. Alongside Trevor Macy and Melinda Nishioka of Intrepid Pictures, Flanagan joins as an executive producer for the upcoming project Following a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign in 2022, which raised $1.39 million in…

Close to 100 young adults gather around the stage, their eyes focussed on a screen that will start playing songs any minute. This is for an ‘RPD’ — a Random Play Dance session where small parts of songs are played in quick succession, and the audience breaks into moves that match the steps in the…

A still from ‘Senna’. | Photo Credit: Netflix/YouTube Netflix has dropped the teaser for Senna, the biopic on Ayrton Senna, the Formula One legend. Senna, a winner of 41 Grands Prix, died at 34 as a result of a crash while competing in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Gabriel Leone plays the once-in-a-generation driver,…

Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol from ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’. | Photo Credit: Netflix India/YouTube An upcoming episode of The Great Indian Kapil Show shows the Deols keeping true to their tradition of being honest and raw whenever they publicly talk about their lives. On Tuesday, Netflix dropped a promo of the episode, featuring…

Avail on 5/1/2024 Frankly Speaking A well-respected announcer suddenly loses his ability to self-censor on air, catching the attention of a TV writer who invites him on her variety show. Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar The scheming Mallikajaan rules over an elite house of courtesans — but a new rival threatens her reign as rebellion brews…

French actor Gérard Depardieu will face a criminal trial in October over the alleged sexual assaults in 2021 of two women on the set of a film. File photo | Photo Credit: AP French actor Gérard Depardieu will face a criminal trial in October over the alleged sexual assaults in 2021 of two women on…

Tovino Thomas as David Padikkal in a still from ‘Nadikar’ The highly anticipated trailer of Nadikar, featuring the versatile Tovino Thomas in the lead role, has finally released. Taking to social media, Tovino Thomas unveiled the trailer, offering a sneak peek into the life of his character, Malayalam cinema’s superstar, David Padikkal. In the two…

A still from ‘Evil Dead Rise’ Filmmaker Francis Galluppi, known for his work on The Last Stop in Yuma County, has been selected to helm the latest installment in the Evil Dead series. Ghost House Pictures, led by Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, will produce the project, which is said to feature an original storyline…

Delhi police lodged an FIR over the disappearance of Mr. Gurucharan Singh (right) to investigate his mysterious disappearance. File A team of the Delhi Police Special Cell on Saturday visited the house of actor Gurucharan Singh on Saturday to investigate his mysterious disappearance, the officials said. The Delhi police on Saturday lodged an FIR under…

A still from ‘Kraven the Hunter’  | Photo Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment/YouTube Aaron Taylor-Johnson-starrer Kraven the Hunter will now make its debut in US theatres on December 13, 2024, Hollywood studio Sony Pictures has announced. The J C Chandor-directed film, which is based on one of Spider-Man’s oldest foes, was earlier slated August 30, according…

Reverberation from Nirakar Aakar by Nikheel Aphale | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement What does a beautiful work of calligraphy evoke in you? For most, it is an admiration for the artist’s creativity and sense of aesthetics, but for artist Nikheel Aphale, it is also a medium to convey higher concepts of humanity, spirituality and divinity….

Ompal Sansanwal paintings at Jiva exhibition in Bikaner House, Delhi | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Artist Ompal Sansanwal can’t wait for his exhibition Jiva to open at Bikaner House on Saturday evening. For the last 15 years, he has been building a body of work comprising 60 paintings that capture the magic and majesty of…

Manisha Koirala claims she is a slouch on any ordinary day. “I can’t sit upright!” she chuckles. On the other end of the Zoom call, the 53-year-old actor appears relaxed, her hair tied back in a lazy bun, her eyes filled with warm candour behind her oversized spectacles. It is in stark contrast to Mallikajaan,…

Brian Tyree Henry. | Photo Credit: MARIO ANZUONI Godzilla x Kongstar Brian Tyree Henry has joined the cast of an upcoming musical film from American singer Pharrell Williams and director Michel Gondry. Inspired by William’s growing up years in Virginia Beach set in 1977, the untitled movie will feature Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, and…

Ghungroo or salangai is an integral part of Indian classical dances The clouds create a blanket of darkness as the rain pours. Covering her head, the abhisarika nayika traipses through the woods, lit only by occasional flashes of lightning. A snake attempts to wrap around her ankle, but she bravely shakes it off. Nothing can…

A poster of ‘Manjummel Boys’ Close on the heels of the resounding success of their film, the producers of the Malayalam blockbuster Manjummel Boys find themselves in a spot of bother after the Maradu police in Kerala registered a case against them, including for cheating, on a complaint that they failed to honour a promise…

Director Hari is an interviewer’s delight; he loves to talk about films, shares interesting anecdotes about his films — some of which are cult classics today — and gets excited when you point out a deft filmmaking touch past the Sumo car chases and fast cuts he has become synonymous with. Fascinatingly, for someone who…

Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshi Toranaga from FX’s ‘Shōgun’ Toranaga-sama’s long game came to an end on the eagerly-awaited Shōgun finale today. Well, it more or less did. In the final episode of the highly-acclaimed show – spoiler alert – the audience will not bid farewell to the “marooned Englishman” Blackthorne and the motley samurai crew…

Rajinikanth in the title reveal teaser of ‘Coolie’ | Photo Credit: Sun Pictures Coolie is the title of Superstar Rajinikanth’s much-anticipated film with director Lokesh Kanagaraj. The title of the film, previously called Thalaivar 171, was unveiled by the makers today with a special teaser video. The video features the Superstar entering an illegal bunker…

Knuckles and Idris Elba attend the global premiere of Paramount+ series “Knuckles” on April 16, 2024 in London, England; Actor Keanu Reeves poses for photographers upon arrival for the screening of the film ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’, in London, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017 | Photo Credit: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Paramount+ and Vianney Le…

Joshua Leonard in a still from ‘The Blair Witch Project’ (1999) Actors Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williams, who gained fame from their roles in the 1999 cult horror classic, The Blair Witch Project, have addressed Lionsgate in a public letter, advocating for fair compensation and consultation rights regarding future projects related to the…

Sharwanand in ‘Manamey’. | Photo Credit: Sony Music South/YouTube The teaser of Manamey,starring Sharwanand and Krithi Shetty, is out. The film is directed by Sriram Adittya and produced by TG Vishwa Prasad under the banner People Media Factory. The teaser shows Sharwananad and Krithi Shetty as poles-apart characters. While Krithi plays someone who is disciplined,…

A still from ‘Squid Game’ The second seasons of Squid Game,The Night Agent, and Cobra Kai season 6, among others, are all set to release in the second half of 2024. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said Squid Game Season 2 will arrive in the second half of this year. Squid…

A still from ‘LSD 2: Love, Sex Aur Dhokha 2’ Dibakar Banerjee trawls the seamy, cynical underbelly of cyberspace and finds more seaminess and cynicism. LSD 2 — a sequel to his 2010 found-footage thriller Love Sex Aur Dhokha — is a puzzling, grotesque, desperately bitter take on technology and cringe culture, aesthetically scornful and…

Rashida Jones in a still from ‘Sunny’ | Photo Credit: Apple TV+ We had previously reported that multi-hyphenate Rashida Jones will star in and produce a dark comedy for Apple TV+ and A24 titled Sunny. Today, the makers announced that the 10-episode half-hour drama will premiere on Apple TV+ with its first two episodes on…

Cinema, in the form of documentaries, short films, feature films, and even animated cartoons, has long been used as a medium to shed light on major events or social conditions to inform and agitate the masses. Our Western counterparts have been utilising films since the days of World War 1; interestingly, before the war, French…

Parineeti Chopra behind the scenes of ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ Parineeti Chopra is earning praise for her portrayal of Amarjot Kaur in Imtiaz Ali’s musical biopic, Amar Singh Chamkila. The film, starring Diljit Dosanjh as the slain Punjabi singer Chamkila, was released to positive responses on Netflix last week. Amarjot was Chamkila’s wife and singing partner…

Family members paying last respects to actor-producer Dwarakish at Ravindra Kalakshetra in Bengaluru on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN Veteran Kannada actor, producer, and director Dwarakish was laid to rest with State honours in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Several noted personalities from the Kannada film industry paid their final respect to Dwarakish, whose mortal remains…

Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson Pamela Anderson is set to star opposite Liam Neeson in Paramount Pictures’ upcoming remake of the beloved comedy classic, Naked Gun. Directed by The Lonely Island’s, Akiva Schaffer, with a script by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, and Schaffer, the modern take on the crime spoof promises to reignite the absurdity…

M.N. Lakshmidevi (left) and Dwarakish at the State Film Awards 2006-07 ceremony in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: File photo Dwarakish at the condolence meeting held for late actor Vishnuvardhan at Palace Ground in Bengaluru in January 2010. | Photo Credit: File photo Actor-producer Dwarakish and superstar Vishnuvardhan forged a combination that gave some of the…

Vishal in a still from ‘Rathnam’ | Photo Credit: Aditya Music Tamil/YouTube Sickle fights, punchlines, angry villains, a convoy of SUVs, a political ploy, and whatnot! The trailer of Rathnam, Vishal’s upcoming film with director Hari, is here and it has everything we have come to associate with the action filmmaker. The trailer of the…

Ryan Gosling, left, and Emily Blunt arrive in the bed of a pickup truck for the world premiere of “The Fall Guy” at the Paramount Theatre during the South by Southwest Film Festival on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, in Austin, Texas | Photo Credit: JACK PLUNKETT In a moment of comedic brilliance on ‘Saturday Night…

The first poster for ‘Hunter’ Choreographer-turned-actor Raghava Lawrence has unveiled plans for his 25th film, titled Hunter – a significant milestone in the star’s acting career. Directed by Venkat Mohan and featuring music by Devi Sri Prasad, the action-adventure film was announced on Tamil New Year, accompanied by the release of its first-look poster. On…

Nivin Pauly with Nayanthara; announcement poster of Nayanthara joining ‘Dear Students’ | Photo Credit: @NivinOfficial/X Actor Nayanthara has joined the cast of the upcoming Malayalam film Dear Students, starring Nivin Pauly, the makers announced on Sunday. The movie is written and directed by Sandeep Kumar and George Philip Roy. Nivin, who also produces the film,…

Vels University honours actor Ram Charan with Doctor of Literature (Honoris Causa) | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Actor Ram Charan has received an honorary doctorate from Vels University at the institute’s 14th Annual Convocation which was held at its Pallavaram campus in Chennai. Along with Ram Charan, the university also awarded Dr P Veeramuthuvel, the…

Writer J.K. Rowling attends the British premiere of ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ movie in London, Britain, November 13, 2018 | Photo Credit: TOBY MELVILLE In the midst of renewed controversy surrounding transgender rights, famed author JK Rowling has once again found herself at the centre of a heated debate. This time, her targets…

The legendary musician Dr. S. Ramanathan. | Photo Credit: D_KRISHNAN By catching talents young and nurturing their skills in groups, S. Ramanathan adhered to the Suzuki method of education that earned Carnatic music eminent practitioners of varying styles, according to the late musician’s granddaughter and vocalist S. Sucharithra. Letting his students choose their tuition time…

Both North and South overbid slightly, and they reached three no trump with only eight tricks and not many chances for a ninth. A heart lead would have given South no chance, but it was impossible for West to find that lead after South opened the bidding one heart. South won the opening diamond lead…

A still from ‘Kurangu Pedal’. | Photo Credit: Sivakarthikeyan Productions/YouTube Tamil star Sivakarthikeyan is set to produce Kurangu Pedal under his banner Sivakarthikeyan Productions. The film, touted to be a feel-good, nostalgic drama, is directed by Kamalakanann Subramanian. Sivakarthikeyan released the film’s first-look teaser on Thursday. The film promises to be a light-hearted children’s drama…

Cannes Film Festival’s new “Immersive Competition” | Photo Credit: Twitter/@Festival_Cannes The 77th edition of the Festival de Cannes will introduce its inaugural Immersive Competition following Alejandro Iñárritu’s groundbreaking virtual reality piece Carne y Arena in 2017, in an attempt to spotlight the next wave of international artists pushing the boundaries of narrative experiences. Supported by…

Pradeep Ranganathan in the announcement video of the film. | Photo Credit: AGS Entertainment/YouTube Actor-director Pradeep Ranganathan has teamed up again with AGS Entertainment, the production house that bankrolled his blockbuster directorial, Love Today. The new film, tentatively titled AGS26, will be directed by Ashwath Marimuthu. Kalapathi S Aghoram, Kalapathi S Ganesh and Kalapathi S…

Warner Bros isn’t resting on its Barbie laurels: The 100-year studio has its sights on a record-breaking 2024 as well, with a release slate that includes a new Mad Max film, Furiosa, Kevin Costner’s two-part Western epic, Horizon: An American Saga, the Beetlejuice sequel, and Joker: Folie à Deux, which brings Lady Gaga to Gotham…

Shivarajkumar in ‘Bhairathi Ranagal’. | Photo Credit: @NimmaShivanna/X Shivarajkumar’s look from Bhairathi Ranagal,directed by Narthan, is out. The film is a prequel to the action drama Mufti, the 2017 blockbuster starring Srii Murali. Shivarajkumar is seen sporting the attire of a lawyer in the new poster released by the makers. The film is produced by…

A poster for ‘Dear Exes’ Nithya Menen’s next, a fantasy relationship drama written and directed by debutante Kamini, has a title. The makers shared the film’s first-look poster on social media on Menen’s birthday. Titled Dear Exes, the film’s poster depicts Menen holding a smartphone and a drink, looking startled by a call from an…

Producer Ektaa R Kapoor has unveiled Bonita Rajpurohit as one of the leads in the highly-anticipated film ‘Love Sex Aur Dhokha 2’. Directed by Dibakar Banerjee, the film promises to delve into contemporary issues with raw authenticity. Ektaa R Kapoor announced the casting of Bonita Rajpurohit in the pivotal role of Kullu in the upcoming…

Lewis Hamilton (L) and Tom Cruise in a still from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, opened up about a missed opportunity in Hollywood. In an interview with GQ, Hamilton revealed his regret for turning down a role in the 2022 blockbuster film Top Gun: Maverick alongside Tom Cruise. Recalling his conversation with…

Sacha Baron Cohen, and Isla Fisher. | Photo Credit: AP Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher say they filed for divorce last year after more than 20 years together. The English Borat star and the Australian Wedding Crashers actor who married in 2010 announced their split Friday in joint Instagram posts that showed them together…

When it comes to comfort television, the comfortable predictability that a police procedural lends itself to is unparalleled. Episode after episode, featuring a familiar group of investigators as they take on cases that come their way, the dynamics they share, and friendship, love, and self-discovery along the way thrown in. The recently concluded Flex X Cop starts…

A performance by Nataraj Music and Dance Academy in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Visakhapatnam-based Nataraj Music and Dance Academy is conducting summer courses called Kala Parichayam on various art forms. The courses will begin from April 10 at its Seethammadhara campus. During the camp, courses will be offered in Kuchipudi classical dance, western…

It is the second time filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine have filmed a group of teenagers participating in mock setups of democratic institutions. Girls State, which they describe as a “sibling” film to their critically acclaimed 2020 documentary Boys State, like its predecessor,follows a group of teenagers who participate in the leadership program that…

A painting from the elephant series by Dushyant Patel | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement “My work is not born in studios but from my frequent road journeys across India,” says New Delhi-based artist Shampa Sircar Das. In their depiction of Nature, her surreal paintings borrow from her observations of flora, fauna, folklore and culture from…

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’  Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux has been rated ‘R’ by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in the United States for “strong” violence and language, “some sexuality” and “brief full nudity”, reports stated. The film, marking Joaquin Phoenix return in the title role, along with Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, will…

Jake Gyllenhaal in a scene from ‘Road House’ | Photo Credit: Laura Radford In the wake of the success of Jake Gyllenhaal’s recent, Road House, Amazon MGM Studios has sealed a three-year, first-look film agreement with the actor’s Nine Stories production company, which grants the studio priority access to all narrative features produced by Gyllenhaal’s…

Zoe Saldana attends the Yves Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection presented Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024 in Paris. | Photo Credit: Vianney Le Caer Actor Zoe Saldaña in a recent interview has said that it would be “a huge loss for Marvel” if the studio didn’t find a way to make another Guardians of the…

Jack Champion, Sophia Lillis | Photo Credit: @jackchampion and @sophialillis/Instagram Actors Jack Champion, Sophia Lillis, Kate del Castillo, Tony Dalton, Whitney Peak and Bobby Cannavale have joined Dave Bautista in the action thriller Trap House, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The new action thriller follows an undercover DEA agent and his colleague in El Paso,…

Once sage and wide-eyed disciple, AR Rahman and Imtiaz Ali have drawn closer over the years. It is now an easy, open friendship, they reassure us, as we settle down to discuss their latest collaboration, Amar Singh Chamkila. Few prospects in contemporary Hindi cinema are as readily exciting as an Imtiaz-Rahman team-up. Their last was…

Loot – Season two The series returns for season two a year after Molly Wells’ (Maya Rudolph) very public divorce from tech billionaire John Novak (Adam Scott), where we find her thriving in her role as the head of her philanthropic organization the Wells Foundation. Focused mainly on her charity work, Molly has sworn off any…

The official poster of ‘Nani 33’ | Photo Credit: Instagram/@nameisnani Celebrating the first anniversary of their successful collaboration with 2023’S Dasara, actor Nani and filmmaker Srikanth Odela are set to recreate magic with Nani 33. Nani took to social media to unveil the news through a striking poster. Having garnered acclaim for their previous venture,…

Dheekshith Shetty in ‘Blink’. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Impressed after watching Blink, Kannada director Suni recently told reporters, “Had this been a Malayalam film, more people would have watched it.” It was evident that Suni got a bit carried away after watching the well-made sci-fi Kannada film from debutant Srinidhi Bengaluru. However, his statement wasn’t entirely…

Tamil actor Daniel Balaji, also known for starring in other South Indian language films, passed away in Chennai on March 29 due to a heart attack at the age of 49. Having turned actor in the world of feature films 22 years ago, Balaji’s limited yet illustrious filmography included titles starring him alongside some of…

Rajkummar Rao; a still from ‘Sri’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement and T-Series Actor Rajkummar Rao’s “Srikanth”, a biopic on visually impaired industrialist Srikanth Bolla, will hit the screens on May 10, the makers announced on Saturday. The film, which was earlier titled “Sri”, is directed by Tushar Hiranandani from a script written by Jagdeep…

A petition was filed by four people with visual and hearing impairments who sought directions on making films accessible to them. | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma The Delhi High Court has given the Centre time till July 15 to notify the guidelines for making films accessible to the hearing and visually impaired. The court…

Steve Martin in Apple TV’s ‘Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces‘  | Photo Credit: @AppleFilms/X In Morgan Neville’s insightful sketch on the ever-charismatic Steve Martin, we are treated to a two-pronged exploration of a man who spends the better half of the docuseries’ runtime doing R Crumb’s absurd Keep On Truckin’ walk; a man…

After being moribund for years, Punjabi cinema got a facelift when a sullen Suvinder Vicky looked into the camera in Kohrra. As sub inspector Balwinder Singh, his dour face revealed the scars of a violent past that the community is hiding behind the miasma of mirth and masculinity. For those following Punjabi cinema, Kohrra is the harvest…

The Sunday Crossword No. 3300

D. J. Caruso, Vin Diesel, Deepika Padukone Hollywood star Vin Diesel has shared a throwback photo with his “XXX: Return of Xander Cage” co-star Deepika Padukone from his maiden trip to India back in 2017. Diesel had visited India to promote the American action thriller, which marked Padukone’s Hollywood debut. In his Instagram post on…

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ | Photo Credit: YouTube/SonyPicturesEntertainment The awaited trailer for Bad Boys: Ride or Die has finally dropped by Sony Pictures, bringing back the iconic duo of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami PD detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. Directed by Adil El Arbi…

We recently lost senior musicians such as Malini Rajurkar of the Gwalior gharana, Prabha Atre of the Kirana gharana, Ustad Rashid Khan of the Rampur Saheswan gharana, and vidwan O.S. Thyagarajan. With the passing of these stalwarts, it’s time to prepare the next generation of performers. The ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ series hosted by Pracheen Kala…

Cillian Murphy | Photo Credit: AP Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy is all set to star in and produce Blood Runs Coal, an adaptation of the non-fiction book. Universal has acquired the rights to the book. The project is based on the 2020 book Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murders and the Battle for the United…

Image used for represnetative purpose only. In recent weeks, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has started requiring an increasing number of Hindi and foreign films to display anti-liquor watermarks for films that feature alcohol consumption, The Hindu has found, based on a review of cut lists of recent films issued by the censor…

Adam Driver | Photo Credit: Evan Agostini Actor Adam Driver, who is leading Francis Ford Coppola’s upcoming film Megalopolis, says his character’s traits are quite similar to the writer-director himself. The upcoming sci-fi epic is Coppola’s passion project, which he has also self-financed. Megalopolis is believed to be set in a futuristic city much like…

Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot aka The Penguin | Photo Credit: YouTube/Max Gotham City braces itself for the return of one of its most notorious figures as Colin Farrell steps back into the shoes of Oswald Cobblepot, aka The Penguin, in the much-anticipated trailer for The Penguin. Set to premiere this fall on HBO Max,…