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Priyanka Chopra is set to make a significant impact with her upcoming Marathi film Paani, which is scheduled for release on October 18. The actress recently attended the trailer launch event in Mumbai, where she was also present for her brother Siddharth Chopra’s wedding. At the event, Priyanka looked stunning in a floral ethnic salwar suit, exuding elegance.

Paani, produced by Priyanka in collaboration with Rajshri Entertainment and Kothare Vision Pvt Ltd, has already garnered attention for winning the National Award for ‘Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation’ in 2019. The film’s narrative follows the inspiring journey of a man from a drought-stricken village in Nanded, Maharashtra, as he battles to secure water self-sufficiency for his community. The film stars Subodh Bhave, Kishore Kadam, Addinath Kothare, and Rucha Vaidya.

Siddharth Chopra and Neelam Upadhyaya taking Aashirwad from Priyanka Chopra in this adorable wedding video

Priyanka’s involvement in Marathi cinema...

Priyanka Chopra Jonas announced the theatrical release date for her Marathi feature film “Paani,” produced under her banner, Purple Pebble Pictures, alongside her mother, Madhu Chopra. The film, which previously won the National Award for “Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation” in 2019, is set to hit theaters on October 18, 2024.

Priyanka shared this exciting news on Instagram, expressing her enthusiasm in both Marathi and English. Fans responded with appreciation for her continued support of regional cinema, praising her commitment to producing meaningful films despite her global success.

Fans commented on the post, “Priyanka’s loves for Marathi is appreciable ”, Another user said, “Wow !! Glad to see your Marathi film coming up.. ” Others said, “Priyanka , you have been an exemplary actress. And now despite of having a global ambition and a demanding career you keep being rooted and support and invest in projects like this. we have lot of respect and pride for you in our hearts.

Actress Nimrat Kaur, who is currently shooting for her next project, shared what is the “only good part about night shoots”. Nimrat, who is shooting on Madh Island in Mumbai, took to her Instagram stories and shared a picture of the blue water and the rising sun.

The actress captioned it: “The only good part about night shoots.”

The actress didn’t reveal details about her shoot on Madh Island.

On the work front, Nimrat was last seen on screen in ‘Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video’ directed by Mikhil Musale. It also stars Radhika Madan, Bhagyashree, and Subodh Bhave.

The 42-year-old actress will next be seen sharing screen space with megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the upcoming courtroom drama film ‘Section 84’ directed by Ribhu Dasgupta.

Actor-director Subodh Bhave, who predominantly works in Marathi cinema, is set to direct the upcoming musical film ‘Sangeet Maanapmaan’. The film will pay homage to legendary Marathi writer Krushnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar eponymous celebrated play.

Subodh considers it an honour to make a film on the celebrated play.

He said, “The film is a grand musical which is set on a massive scale and it sees the biggest names from the Marathi film world come together. I hope that I am able to do justice to the film since I am directing it as well.”

He further mentioned, “It is a huge responsibility and just like my fans have given immense love to my films so far, I hope they enjoy watching this film too on the big screen.”

Presented by Jio Studios, produced by Jyoti Deshpande, the film sees Subodh doubling up as an actor.

‘Sangeet Manapamaan’ is set to...

Paying homage to legendary writer Krishnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar on the 113th anniversary of celebrated play ‘Sangeet Manapmaan’, Jio Studios & actor-director Subodh Bhave announced their grand musical film based on Khadilkar’s masterpiece titled ‘Sangeet Manapmaan’. The magnum opus will release this Diwali on 1st November 2024!

Director and lead actor Subodh Bhave says, “It is an honour to make a film on such a celebrated play by the legendary Krishnaji Prabhakar Khadilkar along with Jio Studios. The film is a grand musical which is set on a massive scale and it sees the biggest names from the Marathi film world come together. I hope that I am able to do justice to the film since I am directing it as well. It is a huge responsibility and just like my fans have given immense love to my films so far, I hope they enjoy watching this film too on the big screen.

Ians

Film: Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video Duration: 116 mins 30 secs

Director: Mikhil Musale Produced by: Maddock Films

Cast: Nimrat Kaur, Radhika Madan, Bhagyashree, Subodh Bhave, Soham Majumdar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Shruti Vyas, Sumeet Vyas, Sneha Raikar, Ashutosh Gaikwad and Rashmi Agdekar

Ians Rating: ****1/2

Mumbai, Oct 27 (Ians) The master of thrillers, Alfred Hitchcock, once said, “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it. The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture.” This is apt for Mikhil Musale’s directorial, ‘Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video’. The film is nothing short of a masterpiece, an absolute must-watch this weekend.

The case of a missing girl turns into a massive story of unravelling everyone’s thought processes, biases, motives and deep-rooted controlling issues.

The film revolves around Sajini Shinde, played by Radhika Madan, a missing teacher, presumably dead, who comes from an orthodox Maharashtrian household. She is engaged...

Ians

Film: Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video Duration: 116 mins 30 secs

Director: Mikhil Musale Produced by: Maddock Films

Cast: Nimrat Kaur, Radhika Madan, Bhagyashree, Subodh Bhave, Soham Majumdar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Shruti Vyas, Sumeet Vyas, Sneha Raikar, Ashutosh Gaikwad and Rashmi Agdekar

Ians Rating: ****1/2

Mumbai, Oct 27 (Ians) The master of thrillers, Alfred Hitchcock, once said, “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it. The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture.” This is apt for Mikhil Musale’s directorial, ‘Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video’. The film is nothing short of a masterpiece, an absolute must-watch this weekend.

The case of a missing girl turns into a massive story of unravelling everyone’s thought processes, biases, motives and deep-rooted controlling issues.

The film revolves around Sajini Shinde, played by Radhika Madan, a missing teacher, presumably dead, who comes from an orthodox Maharashtrian household. She is engaged...

Film: Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video Duration: 116 mins 30 secs

Director: Mikhil Musale Produced by: Maddock Films

Cast: Nimrat Kaur, Radhika Madan, Bhagyashree, Subodh Bhave, Soham Majumdar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Shruti Vyas, Sumeet Vyas, Sneha Raikar, Ashutosh Gaikwad and Rashmi Agdekar

Ians Rating: ****

Mumbai, Oct 27 (Ians) The master of thrillers, Alfred Hitchcock, once said, “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it. The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture.” This is apt for Mikhil Musale’s directorial, ‘Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video’. The film is nothing short of a masterpiece, an absolute must-watch this weekend.

The case of a missing girl turns into a massive story of unravelling everyone’s thought processes, biases, motives and deep-rooted controlling issues.

The film revolves around Sajini Shinde, played by Radhika Madan, a missing teacher, presumably dead, who comes from an orthodox Maharashtrian household. She is engaged to...

Film: Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video Duration: 116 mins 30 secs

Director: Mikhil Musale Produced by: Maddock Films

Cast: Nimrat Kaur, Radhika Madan, Bhagyashree, Subodh Bhave, Soham Majumdar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Shruti Vyas, Sumeet Vyas, Sneha Raikar, Ashutosh Gaikwad and Rashmi Agdekar

Ians Rating: ****

Mumbai, Oct 27 (Ians) The master of thrillers, Alfred Hitchcock, once said, “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it. The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture.” This is apt for Mikhil Musale’s directorial, ‘Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video’. The film is nothing short of a masterpiece, an absolute must-watch this weekend.

The case of a missing girl turns into a massive story of unravelling everyone’s thought processes, biases, motives and deep-rooted controlling issues.

The film revolves around Sajini Shinde, played by Radhika Madan, a missing teacher, presumably dead, who comes from an orthodox Maharashtrian household. She is engaged to...

The Nimrat Kaur and Radhika Madan led crime-thriller film ‘Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video’ has released a gritty, realistic and suspense-filled trailer, packed with authentic female power and a dark gripping mystery.

The trailer revolves around the disappearance and seeming suicide of a schoolteacher called Sajini which is played by Radhika Madan. The premise sees that Sajini has likely killed herself after the leak of something sexually graphic which happened to her, prompting her to allegedly kill herself.

However, police officer Nimrat Kaur, who is investigating this case doesn’t really believe that Sajini is dead, let alone committed suicide and instead believes that all of this is a facade hiding something more sinister.

Showing a strong female power theme, the officer portrayed by Nimrat Kaur is a strong woman who however does not allow other women to play the victim card.

When investigating a suspect who is a woman,...

The Nimrat Kaur and Radhika Madan led crime-thriller film ‘Sajini Shinde Ka Viral Video’ has released a gritty, realistic and suspense-filled trailer, packed with authentic female power and a dark gripping mystery.

The trailer revolves around the disappearance and seeming suicide of a schoolteacher called Sajini which is played by Radhika Madan. The premise sees that Sajini has likely killed herself after the leak of something sexually graphic which happened to her, prompting her to allegedly kill herself.

However, police officer Nimrat Kaur, who is investigating this case doesn’t really believe that Sajini is dead, let alone committed suicide and instead believes that all of this is a facade hiding something more sinister.

Showing a strong female power theme, the officer portrayed by Nimrat Kaur is a strong woman who however does not allow other women to play the victim card.

When investigating a suspect who is a woman,...

After super hit musical film ‘Katyar Kaljat Ghusli’, actor-director Subodh Bhave is all set to present a grand musical vision with the film ‘Manapmaan’. The Muhurat ceremony of this film was held today at Ftii, Pune. After celebrating National Award winning ‘Me Vasantrao, Godavari’ and box office blockbuster ‘Baipan Bhari Deva’, Jio Studios now backs a new musical based on the famous play ‘Sangeet Manapmaan’ written by Krishnaji Khadilkar.

Sharing his thoughts through a video on the occasion of the film ‘Manapmaan’, Subodh Bhave said, “My favourite place where I get a lot of positive energy, inspiration and do good work in life is Ftii Pune. ‘Katyar Kaljat Ghusli’, ‘Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar’ and one of my web series’ muhurat was done here under this very tree and today the shooting of my upcoming film ‘Manapmaan’ is also taking place here.”

Subodh Bhave further added, “Katyar Kaljat Ghusli, and Dr. Kashinath...

After super hit musical film ‘Katyar Kaljat Ghusli’, actor-director Subodh Bhave is all set to present a grand musical vision with the film ‘Manapmaan’. The Muhurat ceremony of this film was held today at Ftii, Pune. After celebrating National Award winning ‘Me Vasantrao, Godavari’ and box office blockbuster ‘Baipan Bhari Deva’, Jio Studios now backs a new musical based on the famous play ‘Sangeet Manapmaan’ written by Krishnaji Khadilkar.

Sharing his thoughts through a video on the occasion of the film ‘Manapmaan’, Subodh Bhave said, “My favourite place where I get a lot of positive energy, inspiration and do good work in life is Ftii Pune. ‘Katyar Kaljat Ghusli’, ‘Dr. Kashinath Ghanekar’ and one of my web series’ muhurat was done here under this very tree and today the shooting of my upcoming film ‘Manapmaan’ is also taking place here.”

Subodh Bhave further added, “Katyar Kaljat Ghusli, and Dr. Kashinath...

In a star-studded event held at the prestigious Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, Jio Studios, the media and content arm of Reliance Industries Limited, for the first time unveiled its spectacular content slate, the single largest slate ever produced by an Indian studio in any given year. The studio has lined up ready to release over 100+ stories across genres of films and original web series in multiple languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, South and Bhojpuri, capturing every emotion and genre of storytelling – Action, Drama, Thriller, Comedy, Romance, Biopics, Horror, Musicals et al.

The depth and width of this marquee offering promises to be a game-changer in the world of Indian entertainment, delivering high quality content that is both entertaining and thought provoking, with unheard of scale. This has been achieved through meticulous collaboration with some of the best creative minds in the country including Raj Kumar Hirani, Sooraj Barjatya,...

‘The Fame Game’ actress Sheena Chohan has been roped in to play female lead in a biopic titled ‘Sant Tukaram’. She shared challenges faced by her while understanding the character of Avalai Jija Bai, wife of Marathi saint Sant Tukaram.

She said: “There’s nothing I love more than deeply researching and collaborating with my director and co-actors to create characters… so this film was one of the most rewarding experiences because Aditya Om Sir went to such lengths to make sure every detail was accurate and sensitive.”

“He helped me to push myself to entirely new limits to really understand who Avalai Jija Bai was, where she came from, what her motivations were and what was it that made her relationship with Sant Tukaram so special.”

Talking about the challenges of preparing for a historical role, Sheena added: “It’s so much harder in many ways, because people have...

The trailer of the upcoming period streaming series ‘Taj – Divided by Blood was unveiled on Friday. As seen in the trailer, the series encapsulates the reign of Emperor Akbar depicting historical figures as humans with ambitions, desires and flaws. The series stars Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Aditi Rao Hydari, Aashim Gulati, Taha Shah Badussha and Shubham Kumar Mehra, among others.

Talking about the series, Naseeruddin Shah said in a statement, “‘Taj – Divided by Blood’ is the story of war and power set against the backdrop of the Mughal empire. The show unveils the inner workings that played out in the hallowed chambers of Emperor Akbar’s empire. While many have recreated Mughal history, ‘Taj – Divided by Blood’ has taken an unexplored and unchartered take on it, hencing making it compelling for old and new viewers.”

He added, “A brilliant team from across the globe has brought this series to life and...

Actor Gurmeet Choudhary is set to portray the legendary Rajput warrior-king Maharana Pratap in the upcoming period streaming series ‘Maharana’. Ridhima Pandit will essay the role of Maharani Ajabde. Maharana Pratap was a Shiva devotee who belonged to the Sisodia dynasty and resisted the expansionism of the Mughal Empire under king Akbar.

Gurmeet said: “It’s an honour to work on a project that is connected to the roots of India. Maharana Pratap was known for his courage and bravery, I am very happy to get a chance to know more about his life. It is also a challenge to portray a strong character like Maharana Pratap himself.”

The show also stars celebrated actors such as Ashwini Bhave, Surendra Pal, Danish Bhat, Prithvi Hatte, Mahesh Kale, Subodh Bhave, Maadhav C. Deochake and Sameer Dharmadhikari.

Ridhima Pandit said: “I am elated to be a part of a vision and script like Maharana.

Mumbai, Feb 14 (Ians) A new series is set to drop on the streaming space and it has veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah essaying the role of king Akbar. The period drama is touted to be a revelatory telling of the inner workings and the succession drama that played out in the hallowed chambers of the Mughal empire.

Titled ‘Taj – Divided by Blood’, the streaming series also stars an ensemble cast of Aditi Rao Hydari as Anarkali, Aashim Gulati as Prince Salim, Taha Shah as Prince Murad, Shubham Kumar Mehra as Prince Daniyal, Sandhya Mridul as Queen Jodha Bai, Zareena Wahab as Queen Salima, Sauraseni Maitra as Mehr un Nisa, Rahul Bose as Mirza Hakim and Dharmendra as Sheikh Salim Christi.

Produced by Contiloe Digital along with William Borthwick as the showrunner, Simon Fantauzzo as the writer and Ronald Scalpello as the director, the series was announced in Mumbai in the the presence of veteran actor Dharmendra.

Actor Swapnil Joshi has been roped in for yet another Marathi film called ‘Vaalvi’. He talks about the teaser and calls it the most difficult film to promote where neither much nor less can be revealed about the film.

The actor is known for his work in Marathi cinema and was also seen in shows such as ‘Krishna’, ‘Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar’, ‘Kehta Hai Dil’, ‘Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand’, and many more. He was also part of movies like ‘Ghulam-e-Mustafa’, ‘Welcome Zindagi’, ‘Laal Ishq’ among others.

He shared: “The idea of doing a teaser like that for ‘Vaalvi’ was first of all that it was unique and it was completely out of the box and also it was the requirement of the script.

“The trailer will be out on January 4 and that will make you realise that it’s a very difficult movie to promote because the plot is...

The most awaited story of bravery, sacrifices, pride, and friendship, Zee Studios ‘Har Har Mahadev’ has finally been released in the theatres marking the auspicious season of Diwali. As the film has been eagerly awaited by the audience, it has brought a storm in the theatres and is garnering immense love from all across the nation. While the audience is already intrigued by the story of the film, the makers are here with the new video of the film with the powerful voice of Raj Thackeray to rise the ever-raging anticipation of the film.

As ‘Har Har Mahadev’ took the audience through the in-depth relationship between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Baji Prabhu Deshpande, it also brought a rare story of a brave and legendary Baji Prabhu Deshpande to the audience. While the film is receiving an amazing response from the masses, its experience is just about to be get doubled...

Har Har Mahadev is a narrative that leaves the audience spell bound with the raw display of bravery, faith, discipline, morals, dignity and above all – love for thy motherland. We have heard quite a few chapters from the history of Maharashtra and the great Marathas. Har Har Mahadev is yet another chapter from the many stories of bravery and valour. It re-instils the sense of patriotism and respect for those who did not blink before laying down their lives for the freedom of the motherland. We have read, heard, and seen stories about the freedom struggle, but what you see here is raw and has multiple layers in the struggle itself. Har Har Mahadev becomes the third film of 2022, based on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the establishment of the Hindavi Swarajya, the earlier two being Pawankhind and Sarsenapati Hambirrao.

Let’s see what’s in store in Abhijeet Shirish Deshpande...

Har Har Mahadev

Written & Directed by Abhijeet Shirish Deshpande

Don’t go by the title. Writer-director Abhijeet Deshpande’s Har Har Mahadev, in Marathi and in a dubbed Hindi version, is not mythological. It is a full blown historical with amazing staying power.

Har Har Mahadev grips you from the first frame to the last. At 2 hours 40 minutes, the plot still succeeds in being flab-free. The narrative moves at a businesslike pace, brusque, barbaric, beguiling, and believable; this is the story of the bond between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his chief of army Baji Prabhu Deshpande.

The two actors playing the two main parts, Sharad Kelkar and Subodh Bhave, are compelling in the way they draw their characters. Kelkar is a well-known actor in Hindi cinema as well. But Subodh Bhave, largely restricted to Marathi cinema, is a revelation. He brings to the table a persuasive periodicity. This is an...

The team of upcoming multilingual film, ‘Har Har Mahadev’ has met one of Telugu cinema’s powerful producers Dil Raju, who has urged audiences to watch the historical film that releases for Deepavali.

The team of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, including director Abhijeet Deshpande, actor Subodh Bhave and actress Sayli Sanjeev met producer Dil Raju, who showed his love and adoration for ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and talked about how Indian history and lives are influenced by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

He also urged the audience to watch the film as it was a film with a message. He said: “‘Har Har Mahadev’ is the first Marathi multilingual film which is to be released pan-India. I am excited to see the life journey of Baji Prabhu Deshpande in the film and how close his bond was with his king.”

‘Har Har Mahadev’ narrates a very strong and inspirational story of a real battle...

‘Har Har Mahadev’ director Abhijeet Deshpande talks about his latest film that is based on the relationship between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his relationship with his commander Baji Prabhu Deshpande who finally gave his life while helping his king during the Battle of Pavankhind.

Abhijeet says: “This film is about the relationship between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his warrior friend Baji Prabhu Deshpande. The whole point of this film is to show the human side of war and the human side of a warrior.”

In 1659, after the death of the Bijapur general Afzal Khan, Shivaji took Panhala from Bijapur, however in 1960, Afzal Khan II of Bijapur sent his army but Shivaji even after five months of war was not successful in taking the fort back and thus decided to escape. Baji Prabhu gave his life in saving Shivaji from being captured.

“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is always known to be a...

Actor Subodh Bhave, who will be seen playing the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the upcoming film ‘Har Har Mahadev, revealed that the films unit members used to fall at his feet with respect every time he walked in on the set in the outfit of his character of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The actor said that ultimately the audience decides the fate of a film but for actors it’s important that they preserve the sanctity of their role. He shared, “Whether you are a good actor or not, the audience decides after watching the film. But before that, the most important thing when you play a character is that you have to preserve the sanctity of the role. Acting comes later.”

He spoke about the treatment he used to receive on the film’s set, “Whenever I used to come on the set dressed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,...

The upcoming Marathi film, ‘Har Har Mahadev’, which tells the story of Maratha warrior Baji Prabhu Deshpande – the commander for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has been in the making for close to a decade.

The film’s director, Abhijeet Deshpande, had to dedicate 10 years for the research and development of the script.

He wrote the script in 2012 and since then the script has seen several changes. Talking about the same, he said in a statement: “For the last four years, I have been involved in the making of the film. It’s a 10-year journey, but I am happy with the product. I had decided that whenever I make a film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, we needed to have a certain grandeur and a certain scale, which you don’t often see in films based on Maharaj.”

The film, which narrates the inspirational story of a battle which was led by Bajiprabhu,...

The makers of Abhijeet Deshpande’s ‘Har Har Mahadev’, which will have the distinction of being the first Marathi film to release in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, have now released the posters of two dynamic and confident women from the film – Amruta Khanvilkar as Sonabai Deshpande and Sayli Sanjeev as Maharani Sai Bai Bhosale.

Amruta Khanvilkar plays the role of Sonabai Deshpande in the historical film, which is about the inspirational story of a real battle in which only 300 soldiers, led by Baji Prabhu Deshpande, fought off 12,000 enemy soldiers and won.

She is an out and out a fighter, a fierce woman whose eyes speak louder than words. She is the strength of her husband’s armour. She is wedded to Baji Prabhu Deshpande and plays a vital role in lending resilience to her spouse.

Sayli Sanjeev, who plays Maharani Sai Bai Bhosale, the wife of Chatrapati Shivaji, is not...

Director Abhijit Deshpande’s ‘Har Har Mahadev’ will be the first Marathi film to be released in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, its makers have claimed.

The film is about the inspirational story of a real battle in which only 300 soldiers, led by Baji Prabhu Deshpande, the commander of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, fought off 12,000 enemy soldiers and won, albeit paying for the victory with their lives.

Baji Prabhu Deshpande was among the many warriors who joined Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to realise his dream of ‘Swarajya’.

The audience will see the heroic saga of Baji Prabhu in Ghodkhind in Zee Studios’ upcoming film ‘Har Har Mahadev.’

Written and directed by Abhijit Deshpande, the film stars Subodh Bhave as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sharad Kelkar as Baji Prabhu Deshpande.

The film, produced by Zee Studios, is to be released in five Indian languages — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, along with Marathi on October 25, this Diwali.

The Marathi film ‘Sahela Re’, directed by actress-director Mrinal Kulkarni is taking the direct-to-digital route as it’s set drop on Ott on October 1, 2022. Mrinal shared that the film explores a relatively untouched genre in Marathi entertainment space.

Mrinal earlier directed films like ‘Rama Madhav’ and ‘Prem Mhanje Prem Mhanje Prem Asta’.

Commenting on the occasion, Mrinal said: “Sahela Re is our labour of love. The audience’s anticipation around the film is very encouraging as we have worked on bringing a story from a genre which is less explored on the web. It was a great experience working with the amazing team and cast, who believed in the film and gave their best to it. We are eager to see the love audiences give the film.”

The film stars Mrinal Kulkarni, Sumeet Raghavan and Subodh Bhave, and explores various shades of relationships through different phases of life.

The story...

Ab Aani CD

Starring Vikram Gokhale, Subodh Bhave, Amitabh Bachchan

Directed by Milind Lele

Amitabh Bachchan as a concept rather than a living reality is nothing new. In the Kannada film Amritdhare Mr Bachchan was cast as a dying woman’s last wish. Nearer home, there is a brilliant short film called Yours Truly, Amitabh in which a retired man (the wonder Kumud Mishra) gets his neglectful family’s attention by claiming he once corresponded with the iconic mega-star.

This kind of metaphorical iconization is unique to Mr Bachchan . His stardom defines acting just as Lata Mangshkar’s vocals define singing. ‘Who do you think you are, Amitabh Bachchan?’ is a classic putdown for someone acting too big for his boots.

In this quaint but alas insipid and eventually uninspired Marathi film , the Big B is ubiquitous in the way, say, in another context Rebecca was in the Daphne du Maurier novel.

Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) President John Bailey praised India's cinema culture when he attended the 56th Maharashtra State Film Awards here as chief guest.

"Thank you, Mumbai. This has been an extraordinary experience. We're so touched, our hearts are so full. Congratulations on your wonderful cinema culture. We have experienced a small bit of it," Bailey said at the event here on Sunday.

The Maharashtra State Film Awards ceremony was also attended by Paresh Rawal, Nagraj Manjule, Subodh Bhave and Kay Kay Menon.

Bailey, who is in India with his wife Carol Littleton, further said he was looking forward to learning more about Marathi cinema.

"This has been just extraordinary. We will always remember this, and we will tell all the Governors back at the (Oscar) Academy what a wonderful experience this has been," he added.

Veteran actor Paresh Rawal, who was feted with the Raj Kapoor Award at the gala,...

Priyanka Chopra has kicked off her fourth Marathi production under her banner Purple Pebble Pictures, Paani, directed by debutant Adinath Kothare on May 10. The film is based on a true story that deals with an insurmountable water crisis that affects an entire region. Inspired by the true story of a common man and his village, Nagdarwadi, situated in the drought prone Marathwada region of Maharashtra; the film is said to be a beautifully woven tale of human struggle and true love. The film stars Adinath Kothare, Rucha Vaidya, Subodh Bhave, Kishor Kadam, Girish Joshi and Rajit Kapoor.

The post Revealed: Priyanka Chopra to produce her next Marathi film on water scarcity appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.

With brilliant performances by Mukta Barve, Subodh Bhave and Sonali Khare, Vikram Phadnis Read More...

Watch Amol Parchure's review of Marathi film Muramba starring Subodh Bhave and Mukta Barve. The film is directed by Vikram Phadnis.

Dukhtar, Margarita With A Straw and Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain among outstanding schedule of independent South Asian films to be screened as part of 17th annual Laff.

Organizers have announced the full roster of films and special events for this year’s London Asian Film Festival (Laff) – Europe’s oldest showcase for South Asian cinema.

The Festival takes place across London from 19 March to 28 March and features a string of exciting and acclaimed independent feature films, master classes, special screenings, debates and the Festival’s celebrated short films competition.

This year’s Festival highlights include critically acclaimed films such as Margarita With A Straw, Bhopal – A Prayer for Rain, Dukhtar, Rang Rasiya, The World Before Her and Haider.

The 17th edition London Asian Film Festival is once again organized by Tongues on Fire, which has built an unparalleled reputation for promoting independent cinema as well as providing a showcase for female filmmakers.

The New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) announced the full lineup last night for their 14th year of celebrating independent, art house, alternate, and Diaspora films from/about/connected to the Indian subcontinent (May 5 – 10) at the SoHo Tiffin Junction. Dedicated to bringing these films to a New York audience, the festival will feature 34 screenings (23 narrative, 11 documentary) –all seen for the first time in New York City.

The festival highlights various cinemas of India’s different regions – Marathi, Bengali and two films from the Northeast. In addition the festival covers cinemas from the neighboring South Asian countries – four films by Pakistani filmmakers, two from Sri Lanka – a feature and a documentary, and one from Nepal.

The festival’s Marathi films include Postcard and multiple-award winning films Astu and Fandry. Directed by Nagraj Manjule, Fandry received rave reviews in India, winning the grand jury prize at the Mumbai Film Festival in October...

One of our favorite and well, my favorite Ost’s if you read my 4 star review, so far this year, has been Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy’s aka Sel’s music for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s tale of the inspiring winning life of Milkha Singh starring Farhan Akhtar. With an eclectic and very cool mix of sounds, flavors, genres, notes and voices they have created a fabulous set of songs for the film. Fans loved the tracks just hearing them when the Ost first released and could not wait to see how they played out on screen. As happens, many times, you can love a song just hearing it but once you see it in the film, you love it even more and that is true of Bmb. In her 4.5 star movie review for us, Aashi Gahlot said, “Every song belongs to the moment it represents perfectly.

Nikhil Advani, who is busy wrapping up his own directorial venture D-Day, is all set to produce his first Marathi film titled Lokmanya. The film to be directed by first time director Om Raut is based on the life of the great freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The script has been extensively researched and received direct validation from Dr. Deepak Tilak, Vice-Chancellor of the Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth. He is also the great grandson of Lokmanya Tilak himself and an expert on Lokmanya's fundamentals and visions. What makes this collaboration even more special is that Om Raut is being mentored directly by his producer Nikhil Advani. Says Nikhil Advani, "Lokmanya is a film that aspires to bring to the foreground one of our nation's greatest leaders whose teachings and ways make for relevant inspiration even today. This is what appealed to me most, when Om brought the project to my production company.

Starring Rani Mukherjee, Prithviraj & A Cast Of Certifiable Lunatics

Directed by Sachin Kundalkar

Somewhere towards the ‘grind’ finale, when you are grinding your teeth in exasperation at the banality of the burlesque, a hideous character named Gagabai is seen slithering dancing and cavorting all over a set that looks like a psychedelic nightmare-scape from Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D. This Lady Gaga in Aiyyaa sings, ‘Do do do me’ to a leery lad who has seen better ‘daze’. Demurring to Gaga’s do-able proposition lanky lad replies, ‘I do with my hand.’

Ahem. At this point the director seems to have completely lost the post. Aiyyaa is a film that thrives on the mood of unmitigated zaniness. For those who like their comedy with a heavy layering of wistful fantasy it’s quite an experience.Wacky and funny on the top, the world of the protagonist Meenaxi(Rani Mukherjee) is dark and sombre beneath.

If last week belonged to Shashi Godbole, this week another Maharastrian mulgi, Meenakshi Deshpande, tries to make us look into her life, her dreams, herself. Director Sachin Kundalkar, who has dabbled in Marathi cinema earlier brings to us a crazy, wacky and really wakda story through Aiyyaa.

Based on the segment Lagnaachya Vayachi Mulgi (A Bride To Be) of his 2009 Marathi movie Gandha (Smell), Aiyyaa is the story of a filmy, feisty Maharashtrian girl Meenakshi (Rani Mukherjee) who realizes that her dreams are about to remain unfulfilled as her parents have begun the customary groom hunting. Between her groom seeing ceremonies and the crazy antics of her family – loud mother, telephone repairing dad, dog loving brother and gold teethed grandmom – she starts falling for an art student Surya (Prithviraj) because of his smell which she finds attractive! While she tries to get to know him better, things complicate as her...

Ha Bharat Maza directed by Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar won the Sant Tukaram award for Best Marathi Film at the 10th Pune International Film Festival which concluded on Thursday. The film based on corruption in Indian middle-class families walked away with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.

Umesh Kulkarni won the Best Director for Deool while Uttara Baokar was adjudged the Best Actor for Ha Bharat Maza and Subodh Bhave for Balgandharva.

German film If Not Us, Who? by Andres Veiel won the Best Film award in the World Cinema competition category and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh. Asghar Farhadi won the Best Director for Nader & Simin: A Separation.

Somnath Gupta’s Ami Aadu won the audience award for Best Film in world competition. This award was instituted by the festival in the 10th edition.

The festival closed with the screening of German film If Not Us, Who?...

Cinemax, one of India’s leading multiplex chains, today hosted the premiere of upcoming Marathi movie – Adgula Madgula. The fun-filled movie is directed by Nagesh Bhosle and is set to release on 14 October 2011. This movie also marks the entry of Cinemax Motion Pictures Ltd. in the Marathi Film Industry.

Adgula Madgula is a comic flick where the humor arises from the theme of a dark complexioned child born to the young fair couple played by leading pair Subodh Bhave and Girija Oak. The cast of the movie involves well-known and established faces from the marathi film industry like Subodh Bhave, G ...

It’s not very often that one gets treated to a musical and that too, in Marathi. With Marathi cinema towering to a new level altogether for some years now, the film Bal Gandharva proves, yet again, the mettle of Marathi cinema.

Directed by the renowned art director, Nitin Desai, Bal Gandharva is an apt on-screen adaptation, in the biopic form, of the journey of the world famous singer-actor named Narayan Shripad Rajhans. In a sentence, one can sum it up as the trials and tribulations that any sensitive, passionate artiste faces during his lifetime. However, what set Bal Gandharva apart is that he is not only passionate about theatre and music, but he is also a genuine artiste – someone who is dignified, extravagant and generous. He does not accept donations from anyone, nor can he curb his expenses. A truthful and humble man, his love for serving the audience surpasses everything.