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Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri Kickstarted The Shoot Of His Next Film The Delhi Files With An On-Set Pooja Ceremony ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, known for his work in films like The Kashmir Files and The Tashkent Files, is all set to present yet another intriguing tale with his next project. The director is now working on The Delhi Files, produced by Abhishek Agarwal. Since its announcement, the movie has captured the attention of the masses.

Audiences are eagerly waiting to see what the filmmaker has in store for them this time.

Amid rising anticipation, Agnihotri shared a significant update on the movie. He revealed that the highly awaited film has officially begun shooting.

Vivek Agnihotri took to social media to share a behind-the-scenes video from the set of The Delhi Files. The clip shows the team performing a pooja, marking the beginning of filming. It also offers a glimpse...

Hindi Films April 2024 Box Office Performs Much Lower Than South Indian Films ( Photo Credit – IMDb )

It has been a very bad month for Hindi films in particular. April 2024 box office report card seems like a disaster when compared to the April performances of the last few years. Five Hindi films were released in April 2024 – the biggest of them being Maidaan and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, which were supposed to churn out a phenomenal Eid this year.

When compared to the other industries, South Indian films collectively performed much better than the Hindi Film Industry, with Malayalam films, in particular, taking the lead at the box office. In together, while Hindi films collected 121 crore, South Indian films collectively earned 179.01 crore at the box office in April.

The five Hindi films that were supposed to bring the April 2024 box office a respectable number were Do Aur Do Pyaar, LSD 2, and Ruslaan, which...

Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri is one of the most sensible and responsible storytellers in Indian cinema. The pioneer director, also known as the Indic Filmmaker of the Nation, has mirrored audiences and society with his true-life storylines in the films. With thought-provoking films ‘The Tashkent Files, ‘The Kashmir Files, and ‘The Vaccine War’, he has made an unforgettable impression on the audience’s emotions.

Today, on the social media, the filmmaker surprised everyone when he responded to a picture shared by legendary Amitabh Bachchan.

Amitabh Bachchan on today morning shared a picture of himself with a caption which says,

“T 4965 – shshhhh .. !!!”

T 4965 – shshhhh .. !!! pic.twitter.com/HpOx2FiadX

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) March 30, 2024

Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri quoted the picture shared by legendary Actor and responded with a poem that says,

“ख़ामोश रहो, ख़ामोश रहो।

वो कुछ बोलेंगे

तुम कुछ बोलोगे

फ...

The Kerala Story’s Ott release date and other details announced (Picture Credit: IMDb)

The Kerala Story created quite a buzz during its theatrical release last year in May. The movie starred Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Sonia Balani, and Siddhi Idnani in the lead roles. The movie was one of the most talked-about films of 2023, with record-breaking box office numbers. And now, the makers have announced The Kerala Story’s Ott release date. Keep reading to know more!

Reception among critics & audiences

Inspired by actual events, The Kerala Story delves into the sensitive and complex issue of the alleged radicalization and conversion of young Hindu women to another religion in Kerala, forcing them into joining terrorist groups. The film follows the story of three girls: Shalini (Adah Sharma), Nimah (Yogita Bihani), and Geetanjali (Siddhi Idnani), who are manipulated by their roommate, Asifa (Sonia Balani), into converting to another religion.

The...

Eminent filmmaker Ananth Narayan Mahadevan is in post-production on “Phule,” about the pioneers of women’s education in India.

Jyotirao Govindrao Phule and his wife Savitribai were social reformers known for their efforts against India’s endemic caste system. Phule’s first school for girls was founded in Pune, western India, in 1848. In 1873, Jyotirao Phule and his followers began the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth-seekers’ Society) to campaign for increased rights for the underprivileged. In 1888, the honorific Mahatma (great soul), a term later used to describe Gandhi, was accorded to Phule.

“The two of them are lethal, the husband and wife, because at a time when the girl child was being refused education and just pushed into marriage, Jyotirao chose to actually educate his little wife – she was just 11 at that time, he was 17 when they got married, because it was the time of child marriage,” Mahadevan told Variety.

Many of the...

Mumbai, May 6 (Ians) Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri on Saturday told cast and crew of ‘The Kerala Story’ that their lives will not be the same as they “will receive unimaginable hate”.

Taking to Twitter, the filmmaker posted a note telling the team of ‘The Kerala Story’ about the “bad news.”

“Cinema And Indic Renniasance: The Kerala Story. I grew up listening to great filmmakers and cinema critics that the only purpose of art is to provoke people into questioning their own beliefs and biases. I also grew up listening that cinema reflects the reality of a society. I was told that cinema must destroy old Gods and create new Gods,” Vivek started the thread on Twitter.

“I have come to realise that in modern times, cinema has the power to do what media and politics can’t do. It can present uncomfortable reality, correct history, fight culture war and also become...

Actor Vardhan Puri, who worked with Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri in ‘Nautanki’, shared that he manifested working with the director after watching his ‘The Tashkent Files.’ The film was earlier titled ‘The Last Show.’

Talking about how his fascination with Vivek started, the actor shared: “In 2019, when ‘The Tashkent Files’ released, I remember seeing it in the theatres. I found it to be a very gutsy, honest, compelling and disruptive film. I remember calling my agent really late at night and asking for Mr. Agnihotri’s number.”

Vardhan got the number late at night but he messaged Vivek because he wanted to share his feelings with the director after watching the film.

The actor said: “It was because that’s how impacted I was from the film. I texted him that I am an actor who recently finished shooting his first film and would really love to work with him. And...

The Indian hit film ‘The Kashmir Files’ has been banned in Singapore by the country’s InfoComm Media Development Authority, on the grounds that it could disturb religious harmony.

Backed by ZEE5 and directed by Vivek Agnihotri (“The Tashkent Files”), the Hindi-language film revolves around a university student who learns about the religiously charged political turmoil that led to the death of his parents in Kashmir in the 1990s.

The Imda said that it had consulted with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and that they together found the film to have “exceeded the Film Classification Guidelines for its provocative and one-sided portrayal of Muslims and the depictions of Hindus being persecuted in the on-going conflict in Kashmir.

“These representations have the potential to cause enmity between different communities and disrupt social cohesion and religious harmony in Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious society.

Pallavi Joshi won the National Award as Best Supporting Actress for husband Vivek Agnihotris "The Tashkent Files", while the director took home the award for the same film in the Best Dialogues category.

This is Pallavi's second National Award. She had earlier received a Special Jury Award at the 1994 ceremony for her role in "Woh Chhokri'. For Vivek Agnihotri, this is the first time he has been given a National Award.

"There is no ego clash between me and Vivek. Rather we feel proud of each other's achievement. I know it is quite natural in a patriarchal society and the kind of social conditioning men have on the achievement of their wives, but since the beginning of our journey our equation as a couple was different," Pallavi told Ians.

Pallavi continued, "When I married him, I was quite a popular face on TV and there were times when we would...

Kangana Ranaut was declared Best Actress for her performances in the Hindi films Manikarnika and Panga at the 67th National Film Awards that were announced in the city on Monday. Manoj Bajpayee, for the Hindi film Bhonsle, and Dhanush, for his role in the Tamil film Asuran, were jointly declared Best Actor.

In a year heavily dominated by Hindi films, Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan won the Best Direction award for Bahattar Hoorain. The Best Feature Film award went to Priyadarshan's lavish Malayalam historical drama, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham.

The 67th edition of the awards were organised by Directorate of Film Festivals (Dff) of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The ceremony was scheduled to be held in May 2020 but had to be postponed owing to the Covid pandemic.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Feature Films

Best Feature Film: Marakkar Arabikadalinte Simham (Malayalam)

Best Direction: Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan...

Priyadarshan’s “Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea” has won best feature film at India’s National Film Awards which were announced Monday.

The Malayalam-language film, a period epic starring Mohanlal, had its global release halted last year by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is now due to release in May 2021. The film also won awards for special effects and costume.

The awards are for 2019 and were due to be announced a year ago, before the pandemic intervened.

Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan was named as best director for Hindi-language film “Bahattar Hoorain.” The acting award was shared by Manoj Bajpayee for Hindi-language film “Bhonsle,” and Dhanush for Tamil-language “Asuran.” Kangana Ranaut won best actress for Hindi-language films “Manikarnika” and “Panga.”

Vijay Sethupathi won the supporting actor award for Tamil-language “Super Deluxe,” while Pallavi Joshi won supporting actress for “The Tashkent Files.”

In the writing categories, Kaushik Ganguly won the original screenplay award for “Jyeshthoputro,...

Covid-19 has created not just a health emergency but a financial crisis also. For India, the pandemic ?has come at a very bad time on the back of three years of the economic crunch.

As the coronavirus spreads globally, celebrities are doing their part to help. Amid the pandemic, stars have been using their platforms to spread awareness, whether it's by sharing videos of themselves washing their hands or advising fans to stay home and practice social distancing. In the midst of everything, Bollywood director Vivek Agnihotri is putting his creative skills to good use.?

Vivek Agnihotri, who directed the sleeper hit The Tashkent Files last year, has taken up painting to raise money for daily wage workers, ?There are a lot of people in the industry whose livelihood has been affected. I will sell these paintings for them,? he shares.

The filmmaker has also tied up with the federations for junior actors,...

?Filmfare awards 2020 is a spiritual awakening for this country?, says Mani Kapoor ?note?d filmmaker and spokesperson of Filmfare awards in an exclusive chat with this author. Excerpts from the conversation.

It?s the morning after the coveted night at Guwahati, as the twitterati are losing their cool and keeping my phone hysterically buzzing with post ranting for what is believed to be the most namakool (ridiculous) award?s night. Zoya Akhtar directed Gully Boy starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt has swept the awards night by bagging best picture, actor, director, and actress etc, leaving the much deserving Uri: The Surgical Strike, Sonchiriya, Hamid, The Tashkent Files, Batla House, and Section 375 way behind in the race. The nonstop vibration on my phone gets interrupted by a ring tone. It?s noted producer Mani Kapoor on the line and is highly elated.

Hello Mani this side, many many congrats he says,...

The Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt "Gully Boy" has been named the top Hindi movie to rule Twitter in 2019.

According to #ThisHappened 2019 Twitter report, "Gully Boy" was the most tweeted about Hindi movie this year.

Also Read:?Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt starrer 'Gully Boy' out of Oscars 2020 race

Directed by Zoya Akhtar, the film is based on the lives of rappers Naved Shaikh, popularly known as Naezy, and Divine (Vivian Fernandes), although many have noted stylistic and narrative likeness with the Hollywood biopic, "Straight Outta Comption".

In "Gully Boy", Ranveer's character used rap as a tool to express his views on society and life in Dharavi, one of the largest slums of Asia. The film became a superhit on release in February. It was India's official entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category this year, but failed to make the final list.

The musical...

Entertainment'Peranbu' has been creating waves in the international circuit by featuring in prestigious film festivals abroad. Digital NativeDigital Native Peranbu, on its theatrical release earlier this year was critically acclaimed, and has been creating waves in the international circuit by featuring in prestigious film festivals abroad. Starring Mammootty in the lead role, the film also stars child actor Sadhana, Anjali and Anjali Ameer, a trans woman actor from Kerala. Now the film has been named as the top Indian movie of 2019 in a list released by IMDb which is determined by visitors' ratings. The other top-rated films are Uri: The Surgical Strike which got second place; Gully Boy and Article 15 at third and fourth places respectively. Chhichhore, Super 30, Badla, The Tashkent Files, Kesari and Lucifer are the other films that made it to the list. In a press release, Col Needham, Founder and CEO of the website, said, “It...

Mammootty's Tamil film "Peranbu" has been named as the top Indian movie of 2019 in a list released by IMDb, in which Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt's "Gully Boy" secured third position.

IMDb on Monday unveiled the top 10 Indian movies of 2019 as determined by IMDb customer ratings. The ratings are determined by customers who rank films and TV shows on a 10 point scale. To rate a title, customers can click the "Rate This" star on any film or TV show title page on IMDb.

Also Read: Our?Mamangam movie review

Vicky Kaushal's "Uri: The Surgical Strike", the war-based drama that traces the real-life events of the 2016 Uri attack and its aftermath, is on second spot.

"Gully Boy", India's official entry for the 92nd Academy Awards, is third in the list, followed by "Article 15", "Chhichhore", "Super 30", "Badla", "The Tashkent Files", "Kesari" and "Lucifer".

"It's wonderful to see such a...

Cinedigm, an independent content distributor and digital platform operator, has acquired North American rights to cross-cultural holiday drama “A New Christmas.” The film will have its world premiere at the Heartland International Film Festival on Oct. 13.

Cinedigm plans to release it in North American cinemas, on digital and on demand in December.

“A New Christmas” is written by Travis Hodgkins and directed by Daniel Tenenbaum (“Landing Up”).

Indo-American actor Prashantt Guptha (“The Tashkent Files”) stars as a lonely medical student in New York, estranged from his wife. He meets a charming woman from Africa, played by Grace Wacuka (“Before and After”) who persuades him to show her the city’s Christmas decorations, thereby leading him to rediscover the magic of the season and get his life back on track.

The film is produced by U.S. entities Savi Creations (“Tu”) and Mulberry Films (“The Last Laugh”), in association with Besties Make Movies...

After the unprecedented success of The Tashkent Files and on the eve of Independence Day, filmmaker, Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri launches the ?First Look? of his next film, The Kashmir Files which is based on the genocide and mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandit?s - by far the largest ethnic cleansing that India has witnessed.?

The launch of the ?first look? of The Kashmir Files comes close on the heels of Hon?ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji's appeal to the entertainment industry to film in Kashmir. Aligning with the Prime Minister?s appeal and the requirement of the script, The Kashmir Files will be shot in real locations within Kashmir such as Shankaracharya Temple, Martand Sun Temple, and other prominent locations.

The film will feature an ensemble cast of the finest actors in the country and Co-produced by Pallavi Joshi and one of the most successful studios. It was...

Feeling strongly about the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandit community from Kashmir Valley due to militancy, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri will be making a movie on this theme.

The movie based on Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced to move out of Kashmir Valley in 1990 due to militancy, follows Agnihotri's film on "The Tashkent Files", which revolved around the mysterious death of then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966.

It will be an investigation, recording first-hand testimonials of the victims and also the perpetrators, he said in a statement.

"Kashmiri Pandits are homeless in their own country. This is the seventh exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir - their home. Since Ww II, there hasn't been such a violent and barbaric ethnic cleansing anywhere in the world," Agnihotri said in a statement.

"This is India's holocaust where at midnight the minorities of Kashmir valley were asked to leave the valley and they...

Actress Tisca Chopra, who is making her digital debut with web series "Hostages" and also gearing up for her directorial venture in Bollywood, says high quality production and content in the web space is keeping filmmakers on their toes to deliver good cinema.

"The way the web space is booming, films have to be reinvented by the makers. In the web space, makers are not looking for a hero-heroine story. They are looking for stories that are engaging," Tisca told Ians.

Bollywood, said the "Taare Zameen Par" actress, was still chasing a formula.

"The big change is that, in recent times, none of those formula films have worked well at the box office. Rather, films like 'Badhaai Ho', 'Stree' and recently 'The Tashkent Files' earned good reviews and considerably good business. That way, I think digital entertainment is changing the face of cinema," she remarked.

Producer, director and screenwriter Vivek Agnihotri?s latest film The Tashkent Files (Ttf) released on 12th this month. Vivek Agnihotri earlier made his directorial debut in 2005 with his Bollywood film Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets.

The Tashkent Files is a thriller about the death of former Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri starring Naseeruddin Shah and Mithun Chakraborty in lead roles. The film had a limited release and has sustained the Monday audience. Vivek Agnihotri made a statement that read, ?In every film?s life, Monday is the acid test. If the film garners same footfalls at the Box Office as on opening Friday, it means the content is the winner and people have given thumbs up to the film. The Tashkent Files is one such film. It held very well on Monday. While most of the films see a major drop in footfalls on Monday, Ttf maintained on Monday and...

Vivek Agnihorti is a director who is known for his unique and varied films. From his debut Chocolate (2005) to Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal in 2007, to 2014’s Buddha in a Traffic Jam, Agnihotri presents cinema that always tells an intriguing story in a very stylistic way. His rare films, that garner rave reviews, are ones that have not been done and seen in cinema before.

His newest film, which is in theaters now, is another completely different project with a unique and intriguing way of telling a story. The Tashkent Files tackles the mystery of the death second Prime Minister of Independent India Lal Bahadur Shastri, Shahstri died under mysterious circumstances in Tashkent Uzbekistan, (which was a part of Soviet Russia back then), hours after signing the peace accord with Pakistan, and a whole new set of truths, each different from the other started to emerge.

Let’s set the stage...

After launching the intriguing posters and the captivating trailer of The Tashkent Files, the makers have launched the promotional track of the film, Saare Jahaan Se Accha rap edition.?

Touted as India?s biggest political thriller, The Tashkent Files talks about the mysterious death of late Prime Minister of India ? Lal Bahadur Shastri.

The film brings up important issues including Right to Truth. Accordingly, the makers decided to recreate the patriotic song Saare Jahaan Se Accha in the film. The rap version features actress Shweta Basu Prasad.?

For the first time, 4 pooular Radio Jockeys including Anuraag Pandey, Rohini, Archana and Jayaraman Mohan, have come together to be a part of this song, hopefully the audiences, especially the youth will be able to connect with the song. Music director Rohit Sharma has composed the song.

Informs Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, "We couldn't have chosen a better song than Saare Jahaan Se Accha...