News

Kanu Behl’s second feature, Agra (2024), offers a profound exploration of the human psyche, forcing the audience to confront struggles that hit close to home. In our increasingly crowded world, the desire for personal space, both physical and emotional, is universal. The film centers on Guru, a young man suffocated by the cramped conditions of his family home, where constant clashes with his mother and a refusal to share space with his cousin, Chhavi, intensify his frustration. Like Behl’s earlier work Titli, Agra casts a critical eye on patriarchy, but this time it dives even deeper, entwining themes of sexual repression and unfulfilled desires. Guru becomes consumed by the fantasy of a girlfriend who exists only in his mind, blurring the line between reality and illusion. But where does this imagined love lead him? Does he ever succeed in carving out a space of his own? To fully grasp...

Manoj Bajpayee, known as one of India’s finest actors, is riding high on the festival circuit with “The Fable,” which debuted at the Berlinale and is now heading to Valladolid’s Seminci and the Mami Mumbai Film Festival.

The film follows a happy family led by Dev (Bajpayee), who live as owners of a vast Himalayan orchard estate until a series of mysterious fires bring into question who they really are. Directed by Raam Reddy (Locarno winner “Thithi”), the film resonated with Bajpayee during a time of personal transition.

“This was the film that happened to me just when I was transitioning into a more spiritual realm of life, and my mind was in no mood to get stuck into this ambition mode and the goal mode,” Bajpayee tells Variety. “It is something that I have been searching for for many years.”

The actor found an immediate connection to his character,...

Rasika Dugal is one of the most striking faces in the firmament of Indian entertainment and has a checkered career in cinema and on the small screen. Always eager to push boundaries, she now stars in award-winning director Karan Gour’s film ‘Fairy Folk’ which will hit Indian screens on March 1. The film has already won wide acclaim at the Sydney Film Festival, the Chicago International Film Festival, Mami (Mumbai), and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, and will now enjoy a theatrical release across Mumbai, Delhi, Goa, Kolkata, and Bengaluru.

Interestingly, this is the first time that Rasika is sharing screen space with her husband Mukul Chadda. The two play a couple caught in a rather surreal situation when a genderless being enters their life and turns it upside down. Rasika says the film that has a large helping of magic realism and explores human relationships from an unusual perspective,...

Actress Konkona Sen Sharma, who is all geared up for the release of the dark comedy thriller series ‘Killer Soup’, has shared that she is ‘sick’ of doing just very earnest, good kind of roles, and loves playing women who are little ‘irresponsible’, and have shades of grey. Konkona takes on the intricate role of Swathi Shetty in ‘Killer Soup’, starring Manoj Bajpayee.

Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, the series promises a compelling blend of love, lust, thrill, and suspense, seasoned with dark humour that sets it apart.

The actress is known for her work in movies like ‘Wake Up Sid’, ‘Page 3’, ‘Omkara’, ‘Life in a… Metro’, ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha’, among many others.

What process she follows in choosing such power-packed roles, Konkona told Ians: “When I look for roles, I see what script is like first. The entire script has to be cohesive. Characters have to be well-written,...

Eight projects of multiple genres, including magic realism, fantasy, horror/thriller, women’s empowerment, cross-border politics, Lgtbq+ issues, and mental illness, have been selected for the 16th edition of Nfdc Screenwriters’ Lab, an ongoing initiative to develop, nurture, and promote original voices from all over India. The eight screen writers, who also happen to be filmmakers of ad films, short films, documentaries, and feature films, have written the selected scripts in multiple languages, including Hindi, Marathi, English, Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali, Odia, and Tibetan.

Two of the writers are National Award Winners for “Best Marathi Film” and “Best Cinematography.”

“We, at Nfdc, strongly feel that a well-written script forms the foundation of a compelling story, engaging characters, and meaningful dialogue, all of which are essential elements of a successful film.” said Mr. Prithul Kumar, Managing Director of Nfdc.

“We are at the forefront of not only training our writers to better develop their unique stories,...

Eight projects of multiple genres, including magic realism, fantasy, horror/thriller, women’s empowerment, cross-border politics, Lgtbq+ issues, and mental illness, have been selected for the 16th edition of Nfdc Screenwriters’ Lab, an ongoing initiative to develop, nurture, and promote original voices from all over India. The eight screen writers, who also happen to be filmmakers of ad films, short films, documentaries, and feature films, have written the selected scripts in multiple languages, including Hindi, Marathi, English, Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali, Odia, and Tibetan.

Two of the writers are National Award Winners for “Best Marathi Film” and “Best Cinematography.”

“We, at Nfdc, strongly feel that a well-written script forms the foundation of a compelling story, engaging characters, and meaningful dialogue, all of which are essential elements of a successful film.” said Mr. Prithul Kumar, Managing Director of Nfdc.

“We are at the forefront of not only training our writers to better develop their unique stories,...

Stars Acting Up At Busan

Oscar-winning Korean actor Youn Yuh-jung will headline the Actors’ House section of the upcoming Busan International Film Festival, it was announced on Thursday.

Introduced in 2021, Actors’ House is a special series that connects audiences and film enthusiasts with iconic actors from the current generation through its in-depth discussions. “There’s much anticipation to hear her words of wisdom, as she’s known for her insightful observations,” said the festival.

Others this year include: Han Hyo-joo, Song Joong-ki and Korean-American actor and author John Cho. Han is known for performances in 2015’s “The Beauty Inside,” “W” (2016), “Happiness (2021), and last year’s “The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure.” She will be in Busan with Netflix-backed “Believer 2” and recently appeared in the Disney+ original series, “Moving.”

Song, who hosted the 2021 Busan festival’s opening ceremony, was recently seen in “Hopeless,” one of the handful of Korean films in Cannes this year.

Actress Megha Prasad, who has made her entry into the unusual love story drama ‘Titli’, opened up about her character, saying she always wanted to do something different than usual. She will be seen playing the character of Megha Prasad, a psychologist treating Garv (played by Avinash Mishra).

Talking about her entry and the character, Megha said: “I am extremely happy and grateful to be a part of ‘Titli’. It’s a unique show and I’ve always wanted to do something different than usual. It has a great topic, masculinity and major anger issues and unconditional love.”

“And I’m even more excited because I’m playing the role of a psychologist who heals other’s past traumatic wounds and anger issues for their mental sanity,” said the actress.

She expressed her excitement saying, “My character’s name is also ‘Megha’. Damn excited and looking forward to playing Megha in a unique way.

Actor Anshul Bammi, who currently essays the role of a cop Ankit Patel in ‘Titli’, is all set to enter ‘Pandya Store’. Anshul said: “I’m currently shooting for Titli as a cop and enjoying my journey as Ankit Patel. I shoot for it for a maximum of 14 to 15 days so I can easily shoot for another show as well. Hence I’m happy to get another show, Pandya Store.”

“This is a successful show on Star Plus and I’m excited to become part of it. Shooting for two shows is not an easy task but I’m happy to challenge myself. I’m looking forward to a new journey with a new character.”

The actor who previously acted in Ishq Ki Dastaan – Naagmani, will essay the role of Chiku, who happens to be an impersonator introduced by Amba Makwana (Ananya Khare) as his son to capture power over Pandya Store.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee on Saturday shared the news that he has commenced the shoot of his upcoming film 'Despatch'. The thriller tells the story of what goes in the underbelly of crime journalism.

Manoj posted a picture on Instagram from the set and captioned it: "Back to where it feels like home. Despatch commences shoot."

The film is directed by Titli fame director Kanu Behl, and will be released directly on a digital platform. It is produced by Ronnie Screwvala and will be shot in London, Delhi and Mumbai.

Besides this, Bajpayee will also be seen in the second season of The Family Man, which is set for a summer release this year. The web series was earlier scheduled to release in February but has been pushed owing to undisclosed reasons.  --ians/ym/vnc...

Mumbai, Jan 29 (Ians) Actor Manoj Bajpayee will star in an investigative thriller that unfolds in the world of crime journalism.

Titled "Despatch", the film will be helmed by Kanu Behl, known for directing critically acclaimed film "Titli".

"Enter the world of crime journalism with #Despatch. This edge of the seat thriller will be a direct to digital release!," Manoj tweeted on Friday.

The actor plays a character who finds himself sucked into the underbelly of business and crime.

"As an actor I want to be part of stories that I want to tell and that deserve to be told. 'Despatch' is one such film. With the digital age, our stories can now reach and be accessed by viewers across the globe and I'm confident this film will have many takers because it is relevant to our times. I am looking forward to collaborating with Kanu Behl who is well versed...

Indian actor Manoj Bajpayee will star in investigative thriller film “Despatch,” directed by Kanu Behl and produced by Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP. “The film unfolds in the world of crime journalism and Bajpayee plays a character who finds himself sucked into the murky underbelly of business and crime.

Bajpayee, one of India’s most respected actors, has won best actor at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards twice, for “Aligarh” and “Bhonsle.” Behl’s debut feature “Titli” bowed at Cannes in 2014, where it was nominated for the Camera d’Or and the Un Certain Regard award.

RSVP, headed by former Disney India head Screwvala, is the middle of a production boom. It is in the thick of several projects including “Ashwatthama,” “Five Past Midnight, “Sitara,” “Pippa,” and has just wrapped “Rashmi Rocket.”

“Despatch” is designed as a direct-to-digital project, but a streaming platform has not yet been announced.

“The scope for...

The Varun Dhawan-Anushka Sharma starrer Sui Dhaaga released two years ago on this day. Director Sharat Katariya, opening up on his creative process, says the characters in his films come from his personal experiences.

The 2018 release "Sui Dhaaga" was Katariya's third directorial after "10ml Love" (2010) and "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" (2015). He also contributed as a writer in films like "Bheja Fry" (2007) and "Titli" (2015).

Katariya, who also penned dialogues in "Fan" (2016) and "Befikre" (2016), has carved his niche for crafting critically acclaimed commercial entertainers that celebrate realism, as a writer and filmmaker.

"I was born in Delhi. The characters normally come from personal experiences of growing up. All these characters whether its Prem and Sandhya (Dum Laga Ke Haisha) or Mauji and Mamta (Sui Dhaaga) or other characters, like their parents, their family, their neighbours, whatsoever you write or you are influenced from, are people who you come across," Katariya said.

Another soggy mafia saga set in and around a Delhi business family, and one that compares very poorly with Kanu Behl's "Titli" and Shanker Raman's "Gurgaon", "Line Of Descent" leaves a puzzling, bitter 0aftertaste.

It's not such an awful film. It's just so unnecessary it resembles a fifth or sixth generation copy of "The Godfather" with Prem Chopra?giggle?playing Brando while Ronit Roy, Neeraj Kabi and Ali Haji play the three sons quite well. Abhay Deol, the well-meaning though ill-informed cop who busts the Sinha family's a**. And Hollywood has-been Brendan Fraser (the big daddy from original "The Mummy" franchise) makes an entry midway as an arms dealer of indeterminate race and an even more uncertain function in a plot that wants to be savage, funny, poignant and relevant, and trips over its own overweening ambitions.

Throughout the running time of less than two hours, we search...

Selected projects include four debut features and the second fiction feature from Pushpendra Singh.

Film Bazaar, organised by India’s National Film Development Corp (Nfdc), has selected five projects to participate in this year’s Work-in-Progress (Wip) Lab, four of which are from first-time directors.

The four debut features are Kannada-language Pedro, directed by Natesh Hegde, and Hindi-language titles Shankar’s Fairies, directed by Irfana Majumdar, Switzerland, from Ajitpal Singh, and The Knot (Uljhan), from Ashish Pant. The one project from a returning director is the Gujari-language The Shepherdess And The Seven Songs, directed by Pushpendra Singh (Lajwanti).

The mentors...

Yoodlee Films known for consistently creating quality cinema that has been lauded by critics and struck a relevant chord with millennial audiences - has announced their next project. Titled 'Agra', the film will be directed by Kanu Behl, whose debut film Titli wowed audiences and critics worldwide. Kanu Behl?s first film Titli established his credentials firmly as a storyteller with a strikingly original voice to look out for and opened to massive critical acclaim all over the world. Titli traveled to more than twenty major festivals worldwide including 2104 edition of Cannes Film Festival and won several awards in various categories. Agra, being Kanu Behl?s next, therefore promises to be a film to look out for in the months to come.

Agra has an ensemble cast of talented actors in its ranks, headlined by Rahul Roy who makes a comeback with this film. The film also features Priyanka Bose,...

The Amazon Prime Series Made in Heaven, is garnering rave reviews from critics and viewers a like. An Excel Entertainment production, aka Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, the special series created by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti features power-packed performances by Arjun Mathur, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Shashank Arora and Shivani Raghuvanshi. Adding to the mix are respected character actors Yashaswini Dayama, Ayesha Raza, and veterans Vinay Pathak, Neena Gupta and Deepti Naval.

Made In Heaven takes a closer look into the lives of the elite. It narrates the journey of two wedding planners Tara and Karan whose efforts at delivering the perfect wedding for crazy rich Indians, leads them on a journey of self-discovery. The show portrays today’s India as a potent blend where tradition jostles with modern aspiration, set against the theme of the ‘Big Fat Indian Wedding’. Indians believe marriages are made in heaven...

Six projects from Indian scriptwriters will be presented at this year’s Hong Kong Filmart.

India’s National Film Development Corporation (Nfdc) is holding the pitching event for its annual Screenwriters Lab (Swl) at this year’s Hong Kong Filmart from March 18-21.

Six projects from Indian scriptwriters will be presented to potential co-producers, financiers, distributors and sales agents at the Nfdc’s Filmart booth at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Hkcec).

Writers and directors who will be pitching projects include Akhilesh Jaiswal, who worked on Gangs Of Wasseypur as a writer; Ajitpal Singh, who was associate director...

Indian-French co-production comprises four short stories tackling different issues that have plagued India since independence.

India’s Drishyam Films is teaming with France’s Backup Media to co-produce an anthology film, Tryst With Destiny, directed by rising Indian filmmaker Prashant Nair.

Currently in production, the film will comprise four short stories that tackle different issues that have plagued India since independence. The title of the film is taken from a famous speech by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, to the country’s parliament on the eve of independence on August 14, 1947.

Cast on the film includes actors...

Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra impressed everyone with their debut film Ishaqzaade. Their raw, intense performances were applauded by all and fans could not wait to see them together in a film again.

We have some news! The duo will return onscreen for a second time with Dibakar Banerjee’s next film. Always a filmmaker who delivers unique and engaging films, Banerjee will direct Arjun and Parineeti in a dramatic thriller Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar.

The film is a story of a man and a woman who represent two completely different Indias. This story could happen to any of us in contemporary India. But it happens to Sandeep and Pinky. Two more unlikely protagonists in one film are unimaginable. They are united in one thing only. Their mistrust, suspicion, and hate for each other.

Director Dibakar Banerjee said, “This feels like my first film, again. I’ve had to unlearn...

Hotel Salvation (Mukti Bhawan), directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani, which has already won ten Indian and international film awards, has been acquired for the UK by BFI Distribution.

The film won the Prix Enrico Fulchignoni at last year’s Venice Film Festival – an award given by the International Council of Film and Television at Unesco to the Venice film that best represents the values of peace and human rights. Last weekend it won Best Film at the New York Indian Film Festival. Hotel Salvation is now a strong contender to be India’s Academy Award entry in 2018.

This gentle and tender Indian comedy follows the ordeal of an over-worked modern son forced to accompany his 77-year-old father, who is in search of salvation, to the holy city of Varanasi. The film showcases bravura performances from renowned actors Adil Hussain (Life of Pi), Lalit Behl (Titli) and Geetanjali Kulkarni (Court).

The film...

Mukti Bhawan

Starring Lalit Behl, Adil Hussain, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Navninda Behl.

Written & Directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani

24 is too young to think about death, let alone make a melancholic meditative movie on mortality. Debutant Shubhashish Bhutiani’s Mukti Bhawan sweeps us into a world where death is not the end but a release into a realm of imperishable freedom.

Or Moksha, if you will.

Crafted with the care of a jeweller working on a specially intricate piece, the director brings to life the most precious and vital truth about death. As he takes us, along with his two protagonists, on a journey to the holy city of death Varanasi, the film somewhere along its resplendent route to salvation, becomes a treatise on life as defined by the inevitability of death.

Like all the most important directors of the world from Satyajit Ray to Ritesh Batra, Bhutani has a keen eye for detail.

Dubai Film Market is introducing a selection of Indian projects for the first time this year through a partnership with Europe’s Pjlf Three Rivers Residency.

The five projects are being scripted by hot new talents such as Kanu Behl, whose debut feature Titli premiered at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 2014, and Raj Rishi More, whose project is being produced by The Lunchbox director Ritesh Batra.

The Three Rivers residency provides writer-directors with a month-long distraction-free space to work on their scripts in the Italian countryside, with the help of an expert mentor, before presenting their projects at Diff. Although focusing on Indian projects in its first year, the organisers hope to open the programme to international writer-directors, including those from the Arab world, from next year.

“We feel writers sometimes need a much more concentrated period to hone their ideas and get away from all the distractions of a day job and daily life,” said producer...

Film Bazaar: Experts say indie filmmakers need smart advice before agreeing to any festival premieres.

Think about your film first and your launch second, advised Thithi director Raam Reddy at Monday’s Knowledge Series panel about film festivals and markets. “Make the best film you can make then position it and decide which is your best premiere,” he advised.

After his film won awards at Locarno, he turned down more than 50 festival invitations so that he could take time to complete the final version of his film.

“It’s more of an art than a science,” he said of navigating the world of film festivals and marketing.

Uma DaCunha, the godmother of India’s international film festival strategies who works with festivals including Toronto and Busan, noted that times had changed significantly since she had been started working with festivals in the early 1970s. “Every first film went to festivals. It was a time...

Starring Farhan Akhtar, Shraddha Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Shashank Arora, Prachi Desai, Kumud Mishra

Directed by Sujaat Saudagar

There is a life-defining sequence in the early part of this stylishly cut film where the excellent Shashank Arora, playing a young struggling musician, a Sarod player in this day and age if you must know, pleads with the supremely accomplished Kumud Mishra playing a rigid musician, for a hearing. A request that falls on deaf years because Guruji is a purist who believes music must not be tampered with to create a contemporary sound.

Ironically this is what Rock On 2, a worthy resoundingly successful sequel to the 2008 genre-defining musical, attempts. It breaks barrier of sound and drama to give us an experience that moves the feet and the soul, sometimes in unison. From the first frame when we hear ‘Killer Drums’ Kd(the very endearing Purab Kohli) trying successfully...

The much-awaited trailer of the musical emotional drama Rock On 2!! has finally landed online and the Shujaat Saudagar directorial will take you to an inspiring journey of the rock band called Magik that tugged your heartstrings eight years ago. The two-minutes-twenty-seconds fast paced trailer takes you forward from where the first part Rock On left its traces. It mainly focuses on the newly introduced character of Shraddha Kapoor as Jiah Sharma who is passionate about singing but had kept her talent hidden from the world for some reasons. You can see Shraddha as an established vocal singer at the start of the trailer who is being asked about her insipiration of her magical journey. It then goes on to show some glimpses of the unfortunate things that has had happened in the past because of which the Magik stayed away from the stage all these years. Purab Kohli as Kd - the drummer,...

The film-makers will each receive an expert mentor to help develop their feature projects.

Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) is partnering with the Pjlf Three Rivers Residency, designed to support Indian film-makers in developing their scripts. The residency provides six writer-directors a year with a distraction-free space to write their scripts, the help of an expert mentor and the opportunity to present their projects at Diff.

The six filmmakers selected this year include Kanu Behl [pictured], whose debut Titli screened at Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2014, Arun Karthick, who debuted with Rotterdam title The Strange Case Of Shiva, Raj Rishi More, who served as assistant director on The Lunchbox, Miransha Naik, Sonal Jain and Pushan Kripalani. Naik recently completed post-production on Juze, which has been picked up by Films Boutique and secured a French release through Sophie Dulac Distribution.

This year’s advisers include Molly Stensgaard, Franz Rodenkirchen, Marten Rabarts, Gyula Gazdag and Olivia Stewart, who has developed...

Brahman Naman Movie Trailer. Qaushiq Mukherjee‘s Brahman Naman (2016) movie trailer stars Shashank Arora, Sid Mallya and Denzil Smith. Brahman Naman‘s plot synopsis: “A champion college quizzing team try to win the all-India finals and lose their virginities.” According to LiveForFilms, “It’s the 1980s and Naman (Shashank Arora, star of Cannes hit Titli) is a know-it-all nerd driven by the whims of […]...

Of the many, many films playing Sundance this year, one of the most unexpected, at least to me anyway, is the coming of age sex comedy Brahman Naman from director Q. and writer Naman Ramachandran. Set in 1980s Bangalore, India, the film follows Naman (Shashank Arora, Titli), a know-it-all nerd driven by a hyperactive sex drive who heads up Bangalore University's quiz team that also includes bespectacled misfits Ajay and Ramu. Spending most of their time on the quizzing…...

Well it certainly seems to be falling all in place for very suave and edgy Mallya Jr. on his film front. Sid, who is currently completing his degree at The Royal Central School of Drama in London, is over the moon about his debut film: not just premiering but also competing in the World Cinema dramatic competition at the Sundance Film Festival.

The film is directed by Calcutta – based Q, quite the darling of the indie circuit having caused a stir with groundbreaking hits like Tasher Desh and Gandu. The film is produced by Steve Barron who’s other comedies include Dan Akroyd’s ‘Coneheads’ and ‘Mike Bassett – England Manager’. The script is by Naman Ramachandran.

The movie’s plot is centered on the quiz team scene in India in the early eighties and is a smart teen comedy in the vein of the British hit ‘The In-betweeners’ from 2011. Apparently...

Waheeda Rehman, Shashank Arora (Titli, pictured) and Tillotama Shome (Qissa) have joined the cast of Anup Singh’s third feature The Song of Scorpions, which was first pitched at Film Bazaar 2013.

As previously reported, French-Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani and Irrfan Khan lead the cast. Rehman, an Indian acting legend who has appeared in more than 85 films since the 1950s, plays Farahani’s grandmother, a singing healer.

Qissa director Singh will start the 7-week shoot for the new film on Nov 26 in Rajasthan.

Saskia Vischer, Shahaf Peled, Michel Merkt and Thierry Lenouvel are producing the Swiss-French co-production. Rakesh Mehra’s Kriti Productions is serving as the Indian co-producer.

The film has backing from Swiss federal fund Bak, regional fund Cinéforom, and the Cnc’s Aide aux cinemas du monde.

Set in the mystical Thar Desert of Rajasthan, Singh’s original story is about a shaman woman who travels the desert and heals scorpion poisoning with a song. When...

It’s a dry week at the movies. What with all eyes set on next week’s big release, and we all know what That is.

In the meanwhile, debutant director Manish Shrivastav bravely and quietly releases this noire comedy, redeemed by a proclivity to tell a botched-up crime-heist story with conviction, and by a cast of absolutely fabulous actors who know their job and have a knack of getting into character without fuss.

This is a noisily dark film filled with signposts declaring its naturalistic aspirations. The film has a nihilistic spirit cutting through it. Unfortunately the cuts are neither sharp nor graceful. If the truth be told, the pace flounders as director Manish Shrivastava gets self indulgently trippy in telling the story of a group of friends who are caught by a canny cop (Naseeruddin Shah) doing unspeakable acts of cruelty on one another.

For a large part of the terse narration,...

It’s easy to ignore a film when it doesn’t have big names in the cast. Inversely, star-studded films invariably attract mass audiences.

Both eventualities can prove damaging to the aesthetic sensibilities of a committed cineaste. This week’s Titli works despite no stars and in fact works so effectively because it features unknown faces. Last week’s Shaandaar proves stars don’t necessarily ensure quality.

The other quiet new release this week, Once Upon A Time In Bihar, looks with compelling concern at the lawlessness in Bihar during Laloo Yadav’s regime. The plot is taut and the scenario is grim. Director Nitin Chandra weaves together the wasted angst of a bunch of embittered frustrated and angry youngsters in Bihar into a gripping tale of crime and retribution.

Though the film is made at a shoestring budget, the presentation is reasonably polished in that raw edgy kind of...

The hammer is a favourite weapon of aggression among the characters who form the immensely unlikeable family in Titli.

They use the hammer to smash faces and in one sequence to even smash the hand of a loved one.

But it’s the hammering of the individual’s self-esteem that Titli hits you the hardest with. Titli, played by newcomer Shashank Arora, the youngest of three brother in a low-life Delhi family of car-jacking criminals, takes his newly-wedded wife to her lover, watches them disappear in the bedroom and sits quietly waiting for the couple to finish its business.

It’s a moment where the silence of anguished helplessness pierces the irony of the plot.

This is not your martyr husband Ajay Devgn from Sanjay Leeela Bhansali Hum…Dil De Chuke Sanam leading his reluctant bride back to her beloved. This is a world stripped of sublimity and grace, of...

Co-production Market to feature new projects from Kanu Behl, Aditya Vikram Sengupta and Nandita Das, along with Ritesh Batra’s first project as a producer.

Film Bazaar, hosted by India’s National Film Development Corporation (Nfdc), has unveiled the 19 South Asian projects selected for this year’s Co-production Market.

The line-up includes new projects from Kanu Behl, whose Titli premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard 2014; Aditya Vikram Sengupta, director of Venice 2014 title Labor Of Love; acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage; and Fahad Mustafa, whose credits include award-winning documentary Katiyabaaz.

In addition, Ritesh Batra (The Lunchbox) is stepping into producing with Raj Rish More’s Pirates, which Batra will produce through his new outfit Poetic License Motion Pictures.

Drishyam Films’ Manish Mundra is bringing a new project from Amit V Masurkar (Sulemani Keeda), while acclaimed filmmaker Nandita Das will present her new project Manto at Film Bazaar.

The market is introducing a new feature this year – Open...

Come meet Titli and his family on 30th October Kyunki… Har Family Family Nahi Hoti

Titli received rave reviews when it first screened at the 2014 Cannes International Film Festival, where it was the official selection in the Un Certain Regard section, and has since then travelled to 22 International film festivals, winning 8 awards. It has also opened to immense box office success in France and Germany. And now Titli is all set to hit the Indian theatres this October!

Directed by Kanu Behl, the film stars Ranvir Shorey (in a never seen before role), Amit Sial and introduces Shashank Arora.

In the badlands of Delhi’s dystopic underbelly, Titli, the youngest member of a violent car-jacking brotherhood, plots a desperate bid to escape the ‘family’ business. His struggle to do so is countered at each stage by his indignant brothers, who finally try marrying him off to ‘settle’ him. Titli, finds...

Titles include London Stories from Hana Makhmalbaf [pictured].Scroll down for full selection

Busan’s Asian Project Market (Apm) has announced this year’s line-up to include Hana Makhmalbaf’s London Stories and Yu Lik Wai’s A Mean To An End.

In its 18th year, the co-production market will showcase 30 projects from 15 countries including the UK, China, Vietnam and Iraq.

Up to last year, Apm selected a total of 442 projects of which 200 were completed and screened at film festivals around the world.

Organizers noted a rising trend of international co-productions tailored from the pre-production stage, not only between Asian countries but also European and Asian countries.

This year’s line-up also includes up-and-coming directors such as 2014 Cannes Un Certain Regard film Titli director Janu Behl with family comedy Agra, a India-France co-production, and 2014 Rotterdam invitee Siti director Eddie Cahyono with The Wasted Land, a story about an Indonesian peasant who is ready to do anything she can...

After shocking and amazing a worldwide audience and winning several accolades and awards at festivals, Kanu Behl’s directorial debut Titli, produced by Dibakar Banerjee and Yash Raj Films, will release in India on October 16, 2015.

Titli received rave reviews when it first screened at the 2014 Cannes International Film Festival, where it was the official selection in the Un Certain Regard section, and has since then travelled to 22 International film festivals, winning 8 awards. It has also opened to immense box office success in France and Germany. And now Titli is all set to hit the Indian theatres this October!

The film stars Ranvir Shorey (in a never seen before role), Amit Sial and introduces Shashank Arora.

In the badlands of Delhi’s dystopic underbelly, Titli, the youngest member of a violent car-jacking brotherhood, plots a desperate bid to escape the ‘family’ business. His struggle to do so is countered at each stage by his indignant brothers,...

Debutant director Kanu Behl has gotten away with murder, literally. And a lot else in his much-acclaimed film Titli. The film, produced jointly by Dibakar Banerjee and Yash Raj Films, has already come into severe renown at various film international festivals. It was submitted for censorship last week. It was passed with an 'A' certificate. Apparently, the Censor Board was shocked and "educated" by the outpouring of abuses expletives and profanities in the film. "We are aware of a very long list of gaalis. But the ones used in Titli are in a league of their own. They go way beyond the routine insult to mothers and sisters," says a shocked member of the Censor Board, confessing that his colleagues and he had never heard some of these abuses. "These are gaalis that even Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Bhardwaj are probably not aware of," says the Cbfc member. The Censor...

Exclusive: India’s Yash Raj Films is launching international sales on Shoojit Sircar’s Piku in Cannes.

Produced by Msm Motion Pictures, the film recently grossed $10m on its opening weekend in India and diaspora markets.

The film stars Amitabh Bachchan as a cranky father who blackmails his free-spirited daughter into taking a road trip with him. Deepika Padukone plays the daughter and Irrfan Khan also stars.

The $10m box office is the biggest opening for a Hindi film so far this year. Msm Motion Pictures, the film arm of Sony Entertainment TV’s parent company Multi Screen Media, produced with Saraswati Entertainment and Rising Sun Films.

Yash Raj is also selling My Big Fat Bride, directed by Sharat Katariya who wrote Titli, which screened in Un Certain Regard last year; Dibakar Banerjee’s Calcutta Detective; and Pradeep Sarkar’s Mardaani, about child trafficking, which stars Rani Mukerji. My Big Fat Bride was also a sleeper hit in...

One of L.A.'s most eclectic and renowned festivals, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla), has announced its 2015 lineup of narrative and documentary features and short filmsl. The impressive program, which includes several works that premiered in Cannes and Berlin, reflects the rich diversity of Indian cinema, as well as the future of Indian filmmaking, with cutting-edge filmmakers bringing their acclaimed films to Los Angeles.

Celebrating its 13th year, Iffla will run April 8-12 at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival’s home since its inception. You can purchase Festival Passes and Gala tickets on the festival's website. Individual screening tickets are also available.

Iffla 2015 will screen 25 films, including four world premieres, seven North American premieres, two U.S. premieres, and 10 Los Angeles premieres. The films hail from six different countries, including India, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Cuba, in 10 different languages, from Hindi and Tamil to English, Spanish, and German.

Highlights include: the centerpiece and world premiere screening of "One Crazy Thing," directed by Iffla alum Amit Gupta ("Jadoo") and featuring BAFTA ‘Breakthrough Brit’ winner Ray Panthaki and Daisy Bevan ("The Two Faces of January") in a comedic story about a man who meets the girl of his dreams, but struggles to find a way to tell her how he became an internet sensation and the Los Angeles premiere of Academy Award-winner Danis Tanovic's latest feature film "Tigers," starring Bollywood heartthrob Emraan Hashmi in a political thriller based on the true story of a salesman who took on a multinational pharmaceutical corporation guilty of marketing a baby formula that caused hundreds of infant deaths.

Additional highlights include: "Jai Ho," a documentary feature on one of the most prolific composers in the world, A.R. Rahman directed by Umesh Aggarwal; Kanu Behl’s "Titli," which had its world premiere at Cannes in 2014, shot on Super 16 and starring gifted newcomer, Shashank Arora, in a coming of age story set against Dehli’s dark side where perpetual cruelty and violence prevail; and "Miss India America," directed by Iffla alum Ravi Kapoor and starring Tiya Sircar ("The Internship") and Hannah Simone ("New Girl"), is the story of a woman's plan to win the crown after her boyfriend runs off with the former Miss India America.

The Opening and Closing night red-carpet galas have also been announced: Shlok Sharma’s debut feature film "Haraamkhor," starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and produced by Anurag Kashyap ("Gangs of Wasseypur") and Guneet Monga ("The Lunchbox") will open the festival with its world premiere. Nagesh Kukunoor’s "Dhanak" ("Rainbow") will have its U.S. premiere as the Closing Night film, fresh from 2015 Berlinale where it won Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury for best feature film.

The 2015 lineup also includes titles from the diverse regional language cinemas of India. Along with Bengali and Malayalam films, Iffla will screen two Marathi language features, including the North American Premiere of "Elizabeth Ekadashi." Tamil language titles include the documentary "Amma and Apaa,"about a filmmaking South Indian/German couple and their parents, and the U.S. premiere of the delightful "The Crow’s Egg," which premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. Produced by famed South Indian actor Dhanush (best known for the popular song “Why This Kolaveri Di” from the film 3), the film follows two young boys in a slum who try to get their first bite of pizza after seeing it in an ad.

“Many of the films at this year's Iffla look at contemporary youth from diverse backgrounds, united in their creative ways of overcoming life’s situations. The palpable energy of youth spirit runs throughout our film lineup, and these stories take you on an adventurous journey,” said Jasmine Jaisinghani, Iffla’s Artistic Director. “I believe our audiences will engage with these riveting characters and be fully entertained."

A special inclusion for Iffla 2015 is a Secret Screening for passholders only, offering a first look at a film that has become a sensation in festivals around the world, winning numerous awards. The film is slated to release later this year. Directed by one of the most exciting auteurs in contemporary Indian cinema, and featuring a powerhouse performance by one of India's brightest young stars, this is a film. It's expected to be a highlight of this year's festival.

The festival’s popular “Bollywood by Night” series returns this year with an exciting screening of Bollywood smash "Taal." Directed by Subhash Ghai and featuring Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Akshaye Khanna. Originally released in 1999 to worldwide acclaim, "Taal" features iconic music composed by A.R. Rahman and is considered one of the best soundtracks in Bollywood history.

The shorts competition showcases an diverse selection of 10 films including narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated works. Highlights of this year’s program include: acclaimed director Gitanjali Rao’s "TrueLoveStory," a stunning animated film that made its premiere at the Critics’ Week section of Cannes; Jayisha Patel's multiple award-winning documentary "A Paradise" ("Un Paraiso"); and the U.S. premiere of three of India’s National Award winners, Pranjal Dua’s "Fly, Bird" (Chidiya Udh), Christo Tomy’s "Virgin" ("Kanyaka"), and Ruchir Arun’s "Mandrake! Mandrake!." In addition, screening with "Jai Ho" will be Satyajit Ray’s "Two," a spellbinding and deeply affecting short film by India’s master storyteller, which has been beautifully preserved by the Academy Film Archive.

Attending the festival this year to present their films will be a group of celebrated filmmakers, including Nagesh Kukunoor ("Dhanak"), Kanu Behl ("Titli"), Amit Gupta ("One Crazy Thing"), Ravi Kapoor ("Miss India America"), Paresh Mokashi ("Elizabeth Ekadashi"), Bikas Mishra ("Four Colors ), Shlok Sharma and award-winning producer Guneet Monga ("Haraamkhor").

Iffla will also host a number of the films’ stars, including: Ray Panthaki and Daisy Bevan from "One Crazy Thing;" critically-acclaimed Nawazuddin Siddiqui for "Haraamkhor;" and from"Miss India America," Hannah Simone ("New Girl"), Tiya Sircar ("The Internship"), and Meera Simhan ("Anger Management") who is also the film’s co-writer.

For tickets and the festival's schedule visit Here...

13th edition of festival will feature four world premieres and seven North American premieres.

Now in its 13th year, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) has unveiled its 2015 lineup, running April 8-12 at ArcLight Hollywood.

This year’s festival will feature 25 films, including four world premieres, seven North American premieres and two Us premieres.

Highlights include the world premiere of Amit Gupta’s One Crazy Thing, the Us premiere of Danis Tanović’s Tigers [pictured], Umesh Aggarwal’s A.R. Rahman documentary Jai Ho, Kanu Behl’s Titli and Ravi Kapoor’s Miss India America.

As announced last week, Shlok Sharma’s debut feature Haraamkhor will receive its world premiere as the opening film, while the Us premiere of Nagesh Kukunoor’s Dhanak (Rainbow) will close the festival.

“Many of the films at this year’s Iffla look at contemporary youth from diverse backgrounds, united in their creative ways of overcoming life’s situations. The palpable...

Iffr reveals Big Screen Awards nominees and the complete line-up for its Bright Future and Spectrum strands, including world premieres from the Us, China and the Netherlands.

Second Coming, starring Idris Elba and Nadine Marshall, has been named as one of 10 films up for the Big Screen Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) (Jan 21 - Feb 1).

The UK film, written and directed by Debbie Tucker Green, will be vying for a prize of €10,000 ($12,000) awarded specifically to support theatrical distribution of the film in The Netherlands

The 10 nominees are from Iffr’s Bright Future and Spectrum programmes with the winner chosen by a specially selected audience jury. Other titles include Lisandro Alonso’s Cannes Fipresci winner Jauja and Carlos Vermut’s San Sebastian winner Magical Girl.

The nominees are:

I Swear I’ll Leave This Town, Danial AragãoJauja, Lisandro AlonsoKey House Mirror, Michael NoerThe Lesson, Kristina Grozeva, Petar ValchanovMagical Girl, Carlos VermutA...

Powerful messages, stunning cinematography and authentic performances – 2014 was a good year for independent (indie) cinema. Here is a list of some of our favourites which are worth catching if you missed them.

Ilai (Leaf)

Director Rajiv Reddy’s film traced the journey of a young homeless girl in India, Chennai. Ilai was a good exploration of human emotion, survival and regeneration. The performances were outstanding and natural. Profoundly, the protagonist returns to the same place that she had started off at at the beginning of the film; however, this time she sees the world with different eyes. The film highlights how experiences impact the human soul. We saw this at the London Indian Film Festival and our reviewer wrote, “At times, the cinematography will have you spell bound. Artistic shots of the sun and the streets make this film a visual treat: for instance, a particular shot of the heat...

Titli took home the international jury prize at Gijon International Film Festival Indian film Titli (Butterfly), directed by Kanu Behl, took the international jury prize for best feature film at the 52nd Gijón International Film Festival this weekend.

The film - which tells the story of Titli, a young man who longs to escape his family's life of crime - also saw Shivani Raghuvanshipor take home the best actress prize for her role as Titli's wife through arranged marriage, Neelu, who is also dreaming of freedom.

The best director and writer's prizes when to Iranian director Nima Javidi for Melbourne, which sees a couple faced with a moral dilemma on the day they are due to leave the country for a new life.

Polish drama Life Feels Good - based on the true story of a man suffering from cerebral palsy - saw Dawid Ogrodnik named best actor for...

A still from Titli

Kanu Behl’s Titli took home South Asian International Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature. Avinash Arun’s Killa was adjudged the second best film.

The Best Director Award was presented to first-time writer-director Afia Nathaniel for her film Dukhtar. The tense drama, Pakistan’s official entry to the 2014 Academy Awards, was also presented with the festival’s Audience Award.

The jury awarded their Short Grand Jury Prize to Gitanjali Rao’s True Love Story, a stunning animated short about a 17-year-old orphan who uses his love of Bollywood cinema to help him woo the girl of his dreams.

The Audience Award for Short Film was awarded to Veil by director Sreemoyee Bhattacharya.

The award ceremony took place at Manhattan’s Carlton Hotel on November 23rd, celebrating Saiff’s eleventh anniversary.

The Eleventh Annual South Asian International Film Festival ran from Tuesday, November 18th,...

Titli. In Hindi it means butterfly. A feminine sounding word, Titli is also the name of the lead character in director Kanu Behl's debut feature film, and an appropriate name it is. Titli is the story of a man struggling to make his way out from under the grit and grime that layers the backstreets of modern, corrupt Delhi. These scenes of people scraping the bottom of the barrel are nothing new in Hindi independent cinema, but Behl's treatment of the material is both heart-wrenching, and vividly relatable as everyone tries to make out the best way they can without leaving anything on the table.Titli belongs to a family of crooks. His older brother, Vikram (played by veteran actor Ranvir Shorey), leads his younger brothers as...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Jigarthanda at Saiff 2014

X, by eleven directors, will kickstart HBO’s South Asian International Film Festival (Saiff) on Tuesday. The festival will be held from November 18-23 in Manhattan.

Shrihari Sathe’s Ek Hazarachi Note, Karthik Subbaraj’s Jigarthanda, Kanu Behl’s Titli, Avinash Arun’s Killa and Afia Serena Nathaniel’s Dukhtar are the feature films to be screened at the festival.

The short films at the festival include Gaurav Bakshi’s Enough, Rajesh Jala’s 23 Winters, Gitanjali Rao’s True Love Story (animation), Atanu Mukherjee’s The Gatekeeper and Sreemoyee Bhattacharya’s Veil.

Raj and Dk’s Happy Ending, starring Saif Ali Khan, Ileana D’Cruz, Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey and Govinda, will be screened as the Centerpiece Film of the festival.

The festival will close with the screening of Nabeel Qureshi’s Na Maloom Afraad.

A still from Titli

Kanu Behl’s Titli won the Jury Award for Best Feature at the recently concluded 9th Seattle South Asian Film Festival (Ssaff). Bauddhayan Mukherji’s Teenkahon won the Audience award for Best Feature. Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry won the Award for Outstanding Film in Social Category.

Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage was presented the Tasveer Emerald Award for Contribution to Sri Lankan cinema.

The ten-day festival was held in Seattle from October 31-November 9, 2014.

Here is the complete list of winners:-

Tasveer Ssaff 2014 Jury Award for Best Feature Film – Titli by Kanu Behl Tasveer Ssaff 2014 Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film – Teenkahon by Bauddhayan Mukherji Tasveer Ssaff 2014 Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary – Are You Listening? by Kamar Ahmad Simon Tasveer Ssaff 2014 Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film – Jaya by Puja Maewal Tasveer Ssaff 2014 Outstanding Film in Social Category – (Award presented by Pratham Seattle) – Fandry...

A still from Vinay Shukla and Khushboo Ranka’s Proposition for a Revolution

Nfdc Film Bazaar’s Work-in-Progress Lab has announced its selection in Fiction and Documentary categories.

The Work-in-Progress (Wip) Lab gives filmmakers a chance to have their rough-cut feature-length films viewed by an eminent panel of international advisers. These advisers have a one-on-one discussion with the filmmaker with an intention to help the filmmaker achieve an accomplished final cut of the film.

Nfdc Film Bazaar 2014 will be held from November 20-24 in Goa Mariott Resort.

Work-in-Progress Lab 2014:

Fiction :

Bokul by Reema Borah Highway by Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni Nil Battey Sannata by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari Tathagat by Manav Kaul Thithi by Raam Reddy

Documentary :

12 Acres by Rajesh Thind Maidaan (Home Ground) by Kavita Carneiro Nehi Mozo Hanü Dizo Le (Without You, I am Nothing) by Anushka Meenakshi and Iswar Srikumar Proposition for a Revolution by Khushboo Ranka...