Bollywood star Bhumi Pednekar, who co-hosted this year’s International Film Festival of India (IFFI) opening ceremony, has revealed details about her upcoming projects including Netflix series “The Royals” and Prime Video psychological thriller “Daldal.” Speaking about “The Royals,” for which a teaser has been released, Pednekar said: “It’s my first long format. I’m very, very […]

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Studios and Stage5 Production’s “Bun Tikki,” starring veteran Indian actors Shabana Azmi and Zeenat Aman alongside Abhay Deol, has been selected for a world premiere at the 36th Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2025. The coming-of-age drama, helmed by first-time feature director Faraz Arif Ansari, follows a seven-year-old named Shanu […]

Sony’s streaming platform SonyLIV has found success with “Freedom at Midnight,” its adaptation of Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre’s 1975 non-fiction book about India’s independence, with plans for a second season already in motion. The seven-episode first season ends on a cliffhanger, with showrunner Nikkhil Advani confirming that Season 2 will tackle the refugee crisis […]

Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor shared personal memories and professional insights about his grandfather, pioneering Indian filmmaker Raj Kapoor, during a discussion with director Rahul Rawail at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, where Kapoor’s centenary is being celebrated. “My memories of him are very personal,” said Kapoor, recalling his grandfather who passed […]

The democratizing potential and creative implications of artificial intelligence took center stage during a panel discussion at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, with filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, who serves as festival director, “Ship of Theseus” director Anand Gandhi and OpenAI’s Pragya Misra exploring AI’s impact on filmmaking. Kapur said that AI recently […]

Universal’s screen adaptation of “Wicked” dominated the U.K. and Ireland box office with a commanding £13.7 million ($17.2 million) debut, according to numbers from Comscore. The musical fantasy leads a robust frame that saw Paramount’s “Gladiator II” maintain strong momentum in its sophomore session with £4.7 million, pushing its cumulative total to £18.4 million. Studiocanal’s […]

Speaking at the International Film Festival of India in Goa, Hugo Weaving revealed he will reprise his role as Frank Harkness in Season 5 of “Slow Horses,” returning to London in January for a two-and-a-half month shoot. “Each season generally is a book, but also each season departs a little bit from those books,” Weaving […]

In an industry first, K-pop CD sales surpassed 100 million units in 2023, marking a 50% increase from the previous year despite the dominance of digital streaming. However, this milestone has raised concerns about the mounting environmental impact of physical album production, according to a report from French news agency AFP. According to a study […]

Indian cinematographer Pankaj Kumar (“Tumbbad,” “Ship of Theseus”) is set to make his feature directorial debut with “Konyak,” a tribal action drama set in northeast India. The project, was selected for the NFDC Screenwriters Lab 2024, part of the Film Bazaar, will be produced through Kumar’s newly established Jiboom Studios. Written by Uddhav Ghosh, the […]

Dua Lipa is on the Asia leg of her “Radical Optimism” tour, and the singer-songwriter is teasing fresh elements for her devoted fanbase across the continent. The Asia tour kicked off in Singapore and continued across Philippines, Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia, with India and South Korea to come. After incorporating Jane Fonda-inspired workout routines into […]

Celebrated actor Manisha Koirala (“Bombay,” “1942: A Love Story,” “Khamoshi”) and filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane (“Udaan,” “Trapped”) discussed the evolving landscape between theatrical and streaming platforms during a session at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, where Koirala also revealed plans to write a comedy book about 1990s and 2000s actresses adapting to […]

A panel of leading television executives and creators at Film Bazaar discussed the intricacies of adapting international series for Indian audiences. Banijay Asia’s Mrinalini Jain said that successful adaptations require more than simple translation. “There is a very fine line between translating a format and transposing it, and transposing is where the magic happens,” Jain […]

Tamil cinema star Sivakarthikeyan revealed his unlikely path from computer science engineering to entertainment during a conversation with actor-politician Khushbu Sundar at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. The actor, whose recent military drama “Amaran” has performed strongly at the box office, traced his beginnings as a mimicry artist during his engineering […]

Led by former Cannes film market head Jerome Paillard, who is now advising India’s Film Bazaar, leading international producers discussed India-Europe co-productions during a panel at the event in Goa. Producer Guneet Monga Kapoor recounted how her breakthrough film “The Lunchbox” emerged from Film Bazaar itself. “I’ve been coming to Film Bazaar since 2008 and […]

The evolving partnership between India and Australia’s film industries took center stage at Film Bazaar, as key players outlined pathways for collaboration and funding opportunities. Screen Australia COO Grainne Brundson detailed multiple routes for Indian producers to work in Australia, including official co-productions and location-based production. While co-productions require creative and financial contributions from both […]

Fresh off his Cannes 2024 success with “In Retreat,” producer Thanikachalam S.A. is backing “Kurinji (The Disappearing Flower)” from debut feature director Payal Sethi at India’s Film Bazaar co-production market. Sethi’s previous work includes the award-winning shorts “Leeches” (2016), which won the Grand Prix Internationale at Brussels Short Film Festival, and “Grant St. Shaving Co.” […]

Raja Krishna Menon’s Bandra West Pictures is producing “Harbir,” the debut feature from Angad Bawa. It is being presented at Film Bazaar in Goa. The film follows Harbir, a 15-year-old Sikh boy who is scouted for an admission trial at Mumbai’s prestigious Bombay International School of Swimming. During the trial, concerns are raised about his […]

A new streaming series centered on Kerala’s ancient martial art Kalaripayattu is being developed by director Abhilash Vijayan (“That Elephant From the Bridge”) and producer Nithin Lukose (“Paka: River of Blood”) and is participating at India’s Film Bazaar. Set in 16th century Kerala, “Chekavar” follows a teenage warrior who secretly takes on a mission from […]

Venice Fedeora award winner Aditya Vikram Sengupta (“Labour of Love”) brings his new Hindi-language project “The Employer” to India’s Film Bazaar co-production market. The film follows Michael, a recently widowed chauffeur in Mumbai working for a veteran actress with political aspirations, whose life becomes entangled in both a missing diamond earring case and his maid’s […]