Author: Ankita Singh

Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor recently attended the 56th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, where she expressed her belief that Indian cinema needs to explore more rooted stories.

The Importance of Rooted Narratives

Monga Kapoor emphasized that the more rooted a story is, the higher its chances of resonating with a global audience. She praised India’s official Oscar entry, ‘Homebound’, and discussed its upcoming release.

“‘Homebound’ had to be released immediately because there’s a cutoff for films that have returned from film festivals. There’s a lot of calculation involved in release dates. There was a submission deadline in September, and they had to release it at the very last minute. But I’m not here to comment on box office because I think the film will do really, really well as and when people watch it. ‘Homebound’ is a beautiful film, it went to Cannes, it went to Toronto, and Martin Scorsese is presenting it. One of the best studios in India is behind it. Neeraj Ghaywan has directed it. So it’s a beautiful film and it deserves all the love,” she noted.

Spotlight on Other Notable Films

Monga Kapoor further mentioned, “I do think that a film like ‘Kantara’, a film like ‘Manjummel Boys’, these are all very good films that could also do well. They are actually super rooted and can work internationally. I think they will do exceptionally well outside of India and break barriers. But I do feel like in Hindi, we need to do more rooted stuff.”

A Celebration of Cinema

The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is currently showcasing an impressive array of cinematic art, culture, and technology. The festival features over 240 films from 81 countries, including 13 world premieres, along with international and Asian debuts. This year’s opening is breaking tradition with a grand parade along the Mandovi River.

Director Vikarnan Ashok has shared an intriguing backstory behind his recently released Tamil film ‘Mask,’ starring actor Kavin in the lead role. The film, which has opened to strong box office receipts, draws inspiration from a real estate scam that both he and his family fell victim to.

Inspiration Behind the Story

In an exclusive conversation, Vikarnan revealed, “It happened in my life. I was a victim of a real estate scam.” Elaborating further, he explained the targetting of the middle class by fraudsters. “People who intend to commit fraud confidently pick the middle class to con as they think that people belonging to this class will hesitate to hit back. This is because of the compulsions that those from the middle class have. Every month, a person from the middle class has to pay his EMIs, and he has to report to office every day for work and therefore can’t stage protests.”

Vikarnan added, “When educated people are conned, they naturally feel angry. But then, they can’t react. However, what if they got an opportunity to react? I began to wonder what would happen if an educated person had the chance to respond, and that is how it all began.”

The Family’s Recovery

Ask him if his family managed to recover their lost funds from the scam, and Vikarnan states, “After 17 years, in June 2025, we got our money back.”

About the Film

‘Mask’ debuted worldwide on November 21 this year and is produced by Black Madras Films. The film features Andrea Jeremiah, who not only produced the film but also plays the antagonist. This is not her first time in such a role, as she previously portrayed a villain in director Vetri Maran’s ‘Vada Chennai.’

The film has generated significant buzz among film enthusiasts, with music composed by National Award-winning director G V Prakash and cinematography by esteemed filmmaker R D Rajashekar. Editing is handled by Ramar, while art direction is managed by Jacki and Vijay Iyyappan.

Jointly produced by Andrea and S P Chockalingam, ‘Mask’ is presented by Vetri Maran’s Grassroots Film Company.

Actor Sunny Hinduja, known for his performances in ‘The Railway Men’, ‘Aspirants’, and more, recently paid tribute to the Indian spy Ravindra Kaushik.

Honoring a Hero

On Sunday, Sunny shared a heartfelt video on his Instagram about portraying Ravindra Kaushik in the television series ‘Adrishya’, which celebrated its 11th anniversary. The video highlights the remarkable journey of Kaushik, who began his career as a theatre artist.

In the video, Sunny expressed, “It’s been 11 years since Adrishya. I was honored to portray Ravindra Kaushik. Here is the story of THE BLACK TIGER. Ravindra Kaushik was a talented theatre artist, recruited by R&AW at age 23 for a deep cover mission. For two years, he erased his identity, learning Urdu, Islamic culture, and training as a spy. He crossed the border in 1975 as Nabi Ahmed Shakir after completing his training. His service was so exceptional that the then PM personally titled him ‘The Black Tiger’.”

The Legacy of Ravindra Kaushik

Sunny elaborated on Kaushik’s achievements, stating, “In Pakistan, he obtained an LLB and successfully infiltrated the Military Accounts Department, rising to the rank of Major. Till 1983, he sent invaluable classified military intelligence back to India. But in 1983, his cover was blown when a low-level contact, Inyat Masih, was captured and exposed him. Kaushik was arrested, brutally tortured, and sentenced to death… later commuted to life imprisonment. He spent 16 years in Pakistani prisons, secretly writing letters to his family in India. He died in Mianwali jail in 2001, an unsung hero, never publicly recognized or claimed by his country. Bringing his story to life was a true privilege.”

In his caption, Sunny emphasized the importance of Kaushik’s story, saying, “A story that every Indian should know… 11 saal ho gaye, lekin Ravindra Kaushikji ki yeh kahaani hamesha mere dil ke kareeb rahegi. ‘Adrishya’ on Epic ke uss episode mein unka kirdaar nibhana mere liye ek bada samman tha. I hope more people talk about his story and immortalize this legend. Would love to do this biopic.”

Actress Adah Sharma’s grandmother passed away on Sunday morning at 5:30 am in Mumbai. She had been in the hospital for the past few weeks and succumbed to Ulcerative Colitis and Diverticulitis.

A Special Bond with Paati

Adah fondly referred to her grandmother as Paati and shared a deeply close bond with her. The actress often posted joyful memories of their time together on social media, especially the popular “Party with Paati” videos.

Adah and her mother are planning to hold a memorial service for her grandmother in their hometown in Kerala.

A source close to Adah revealed, “Adah is closest to her grandmother than anyone else. She lives with her grandmother, who has been in the hospital for the past month. Adah and her mother will be having a memorial service in their hometown in Kerala.”

A Pillar of Strength

Beyond being the elder in the family, Adah’s grandmother was a source of strength, humour, and unconditional love in her life.

In August, Adah shared glimpses from her grandmother’s birthday celebration on social media. The ‘The Kerala Story’ actress posted a video on her X (formerly Twitter) timeline, showcasing her grandmother enjoying her special day surrounded by loved ones.

The post featured the entire family singing ‘Happy Birthday’ and happily dancing to songs like “Bareli Ke Bazaar Me” and “Sar Jo Tera Chakraye,” along with moments from the cake-cutting ceremony.

Adah wrote in the caption, “My Naanis sweet 16th Birthday #PartyWithPaati… Honoured to have the opportunity to be the cinematographer of my grandmother’s birthday bash. Here are the highlights.”

Adah’s social media is filled with treasured moments with her beloved Paati.

The makers of the pan-Indian Malayalam film ‘Kattalan’, featuring actor Antony Varghese (Pepe) in the lead, recently released footage of a jeep turning turtle during a stunt sequence, paying tribute to the brave stuntmen whose courage allows such sequences to be filmed.

Cube Entertainments, the production house behind the film, shared a gripping video clip on its social media channels. The clip showed the jeep overturning during a stunt, with the entire unit rushing to extract the stuntman from the vehicle. They captioned the post with a heartfelt message: “Salute to the unseen HEROES behind the screen!”

Interest in the film continues to grow among fans and film buffs. Earlier in October, the makers unveiled the first-look poster featuring Antony Varghese (Pepe). The poster revealed a stunning transformation, depicting him with flaming eyes, messy red hair, and a cigar hanging from his lips. This striking look radiated raw intensity, setting the tone for an exciting mass entertainer. The blood-stained face and hands emphasized the film’s gritty action essence, showcasing Antony in a fierce new avatar.

A day prior to this poster’s release, the production team announced the completion of the film’s schedule in Thailand, which commenced on October 1.

Recently, while filming an action scene involving an elephant in Thailand, the actor sustained an injury. The thrilling action sequences there were choreographed by Kecha Khamphakdee, the acclaimed action director known for the ‘Ong-Bak’ series, alongside his expert team. Notably, ‘Kattalan’ also features Pong, the elephant famous from the ‘Ong-Bak’ films.

Producer Shareef Muhammed of Cube Entertainments, recognized for the blockbuster ‘Marco’, is back with this ambitious venture titled ‘Kattalan’, a high-octane pan-Indian action thriller directed by Paul George.

The film stars Antony Varghese (Pepe) and actress Rajisha Vijayan in leading roles, alongside a talented cast that includes Rapper Baby Jean, Telugu actor Sunil, known for his roles in ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ (2021), ‘Pushpa 2’ (2024), and ‘Jailer’ (2023), as well as actor Kabir Duhan Singh, veteran Malayalam actors Jagadeesh and Siddique in pivotal roles.

Additionally, the film has welcomed actor Parth Tiwari and actor Anson Paul to its team, along with promising talent Shon Joy, who made his debut in ‘Alappuzha Gymkhana (2025)’. He is recognized for his strong screen presence.

The story for ‘Kattalan’ has been penned by Paul George, Joby Varghese, and Jero Jacob, marking their debut as a writing trio. They have combined raw storytelling with cinematic vision to create a gripping narrative centered around power, betrayal, and deadly missions.

The film’s music is composed by Ajaneesh Loknath, known for ‘Kantara 2’, with choreography by Sharief. Costumes are designed by Dhanya Balakrishnan, cinematography is handled by Renadive, and editing is done by Shameer Muhammed.

As Naga Chaitanya celebrated his birthday on November 23, his wife, Sobhita Dhulipala, showered him with love through a charming social media post.

Sobhita shared a romantic picture on her official Instagram, capturing a sweet moment from one of their vacations where Naga Chaitanya was seen lovingly zipping up Sobhita’s jacket in the middle of the street. She captioned the post, “Happy birthday lover @chayakkineni (sic)”.

Naga Chaitanya responded to her heartfelt message with a red heart emoji in the comments.

For those unfamiliar, Sobhita is Naga Chaitanya’s second wife. He was previously married to actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The couple tied the knot in 2017 but parted ways four years later, in 2021.

Sobhita and Naga Chaitanya made their relationship public after their engagement in August 2024 and finally exchanged vows in December of the same year.

On the occasion of Naga Chaitanya’s birthday, the makers of his upcoming film revealed the title and first look poster, initially referred to as “#NC24”. Directed by Karthik Dandu, the project is now titled “Vrushakarma”.

Wishing Naga Chaitanya on his special day, actor Mahesh Babu posted the title and first look on social media, captioning it, “Wishing you a very HapWispy Birthday @chay_akkineni. #VrushaKarma looks super solid… looking forward to this. (sic).”

In this film, Naga Chaitanya showcases an intense and raw persona, flaunting his toned physique amidst a fight scene. The backdrop features a dramatic celestial eclipse along with broken structures and a war-torn landscape.

Uploading the first look poster on his Instagram, Naga Chaitanya wrote, “#vrushakarma it is for #nc24 (sic)”.

With Meenakshi Chowdhury as the leading lady, “Vrushakarma” will also feature Sparsh Srivastava, known for ‘Laapataa Ladies’, in a significant role.

As Naga Chaitanya celebrates his birthday, the makers of his upcoming film with director Karthik Dandu have unveiled the exciting title of the highly anticipated mythological thriller. Previously referred to as #NC24, the project is now officially named “Vrushakarma.”

Wishing Naga Chaitanya on this special occasion, actor Mahesh Babu announced the film’s title. He shared, “Wishing you a very HapWispy Birthday @chay_akkineni. #VrushaKarma looks super solid… looking forward to this.”

In response, Naga Chaitanya expressed his gratitude by resharing the post on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account, stating, “Thanks @urstrulyMahesh Garu for this gesture! Means a lot.”

The makers also revealed the first look poster of Naga Chaitanya from “Vrushakarma.” In this striking poster, he appears in a raw and fierce avatar, showcasing his muscular build while delivering intense expressions. The dramatic background features a celestial eclipse, flanked by broken structures and a war-torn landscape, suggesting that he is amidst a fierce battle.

Sharing the first look poster on Instagram, Naga Chaitanya noted, “#vrushakarma it is for #nc24.”

Directed by Karthik Dandu, the film is being produced on a massive scale by BVSN Prasad and Sukumar under the banners of Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra LLP (SVCC) and Sukumar Writings.

Meenakshi Chowdhury will star opposite Naga Chaitanya, while Sparsh Srivastava, known for ‘Laapataa Ladies,’ will play a crucial role in the film.

For the technical team, the story for “Vrushakarma” comes from director Sukumar, with Neil D Cunha serving as the cinematographer. The music is composed by Ajaneesh Loknath, and the editing is managed by National Award winner Navin Nooli. Art direction is handled by Sri Nagendra Tangala, who previously collaborated with Naga Chaitanya on “Thandel.”

Imtiaz Ali’s “Amar Singh Chamkila” has received nominations at the International Emmys in two categories: ‘TV Movie/Mini-Series’ and ‘Best Performance by an Actor’ for Diljit Dosanjh.

Imtiaz Ali and Producer Mohit Choudhary at the International Emmys

Imtiaz, accompanied by producer Mohit Choudhary, participated in the 53rd International Emmy World Television Festival’s panel and medal ceremony. Speaking at the panel, Imtiaz expressed that “Amar Singh Chamkila” represents a love story between an art form and its artist.

He elaborated on the film’s remarkable journey, stating, “Netflix’s contribution to the film Amar Singh Chamkila is exceptional and irreplaceable. Initially, we were going through a lot of hiccups in making this film. But the moment Netflix stepped in and we decided to make this film direct-to-digital, all the problems disappeared. It was Netflix’s deep conviction in the subject that carried the film through, and they were relentless in their efforts and encouragement, which gave me the confidence to make the film exactly how I wanted to make it.”

Art and the Artist

Imtiaz emphasized that the film focuses on the love story between an artist and his art. He said, “For me, this was a love story between an artist and his art. A singer and performance are like lovers, and at some point you don’t do it for money, success, and glamour; you do it for the performance itself, beyond any logic, to serve their audiences, and that was the strongest impulse in Amar Singh Chamkila’s character, and that is what I focused on.”

Shooting at a Historic Location

Earlier, Imtiaz reflected on filming with Diljit at the precise location where the controversial singer was tragically killed. Recalling the experience, he noted, “We were shooting the death scene at the exact spot where Chamkila was killed. What struck all of us was how nothing had changed. The house, the patch of ground outside it, even the koti where he had eaten lunch before he was shot, everything was exactly the same after 34 years.”

Actor Nivin Pauly has hinted that the next schedule of director Bakkiyaraj Kannan’s highly-anticipated action thriller, “Benz,” featuring Raghava Lawrence in the lead, has been completed.

On his social media, Nivin shared multiple pictures from the film, captioning them with “Darkness Loading……⏳.” He tagged the entire cast and crew and included hashtags like “#ScheduleWrap #BenzMovie #Walter,” getting fans excited about the progress.

The hashtag “ScheduleWrap” has sparked speculation among fans, indicating that the team may have indeed wrapped up this particular schedule. Earlier, the acclaimed director Lokesh Kanakaraj, a producer for the film, confirmed in July that the second schedule had been completed. He anticipated that the project would be finalized in the next three to four months.

In a video interview, Lokesh, who co-produces the film with Sudhan Sundaram and Jagadish Palanisamy, mentioned, “Our next film is Benz. They have finished the second schedule if I am not wrong. Two schedules are done. Philo is the editor. I will check with him as to how the film is looking. He will give me some updates. Probably, they will finish it in another three or four months. We have other films in the pipeline.”

Based on Lokesh Kanakaraj’s comments, many fans speculate this could be the final schedule of “Benz.”

The film has generated considerable excitement, particularly because it marks Nivin Pauly’s debut as a villain. Director Bakkiyaraj Kannan introduced Nivin’s character on his X timeline, stating, “Soft boy? That was yesterday. Nivin Pauly 2.0—our certified Baddie, Breaking hearts and Breaking rules & Breaking bad. Meet #Walter, @nivinofficial.”

A character promo released by the makers features ominous sounds from a room, suggesting violence. Nivin, adorned in gold ornaments and wielding a massive metal hammer dripping with blood, emerges with a smile, revealing golden teeth. He then questions another character, also played by him, about someone’s name. The second character, who appears naïve, initially mispronounces it as “Bens” but later corrects it to “Benz.” The villain introduces himself as Walter, ominously commenting, “When a head inside a helmet itself is cut like the head of a goat, who…” while laughing suggestively. The promo concludes with Walter declaring, “A dirty mind, a beautiful heart—deadly combination. Love you Walter!”

From this promotional material, it appears that Nivin Pauly portrays two distinct characters in “Benz.”

“Written and directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan, the film features music by young sensation Sai Abhyankkar. Cinematography is handled by Goutham George, and editing is by Philomin Raj. Art direction is overseen by Jacki, while Pradeep Boopathi serves as the creative producer.”

Actor Gautham Ram Karthik, son of the renowned actor Karthik, recently shared a heartfelt birthday message for his mother on social media. He expressed his sentiments by stating that even in a hundred lifetimes, he would still wish to be born as her son.

A Touching Tribute

Taking to his Instagram page, Gautham wrote, “When I say ‘you’re the best mom,’ I don’t mean the best in the world (though that’s also true). I mean that even in a hundred lifetimes, I would still pray to be born as your son.”

He elaborated on how his mother has been the glue that held the family together during tough times.

“Even when the world tested you, you remained fun, cool, and full of life. You made us laugh when everything around us tried to break us. You held the family together when it was falling apart. Like a lioness, you stood guard when danger approached your boys. Nothing could shake you from your duty as a mother, but you were so much more than that,” he added.

Gratitude for Sacrifices

Gautham poignantly pointed out that their actions could never compare to the sacrifices she made for them. He remarked, “You were our best friend when we had none, our captain when we had no direction, our entertainer when we felt low, our strength when storms came. No amount of love or success from us will ever match the sacrifices you made. For that, I am forever grateful.”

He wrapped up his touching note with, “So when I say ‘you’re the best mom,’ I mean that even in a hundred lifetimes, I would be blessed to have you again. God bless you, Ma. Happiest birthday.”

Upcoming Projects

On the professional front, Gautham Ram Karthik is set to star in the sci-fi crime thriller ‘ROOT – Running Out of Time,’ directed by Sooriyaprathap. This film will not only showcase Gautham in a gripping role but will also mark the Tamil cinema debut of Bollywood star Aparshakti Khurana, known for his exceptional contributions to Hindi films.

Actress Bhavya Trikha will play the female lead, with veteran actor Y Gee Mahendran in a pivotal role.

The film is produced by Dhanishtan Fernando, Rajarajan Gananasambandam, Sanjai Shankar, and Shaik Mujeeb under the Verus Productions banner, and is anticipated to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller.