BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) Manish Gupta's crime film '420 IPC' starring Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, and Gul Panag which was released recently has been garnering a positive response for its narrative style-driven through the intricacies of the Indian Penal Code. ## Manish, whose credits include films like 'The Stoneman Murders' (writer and director), 'Sarkar' (writer) and 'Section 375' (writer), recently spoke with IANS and unraveled what went into the making of a film that explores the layers of courtroom proceedings in a financial fraud case. ## Explaining the germ of '420 IPC', he says, "I'd got the idea for '420 IPC' during the three years of extensive research that I'd carried out for my previous courtroom drama 'Section 375' during which I came across court procedures involved in economic offence cases - which I found to be an unexplored premise for a film." ## He adds, "Carrying out further research, I discovered that people with upper economic status and a high pedigree of intelligence and education are involved in economic crimes. So the court proceedings involve more brain work, thus lending a more cerebral premise for a film." ## Manish himself took the onus of the film's research as he says, "There was no research team. I carried out the research personally and singlehandedly by attending numerous court hearings and interviewing lawyers, court staff members, policemen, etc. I'd already done a heavy amount of research for 'Section 375', so I had a lot of basic research material already with me." ## Commenting on the value that his lead actors Vinay and Ranvir add to the film, he mentions, "Vinay and Ranvir infuse a lot of believability into the narrative. Both are brilliant actors which goes without saying but at the same time, both have the ability to absorb their characters so well that the viewer sees a real person, rather than an actor." ## Probe him if there were a lot of improvisations on the sets, he quips, "Not really, because my scripts are usually written with great clarity. In '420 IPC', as in all my films, since I was the director as well as the screenplay and dialogue writer, so while writing, I'd already directed the film on paper." ## Looking at his filmography, one can easily say that the filmmaker-writer has a knack for grey stories and characters. Explaining his fascination with grey shades, he furnishes the closing answer, "In reality, no person is completely good or bad. All human beings possess good and bad qualities, although to varying degrees. That's exactly what I depict in my films." ##

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, who is gearing up for his upcoming web series titled 'Kaun Banega Shikharwati', says he gets more interesting offers of roles on OTT platforms rather than in films. ## Naseer said, "I am being offered much more interesting work on OTT than in the movies, but since things opened up I have done cameos in several films made by friends. In any case these days it's either the Rs 5,000 crore monsters or the very tiny films being made in Mumbai and I don't fit into the former but have done several of the latter which are probably destined to have a very limited audience if they ever see the light of day (the story of my life!)." ## The upcoming web series is a comedy-drama that revolves around a dysfunctional royal family. The show also features Lara Dutta, Soha Ali Khan, Kritika Kamra, Anya Singh Raghubir Yadav, Cyrus Sahukar, and Varun Thakur, among others. ## Asked about the reason behind taking up this project and Naseer said, "I said 'yes' to KBS because I've been itching to do comedy and this fell into my lap! What's probably unique about it is that the characters are all eccentric in various degrees and with the majority of the content on OTT being expletive-filled blood-soaked revenge dramas or steamy love stories there might be space for a little light-heartedness as well. Why the audience sees it is up to them, in any case people decide what they want to see when a project is announced, at least I do." ## 'Kaun Banegi Shikharwati' is releasing on ZEE5 on January 7. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Updates.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, December 27 - Filmmaker Anand L Rai's romantic-drama "Atrangi Re" starring Dhanush, and Sara Ali Khan, along with Akshay Kumar in the extended cameo, is having a good run on the OTT space. The movie was directly released on Disney+Hotstar on December 24, and as announced by the streamer, the film became the most-viewed Hotstar title on a premier day. ## While Hotstar announced that "Atrangi Re" is its most-viewed film on the first day, the question remains about the views it got. The OTT platforms have always been on the receiving side for manipulating viewership data and for their lack of transparency.## Ormax Media, a media consulting firm that tracks viewership figures of top releases across major platforms, is one of the trustable sources when it comes to viewership numbers. According to the company, "Atrangi Re" easily topped the last week by a long margin. The movie gained over 8.8 million views in the first 3 days, almost double than Sushmita Sen's "Aarya" Season 2's 4.7 million views from Dec. 20 to 26th. ## "Atrangi Re" was released in Hindi and Tamil (dubbed). The Tamil version was released due to the presence of Kollywood superstar Dhanush. Written by Himanshu Sharma, the movie got mixed responses from critics and viewers alike, who praised the unconventional plot, performances of the lead actors, however, called the screenplay incoherent and messed up with poor execution of the overall storyline. ## Produced by T-Series, Colour Yellow Productions, and Cape of Good Films, "Atrangi Re" marks Akshay's second direct OTT release. Earlier, last year, "Laxmmi" had also been released on Disney Plus Hotstar and was an OTT hit. The official streaming numbers, however, were not disclosed. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Dec 27 (IANS) Roshni Kapoor's debut film 'The Rage - Over Injustice' that went to the Cannes Film Festival, is now all set to release on OTT. ## Roshni who plays an NRI girl in the film is happy with the development. ## The story revolves around how she is determined to fight against the unjust circumstances that befall her friends and herself through the pursuit of uplifting and empowering the LGBT community. ## "The film was shot in Goa, Pune, and Dubai. The experience of shooting the film was wonderful. Since we shot during April when the Covid situation was not favorable, we went to an island in Goa. We used to carry food and we used to get only about six hours for the shoot as the island was surrounded by goons and bootleggers. ## "So after 8 p.m., we weren't allowed to stay there. There was no network coverage there. We faced several challenges including my major knee injury, insect and mosquito bites, heat strokes, skin burns, etc. but we completed the film the way we wanted," she shares. ## Sharing her prep for the character, she adds: "I didn't get much time to prepare. When I met producer Mohammad Nagman Lateef, he told me about this role, I loved the concept. We were worried about the rise in Covid cases so we decided to finish the film soon. Even when we started, some of the cast members tested positive and we had to replace them. But our director knew how to get the best out of us." ## Roshni, who is also a brand endorser, does not have formal training in acting and she learnt on the job. ## "I realised when I'm facing the camera, I've to leave my real personality behind. When you are shooting, you're only an actor and have to do your job. I've given my best and there are many times where in one take, the shot was finalised. I remember while shooting a scene when I had mud smeared on my face, a fan asked for a photo after the shot and I felt embarrassed, given my condition," she adds. ## So, who inspired her to take up acting? "I would give credit to Mohammad. We met at one of his award functions and he suggested if I would do a movie for Cannes for a good cause. I told him that I'm not into acting, though I'd got many offers. He told me to make a movie that works as a message for people. I'm glad I listened to him and took up this opportunity," concludes the actor. ## 'The Rage - Over Injustice' is directed by Anuj Sharma while Anik R. Verma of 'Gully Boy' and 'Special 26' fame is the cinematographer and the production house is Iconic Productions Pvt Ltd. ## The film says a lot about the LGBT community. It also stars actors Adnan Khan and Aditya Khurana. ##

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, Dec 26 (IANS) Netflix and Shondaland announced the return of the popular web series set in England's Regency era, "Bridgerton", with Season 2 set to premiere on March 25. ## The season will feature Simone Ashley, the British actress of Indian origin, who will play Kate Sharma to Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), reports 'Variety'. ## The character played by Ashley was originally Kate Sheffield in author Julia Quinn's second Bridgerton novel, "The Viscount Who Loved Me" (2002), on which Season 2 is based. ## The writers of the web series changed her name to Kate Sharma to reflect her Indian heritage. In the forthcoming series, she's shown as a new arrival from India, along with her sister Edwina, played by another British Indian actress, who's also an Oxford graduate. ## Writing about this departure from the original story, web magazine 'Insider' said: "In line with the reimagined, diverse version of early 19th-century London that creator Chris Van Dusen brought to life on Season 1, the show's writers opted to give Kate an Indian background in the script, shedding the moniker Sheffield in favour of Sharma, a common surname in India." ## Season 2 keeps up the diversity quotient that viewers first encountered In Season 1, where the male lead, Simon Bassett, Duke of Hastings, was played by the British actor, Rene-Jean Page, whose mother is from Zimbabwe, where he spent much of his childhood, and his father is an English preacher. ## Quinn, in a conversation with 'Insider', called the decision to introduce Sharma as Kate's last name a "wonderful way to make the show more inclusive", adding that "there's quite a lot of historical background" on the relationship between India and England in the early 19th century. ## Lord Anthony, in Season 2, starts to court Kate, who soon discovers that his intentions for marriage are not pure. 'Insider' describes it as an "enemies-to-lovers romance". ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For Such Updates.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Dec 25 (IANS) Actor Ritwik Bhoumik has appeared in a completely different avatar in his latest project 'The Whistleblower' following the success of his web show 'Bandish Bandits'. ## Gaining visibility with 'Bandish Bandits', Ritwik gained popularity for playing an adorable character of a classical singer. The actor says playing such poles-apart roles in the very beginning of the career gives him a chance to show his versatility to the fullest. ## Ritwik told IANS: "I think playing a character like Dr Sanket Bhadoria, who is so different as a personality from who I am in real life itself was challenging for me. But then I was not a professional classical singer when I played Radhe Rathod in my previous show 'Bandish Bandits'. So I had to learn a lot of nuanced body language as part of the preparation for that role. ## "Here, what was challenging and exciting for me as an actor was this character is not someone you fall in love with, Dr Sanket is not an adorable guy like Radhe was. He was a singer, and that was a happy, emotional, musical show where you had a lot of happy vibes too. ## "Here, the world of 'The Whistleblower' is set in reality, gripping and dark. I had to talk to my mind before performing as Dr Sanket that why he is the way he is. So I think playing such poles-apart character at the beginning of my career is challenging and exciting at the same time." ## The story of the show revolves around a scam of pre-medical test exams and how a whole system works behind proxy and exam paper leaks that put the future of many students in the dark. As the story is based on the real-life PMT scam of 2013 and poses questions on the future of the youth of our country, Ritwik believes the show will create an impact in the minds of the youngsters. ## "I think after watching the show if the youth of the nation stand up for their own rights and question the system, we as the team of 'The Whistleblower' would feel happy, our job is done then. It is important to create awareness about everything among the youth because at the end of the day, we, and I also am a youngster, are the future of the nation," shared Ritwik. ## The show also features veteran actors like Ravi Kishan, Sachin Khedekar, Sonali Kulkarni, among others. ## According to Ritwik, each show is like an acting class and he is learning some of the life lessons and how. ## In his earlier show also he acted alongside veterans like Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni, Rajesh Tailang, among others. ## "I think just by working with these experienced actors I am learning so much. You know it made me wonder and fascinating at the same time that how, even after so many years of working, every time these actors approach characters like newcomers! Like how? They are successful and that surely gives a sense of validation and confidence to every artiste. ## "But then how do they still keep their enthusiasm intact every day? I think that is the biggest lesson I am learning from these veterans because the day I wake up and go on a film set without that enthusiasm, I think I should stop acting, and no, it will never happen...because I am greedy actor!" Ritwik signed off. ## 'The Whistleblower' is streaming on SonyLIV. For more and the latest news about Digital Media, stay tuned to us.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, Dec 25 (IANS) The astronomical rise of OTT has triggered a paradigm shift in the content consumption pattern of the audience. The audience today is more open to a wide range of content given the ease of access at their disposal. ## As the brim of consolidated content buckets from across platforms overflows with each passing day, the average consumer is spoilt for choices. ## The democratisation of the content production, distribution and exhibition courtesy the OTT, has enabled storytellers to find their audience, make brave choices and push the envelope for the stories in the pursuit of brilliance. ## For instance, filmmakers from Marathi cinema, ably supported by the Planet Marathi OTT's game changing innovations and content solutions, have been crafting ground-breaking stories that resonate with people not just in India but also globally. ## Akshay Bardapurkar, Founder, Planet Marathi, says, "Regional content is demanded globally by viewers who speak Marathi, who are familiar with the language and even those who simply enjoy the content irrespective of the language. Language is no longer the barrier in the OTT age. Audiences seek meaningful entertainment. Marathi filmmakers have demonstrated the potential to make ground-breaking content in the past." ## A good story is something that connects with people on a subconscious level and brings them together under one roof from a wide spectrum of demographics, regions and cultural differences. As Netflix India spokesperson says, "All the best stories in the world are authentic to their local context and origins of their characters, yet evoke universal emotions. And this is why this is an exciting time for stories in any language to be successful anywhere." ## Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India says, "On ZEE5, almost 50 per cent viewership comes from regional language content. We currently house regional original content in 6 languages i.e. Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali and very recently Punjabi. For the rest, we have a series of dubbed content available on the platform. Overall, we have content and UI & UX in all 12 languages." ## With changes in the socio-economic sphere of the country, data and smartphones have become an integral part of modern life. Today, the Internet has spread to the most remote places in India which has naturally opened an oracle of new territories for storytellers. ## Commenting on the same, Manish says, "With deeper and wider penetration of Internet and mobiles in India, consumption of OTT content is no longer a metro phenomenon." ## He adds, "At an industry level, as per E-marketer, Ericsson, BCG Research Report, Indian language Internet users are expected to grow to 536 million with 9 out of 10 new Internet users in the country likely to be Indian language users, paving way for rapid user growth on OTTs with strong language content offering." ## It's not just the deepest corners of India that the regional content is reaching out to, it's making inroads on the fertile grounds outside India as well. ## Sharing an insight about how regional content on Netflix is transcending boundaries, Netflix India spokesperson states, "We are seeing tremendous success for films, across languages, on Netflix. Our Tamil anthology film 'Navarasa', helmed by Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan was in the Top 10 in 10 countries including India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka. In its first week on Netflix, more than 40 per cent of the viewers for the film were from outside India." ## Quoting another example, the spokesperson adds, "Likewise, in its first week alone, the Dhanush-starrer 'Jagame Thandhiram' drew an equal share of audience from outside India as it did within the country. The film was subtitled and dubbed in multiple Indian languages as well as English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese, enabling wider access for our members around the world. 'Jagame Thandhiram' has been in the Top 10 in 12 countries outside India and has been No. 1 in 7 countries, including India, Malaysia, and the UAE." ## Rounding up the content year 2021 for the platform, the Netflix spokesperson presents an assorted collection of content pieces available on the platform and also the upcoming release, "In the last one year, Martin Prakkat's 'Nayattu' (Malayalam), V. Vignarajan's 'Andhaghaaram' (Tamil), our local anthologies 'Pitta Kathalu' (Telugu) and 'Paava Kadhaigal' (Tamil), Praveen Kandregula's 'Cinema Bandi' (Telugu) and Mandonne Ashwin's 'Mandela' (Tamil) were also widely loved by our members and featured in the Top 10 in India. We can't wait to bring 'Minnal Murali' (Malayalam) to our members on December 24." ## In the same vein, Manish Kalra outlines ZEE5's 2021 content line-up, "We had a strong 2021 content line-up of 50+ theatricals and 40+ Originals across diverse languages, making our language play one of the strongest in the industry". ## With growing engagement and awareness towards regional content, the content industry is going through its golden period. ## ZEE5's Manish Kalra leads us into a glimpse of their content strategy to leverage the growing engagement, "With a concerted focus on 'Deeper Regionalisation', ZEE5 has always stood for empowering Indians to consume entertainment anytime and anywhere. Our primary objective is to drive 'Entertainment Inclusion', by onboarding millions of digital consumers and democratising access to bespoke Indian entertainment for all, especially for markets which are new/underserved". ## Akshay Bardapurkar of Planet Marathi shares the platform's strategy to capitalise on the boom, as he says, "All we lacked as an industry was the financial backing to make this content larger than life. We at Planet Marathi have connected Marathi talent reservoir with an internationally funded platform. Vistas Media Capital has joined hands in making Marathi regional content global with Planet Marathi." ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Such Updates.

BY SACNILK

Hyderabad, Dec 24 (IANS) Telugu's superstar Nagarjuna, who hosted three seasons of 'Bigg Boss Telugu', recently concluded the fifth season of the reality show. ## Now that the makers of 'Bigg Boss' have announced the 'OTT' format of the show, Nagarjuna will host the first season as well. ## It is reported that 'Bigg Boss Telugu OTT 1' will go on floors in February 2022. It is reported that nearly 18 contestants will start as inmates, to show their participation in the reality show. ## 24 hours of live feed for 'Bigg Boss Telugu OTT1' (Tentative title) will be telecasted on Disney Hotstar. ## Reports also suggest that the makers are working on remodeling the 'Bigg Boss Telugu 5' set, so as to accommodate it for the upcoming 'Bigg Boss Telugu Live'. ## On the other hand, the makers of 'Bigg Boss Telugu Live' or 'Bigg Boss Telugu OTT 1' are working on the casting for the reality show. ## 'Bigg Boss Telugu 5' had VJ Sunny win the title, while Shanmukh Jaswanth became the runner-up. ## With the amplified craze around the reality show, the makers are planning on innovative games and campaigns so as to make the upcoming seasons more interesting, the sources report. ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Updates.

BY SACNILK

Seoul, Dec 24 (IANS) 'Squid Game' star HoYeon Jung said she shed eight pounds in 10 days as she was promoting Netflix's hit series 'Squid Game' in the US. ## "There was no time to eat," the 27-year-old South Korean actress told Star News (via AllKpop) in a recent interview about her hectic schedule while visiting America, reports pagesix.com. ## "I lost way too much weight," she admitted. ## "All the clothes that used to fit me when I first came (to America) are too loose now." ## The interview comes as fans took to Instagram to comment on her weight loss in a series of photos taken from recent events she posted on social media last week. ## "I don't want to come off negative at all, just want to say that seeing you in the black dress makes me a bit worried," one fan commented, adding: "I know how it is for models to obtain a certain weight standard, but please make sure you are eating well." ## Another added: "You are getting skinnier and skinnier. Hope you are happy and keeping well with your general health." ## "Plz take care of your health and nutrition e. u r beautiful anyway," a third wrote. ## Despite the concerned comments, many fans praised the actress, who played Kang Sae-byeok in the hit show. ## "Literally the prettiest human I've ever seen," one commented, with another adding: "She's so pretty am I right?" ## The actress first addressed her weight loss earlier in December, blaming the sudden success of the streaming series for her loss of appetite. ## "I couldn't follow the speed of the growth of the eSquid Game' success because since COVID, I think everything is faster and even online, it happens just so quick. It was hard to follow," she told The Hollywood Reporter. ## "I lost 6 pounds in a week when it became successful. I couldn't eat e it wasn't stress, I just didn't know this feeling. eWhat's going on out there, who am I?' I was kind of losing myself." ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Updates.

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, December 24 - It was recently reported that Avengers' director duo Russo Brothers would be producing the Indian version of the international series "Citadel" for Amazon Prime Video. It was revealed that the series would be directed by "The Family Man" duo Raj&DK and will feature Varun Dhawan in the lead role, which marks his digital debut. ## Now, according to the latest reports, the Indian adaptation of this acclaimed series will also Samantha Ruth Prabhu as the female lead n this action-packed series and it will mark her first collaboration with Varun Dhawan. The South Indian actress has already worked with Raj&DK in "The Family Man". ## "It's among the biggest shows that's keenly awaited not just in India but even on an international front. The makers were on the lookout for a fresh pairing and that's when they pulled off the coup of bringing Samantha alongside Varun for the first time", a report in Pinkvilla stated. ## It was further revealed that both Varun Dhawan and Samantha will do multiple workshops and training sessions to learn various forms of action next year before taking the series on floors. The duo will reportedly be playing stylish spies in this series, which will go on floors in 2022 and will premiere in 2023.## Meanwhile, Samantha will reportedly be making her Hindi feature film debut as a female lead under Taapsee Pannu's production. Apart from mentioned projects, Samantha will also be leading her first international project "Arrangements of Love", which will be directed by BAFTA-winning Welsh director Philip John. It will go on floors in August 2022. ## Stay tuned...

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Mumbai, Dec 23 (IANS) Actress Archana Singh Rajput is all set to make her OTT debut with 'Rangbaaz Wanted'. She talks about playing an interesting character and also shares her shooting experience in Madhya Pradesh for the series. ## Talking about the show, the 'Bahu Hamari Rajnikant' actress says: "The show depicts how a boy from Meerut comes to MP for his friend and gets entangled in a murder mystery and political influence and how he tries to get out of it. It has love and friendship supporting him. He is my childhood love in the show and it's a drama mystery with all the flavours." ## Archana has been part of several TV shows and was also seen in Telugu movie 'Maro Prasthanam'. Revealing about her role she adds: "I'm playing the female lead, the girlfriend of the guy who gets involved in a murder. It's a very interesting character. We are currently shooting in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh and all the artistes are very cooperative and humble." ## Helmed by director Manoj Khade and produced by Sureshchandra Awasthi, 'Rangbaaz Wanted' also features Aarya Babbar, Dev Sharma, Amika Shail and Varun Singh Rajput. ## For more and the latest news about Digial Media, stay tuned to us.

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Mumbai, Dec 23 (IANS) YouTuber, anchor and actor Sahil Khattar is making his Bollywood debut with the film '83', playing the character of the former wicket-keeper Syed Kirmani. The actor shares how his bald look made for a funny encounter with the cricketer when they met for the first time. ## Recalling his meeting with Kirmani, Sahil said in a conversation with IANS: "As we all can see that one common factor in both of us is our bald look. So when I met Kiri bhai for the first time, he reacted to me, saying, 'Are! Kiri bhai!'. I said to him, 'No sir, you are Kiri bhai.' He said, 'No, no sir, you are Kiri bhai, I am a lookalike'. And both of us started laughing out loud and then he hugged me."## Continuing his walk down memory lane, Khattar said; "It was such a delightful meeting followed by a conversation that offered me insights into the kind of personality Syed Kirmani is. Of course, the more I got to know him, the more I realised the responsibility I have taken up to portray him on-screen. But I can't thank my stars enough to give me this opportunity."## As Khattar played the wicket-keeper in the film, he admitted, the training part was the most painful one.## "Imagine the number of squats I had to do every single day!" Khattar said. "I am not a born sportsman and Kiri bhai and every player of the 1983 World Cup-winning team were trained cricketers. For a wicket-keeper, squatting, moving the body from one side to the other becomes their second nature. I was getting into that zone through training." ## He continued: "Honestly, after a point of time, I was feeling like I don't have my back and legs. It was so painful to hold and pose throughout the performance as an actor while squatting like a wicketkeeper! But eventually, when the final result came out, we all felt that it was worth the effort." ## Asked how his meeting with Kapil Dev turned out, Khattar said: "I tend to talk a lot and do all kinds of fun, games and 'masti', so after our meeting, Kapil sir said, 'Sahil is such a naughty boy!'." ## Stay Tuned To Sacnilk For More Such Updates.