BY SACNILK

Chennai, June 4, 2021: Samantha Akkineni, who made her digital debut with Amazon Prime Video's "The Family Man 2", is overwhelmed with the response she is getting from the viewers. The series, which was originally planned to premiere on June 4, preponed a few hours as it dropped on June 3. Manoj Bajpayee reprised his role as a secret NIA agent from season one along with Priyami and others. ## Samantha Akkineni is the latest addition to the show. She plays the main antagonist called Raji, who is a member of a Tamil Rebelian group that joins hands with a dangerous terrorist organization, ISIS, to unleash an attack on India. However, what unfolds in the show, really surprised everyone who hailed Samantha for doing such a bold and gutsy role. ## On Friday (June 4), Samantha took to Instagram and shared a BTS picture with director duo Raj & DK and penned down a heartfelt note, dedicated to the Tamils of Eelam. The actress also said in the note that she watched documentaries of the Tamil struggle of years to bring sensitivity and balance to Raji's character. ## "When @rajanddk approached me to do the character, I was aware that portraying Raji's character required sensitivity and balance. The creative team shared documentaries of the Tamil struggle that included stories of women in the Eelam war. When I watched those documentaries, I was aghast and shocked by the troubles and unspeakable grief that the Tamils of Eelam went through over an extended period of time", Samantha said. ## "I noticed that the aforementioned documentaries had only a few thousand views and that is when it dawned on me how the world just looked away when tens of thousands of people of Eelam lost their lives. And, lakhs more lost their livelihood and their homes. *Countless many* continue to live in faraway lands with the wounds of the civil strife still fresh in their hearts and minds", she added. ## Samantha concluded the long note by saying, "Raji's story, though fictional, to me, is a tribute to those that died because of an unequal war, and those who continue to live in the painful memory of the war. I was particular about Raji's portrayal being balanced, nuanced, and sensitive. I want Raji's story to be a stark, much-needed reminder for us, more than ever before, to come together as humans to fight hate, oppression, and greed. If we fail to do so, countless more will be denied their identity, liberty, and their right to self-determination".## View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 4, 2021: Actress Kirti Kulhari, who was last seen in the Netflix film, The Girl on the Train, is all set to feature in back-to-back direct to the digital release, Shaadisthan. The trailer of the Shaadisthan - a road trip film, which brings two contrasting worlds which come together, was released on Friday. ## Talking about her character, Sasha, in the film, Kirti says she could instantly relate to it because she is an unapologetic, strong, and confident young woman who lives life on her own terms, strives to shatter stereotypes and isn't worried about being judged by anyone. ## The film follows the journey of four young and free-spirited musicians, a smalltown couple and their young daughter in a camper van, travelling from Mumbai to a small town in Rajasthan. It aims to deliver the message that being unconventional doesn't equate to being morally wrong.## Kriti said, "Shaadisthan is not only an entertaining movie but also holds a mirror to society and the conditioning it imposes on people and how people live by it as if it's their truth". ## Directed by Raj Singh Chaudhary, the movie also features Medha Shanker, Nivedita Bhattacharya, and real-life musicians Shenpenn Khymsar, Apurv Dogra, and Ajay Jayanthi, with Kay Kay Menon in a cameo. The film is scheduled to release on June 11 on Disney+ Hotstar.## Watch Trailer of Shaadisthan Here - ## ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 4, 2021: Amid the controversy, Amazon Prime Video's original series, The Family Man season 2 dropped on June 4. Created and directed by the director duo Raj & DK, the show stars Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, Shreya Dhanwantary, and Sunny Hinduja along with South Indian actress Samantha Akkineni in her digital debut. ## Samantha Akkineni's character, however, gave birth to controversy a few days before the show premeried. She came under the scrutiny of Tamil audiences for her role of Raji as they demanded a ban on the series for showing Tamils as terrorists. However, the makers said that the assumptions have been made based on a few shots in the trailer and urged people to wait for the show to premiere. Prime Video also reportadly asked Samantha to keep mum until the show arrives. ## In one of the interviews, the director duo Raj & DK had said that Samantha's character is the surprising package in the show which will grab everyone's attention. Well, they were right in saying this as The Family Man's fans are applauding Samantha for doing such a bold and one of the most challenging roles of her career. ## Here is what viewers are talking about The Family Man 2 and Samantha Akkineni - ## The shocking scenes in EP 2, her kickass transformation from demure to passionate warrior mode; @Samanthaprabhu2 like never before, in terms of performance & her totally raw serious look. Bold and Gutsy #SamanthaAkkineni 👌Will binge through EPs 3 to 9 today! #TheFamilyMan2— Kaushik LM (😷 #StaySafe) (@LMKMovieManiac) June 4, 2021 ## @Samanthaprabhu2 as Raji is top notch. She emotes through her eyes and expressions most of the time. Few few actress succeed in choosing roles that remain in the minds of audience and #SamanthaAkkineni as Raji is one such role.#Familyman2— Ro-HIT (@rohith_writings) June 4, 2021 ## "Raji" the name is enough!!!!! What a performance by @Samanthaprabhu2 💥. Samantha Akkineni ma'am was just on fire!!!Also Manaj Bajpayee sir never disappoints us with his performance. Overall #TheFamilyMan2 is a bang on show🔥#ManojBajpayee #SamanthaAkkineni @BajpayeeManoj pic.twitter.com/0S1KP7Fxeh— Debanshi Biswas (@BiswasDebanshi) June 4, 2021 ## We have to appreciate @Samanthaprabhu2 for her guts to accept this role👏👏 No one can do justice to this role other than Samantha ✨🙌Huge respect, Dedication matters #SamanthaAkkineni 👌🙏#FamilyManSeason2 #FamilyMan #TheFamilyMan #AmazonPrime #TheFamilyManSeason2 pic.twitter.com/LUlSX9ypmC— Siva Harsha || S/H (@VenomFate23) June 3, 2021 ## Full stop To All the voices raised against SAM & burning moment for haters 🤫.... Goosebumps guarantee in this scene 🔥..... #TheFamilyMan2 @Samanthaprabhu2 #SamanthaAkkineni pic.twitter.com/Jb4Bd3etJE— Abhi 😷 (@jackspa09980580) June 3, 2021 ## It Is Raji's show! Ruling the screen and hearts of everyone...@Samanthaprabhu2 just nailed it..👏Specially in the Action Scenes Kudos to your guts 🙏Angel of Death #TamiliansPrideSamantha #TheFamilyMan2#SamanthaAkkineni pic.twitter.com/w5ObghyKWn— SandhyaSamanthaFan™ (@SandhyaSamFan) June 4, 2021 ## Two minutes of silence for those who trended shame on SamanthaNever Judge anything too early@Samanthaprabhu2 this scene💥#SamanthaAkkineni #familymanseason2 pic.twitter.com/EpO5aEoTeV— YASH CULT SUHAS (@YashCultSuhas) June 3, 2021 ## #SamanthaAkkineni is the only versatile actress of this generation 🔥 Thank you for choosing #Raji ❤️ you are the pride of Tamil 🙏 @Samanthaprabhu2 #TheFamilyManSeason2 is awesome...it was beyond my expectations 🔥A must watch 🥳— ѕαi sяαvαη (@sravan523) June 4, 2021 ## Just Completed it after the binge watch of around 7 hrs.And really it's one of those rare webseries whose 2nd season matched the awesomeness of 1st one or was even better than the former.@PrimeVideoINU guys have nailed it...#ManojBajpayee#SamanthaAkkineni#TheFamilyMan2 pic.twitter.com/pgkWX62EcF— Aman Agrawal (@aman_dis_side) June 4, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

California, June 2, 2021: Video streaming platform, Youtube has paid more than $4 billion to the music industry in the past 12 months, according to a letter sent by Lyor Cohen, Youtube's top music executive (via The Hollywood Reporter). ## That $4 billion payout includes payments to artists, writers, labels, and others. Cohen said that 30 percent of that $4 billion figure went to creators of user-generated content. ## "Fan-powered videos have always flourished on YouTube, helping artists grow their audiences and break songs around the world", he wrote. "We're thrilled it's now also become a meaningful and incremental source of revenue alongside premium music content". ## Lyor Cohen also added that YouTube Music added more new subscribers in Q1 2021 than in any other quarter since the platform launched, although he did not provide an overall subscriber figure. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, June 1, 2021: Tamil superstar Dhanush's most-awaited film, Jagame Thandhiram's trailer was launched on Tuesday, June 1. The movie, which marks the first collaboration between the actor and director Karthik Subbaraj, will premiere directly on Netflix on June 18. ## The trailer shows Dhanush in the role of a Madurai-based witty gangster called Suruli. He travels to London to take on a local gangster named Peter Sprott, played by Hollywood actor James Cosmo of Game of Thrones fame. James Cosmo plays the role of a London-based mafia boss and shares a bitter relationship with Suruli. ## Produced by Y NOT Studios, and Reliance Entertainment, Jagame Thandhiram was supposed to release in theaters in May last year but was delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, Dhanush mentioned that the movie is made for the big screen only, however, in February, the producer S Sashikanth of Y Not Studio decided to release it against theaters on Netflix. ## As Dhanush was quite confident about the theatrical release, the decision of the direct OTT release on Netflix did disappoint him. He distanced himself from the film's promotion and has reportedly not been on talking terms with the producer. ## On Tuesday, Dhanush took to Twitter and shared the trailer link of Jagame Thandhiram saying, "What would have been a great theatrical experience coming to Netflix. Nevertheless hope you all enjoy jagame thandhiram and suruli". ## What would have been a great theatrical experience coming to Netflix. Nevertheless hope you all enjoy jagame thandhiram and suruli @karthiksubbaraj @Music_Santhosh https://t.co/gCeOdtkcD3— Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) June 1, 2021 ## Jagame Thandhiram is an action thriller film that also stars Aishwarya Lekshmi, James Cosmo, Joju George, and Kalaiyarasan in pivotal roles. The film has been shot in Madurai, Chennai, and London apart from a few other places in the UK. Apart from the original Tamil language, the movie will also be releasing in the dubbed versions in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi. ## Meanwhile, Dhanush's latest release, Karnan was also speculated for direct-to-digital release, however, the makers burst speculations and released the movie in theaters on April 9. Upon the release, Karnan received rave reviews and did wonders at the box office, and became one of the highest grosser Tamil movies of Dhanush. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 31, 2021: As many Bollywood stars venturing into the digital world, another star joins the list is Riteish Deshmukh. The actor is said to be making his digital debut with a Netflix film. While the plot of the movie is yet to be known, it is reported that it is a social comedy movie that will be directed by Shashanka Ghosh. ## Shashanka Ghosh is known for helming movies like Veere Di Wedding, Sonam Kapoor's Khoobsurat, and Quick Gun Murugun among others. Screenwriter Rajat Arora, who previously written the dialogues of Abhishek Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, and Priyanka Chopra starrer Bluffmaster, has reportadly written Deshmukh's Netflix movie and is also producing it. ## The movie was supposed to go on floors earlier this year but due to the second wave of coronavirus and lockdown in Maharasthra, it was paused. The makers have now planned to take the movie forward from July onwards with an aim to set a 2022 premiere date. Riteish is said to be playing a larger-than-life character in this web movie that's also likely to feature a top South Indian actress. ## Apart from the Netflix movie, Riteish has reportadly started prepping for his period drama on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that will be directed by Sairat fame Nagraj Manjule. He is also said to be doing one more film for Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP Movies banner. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 31, 2021: ALTBalaji's one of the most loved romantic shows, Broken But Beautiful has returned with its season 3 with the fresh casting of the leading pair. Starring Sidharth Shukla and Sonia Rathee, the series dropped on May 29 and getting a positive response from the fans. ## The 10 episode series is created by Ekta Kapoor while Priyanka Ghosh had directed it. Sidharth Agastya Rao is playing a writer-director, who believes in the 'artistic' side of entertainment while Sonia as Rumi Desai is essaying the character of a rich and privileged girl who used to get whatever she wants. ## The show follows the story of Agastya and Rumi, who fall in love with each other but are unable to find a way to move forward due to their completely different personalities. It showcases the ups and downs of their relationship. It also stars Ehan Bhat, Jahanvi Dhanrajgir, Manvir Singh, Taniya Kalra, and Saloni Khanna in key roles. ## Both the leading actor - Sidharth and Sonia are receiving a lot of appreciation from viewers for their passionate effort in the show which makes it a good watch. And because of the positive word of mouth, it is already reached among the most rated Indian shows on IMDb.## Each of the 10 episodes has IMDb ratings above 9 with the 7th and 10th episode topped with 9.8 ratings for each. BBB3 is also among the most-watched movies/shows on OTTs for this week. According to Ormax Media, over 8 lakh people watched the series in the first 24 hours. ## Meanwhile, Shehnaaz Kaur Gill, who is a very close friend of Sidharth Shukla, heaped praise on the actor and said that he has nailed the character of Agastya Rao. "Just binged watched BBB3. Proud of you @sidharth_shukla you have nailed the character of #agastyaRao!!!!" she wrote on Twitter. ## Just binged watched BBB3. Proud of you @sidharth_shukla you have nailed the character of #agastyaRao!!!!— Shehnaaz Gill (@ishehnaaz_gill) May 29, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 27, 2021: The Government of India, on February 25, had announced the new guidelines for the digital media platforms including social media and OTT platforms and decided to tighten the grip over them after receiving a lot of complaints against OTTs and social media. ## The Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) minister Prakash Javadekar had told India Today TV that the tightening of rules governing social media and streaming companies was done to stop fake news as these platforms have been subject to misleading their users.## Now, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has sought details from digital media publishers, including OTT and digital news platforms, to compliance with the new guidelines on digital media ethics, within 15 days of time. ## However, when the guidelines were announced, many people criticized the government saying that the new rules will directly lead to OTT censorship and will harm the freedom of expression. Meanwhile, Prakash Javadekar had defended the rules saying people are happy. ## “People are happy with the guidelines", Javadekar had said while he also dismissed the charge that the stakeholders were not consulted before issuing the guidelines. He said a proper consultation was taken from the stakeholders in Mumbai.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, May 26, 2021: In a landmark deal, Amazon.com Inc., an American tech giant, has bought the iconic Hollywood movie studio, MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) for a massive sum of $8.45 billion, on Wednesday. ## The new deal between Amazon and MGM will add a vast collection of Hollywood classics and franchises to Amazon's mix. MGM boasts a film library of around 4,000 titles and 17,000 hours of TV programming, including the Bond, Rocky/Creed, and The Hobbit film franchises.## Meanwhile, the billion-dollar deal came at a time when the 25th installment in the James Bond film series - No Time to Die, is only a few months away from its worldwide theatrical release. The question, however, arises whether "No Time To Die" will release in theaters or it will go directly to Amazon Prime Video. ## Well, there is some breather for cinemas in this regard as longtime James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are determined to keep the Bond franchise on the big screen in the wake of mega deal. ## "We are committed to continuing to make James Bond films for the worldwide theatrical audience", Broccoli and Wilson said in a statement out of London, where they run Bond home Eon Productions, according to The Hollywood Reporter. ## No Time To Die, after being delayed numerous times because of the pandemic, is set to hit theaters on October 8 (USA) this year (the Amazon-MGM deal won't likely be closed then). MGM subsidiary United Artists Releasing is distributing the highly anticipated tentpole domestically, while Universal Pictures International is handling overseas duties.## Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the movie features Daniel Craig in his final turn as 007. It also stars Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, among others in pivotal roles. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, May 25, 2021: The controversy around Amazon Prime Video's upcoming web series, The Family Man 2, is getting more intense as the Tamil Nadu government has written a letter to the Information and Broadcast Minister Prakash Javadekar seeking a ban on the show for 'depicts the Eelam Tamils in a highly objectionable manner'. ## "I would like to bring to your notice about the condemnable, inappropriate, and malicious contents of The Family Man 2 serial in Hindi, which depicts the Eelam Tamils in a highly objectionable manner. The trailer of the above said serial which was released in the social media network is aimed at discrediting and distorting the historical struggle of Eelam Tamils in Sri Lanka", read a section of the letter.## According to the trailer launched recently, South Indian actress Samantha Akkineni, who makes her digital debut with this series, can be seen portraying a character named Raji. But the controversial part is that she is a member of a rebel group called Tamil rebels, who joined hands with a dangerous terrorist organization, ISIS, to unleash an attack on India. ## Objecting to Samantha's role, the state government suggested that casting Samantha Akkineni as a terrorist in "the serial is directly an attack on the pride of Tamils living around the world and no one will tolerate this kind of motivated and mischievous campaign", the letter read.## TN Govt writes to Centre to stop the release of the web series #TheFamilyManSeason2 on Amazon Prime. IT Minister, in his letter says, the web series, if broadcast would be prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony in the State. pic.twitter.com/opdVzbQJdq— D Suresh Kumar (@dsureshkumar) May 24, 2021 ## Urging the broadcast ministry to take cognizance of the matter, the letter from the government concluded saying that, "In the circumstances, I request you to take immediate action either to stop or ban the release of The Family Man 2 in OTT, Amazon Prime not only in Tamil Nadu but also across the country". ## Meanwhile, the directors of the show, Raj & DK have responded to the calls for banning the show. According to them, assumptions have been made based on a few shots in the trailer and urged people to wait for the show to premiere, which is scheduled for June 4 in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu languages. ## "Some assumptions and impressions have been made based on just a couple of shots in the trailer. Many of our lead cast members, as well as key members of the creative & writing team, are Tamilians. We are very cognizant of the sentiments of the Tamil people and Tamil culture and have nothing but the utmost love and respect towards our Tamil people", Raj & DK said in the statement. ## "We have put in years of hard work into this show, and we have taken great pains to bring to our audiences a sensitive, balanced, and riveting story – much like we did in Season 1 of the show. We request everyone to wait and watch the show when it releases. We know you'll appreciate it once you watch it". ## Manoj Bajpayee, who is reprising his role of Srikant Tiwari as a secret NIA agent in the show, also posted Raj & DK's statement on Instagram. ## View this post on Instagram A post shared by Manoj Bajpayee (@bajpayee.manoj) ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 25, 2021: Priyadarshan directorial, Hungama 2 becomes the latest Bollywood movie to skip theatrical release to premiere directly on OTT. It was originally slated for theatrical release but due to the covid-19 pandemic, the makers have decided to go for the straight OTT release. ## "Hungama 2 is a lighthearted film meant to be enjoyed across all age groups, and we feel it will entertain the audiences and bring some cheer in these trying times. We will release the film on a digital platform this year and movie lovers can enjoy the laugh riot at the comfort of their homes. We have made Hungama 2 with utmost love and we are confident that our film will bring a smile to people's faces", producer Ratan Jain said.## Hungama 2 marks the comeback of director Priyadarshan to Bollywood films after seven years after Rangrezz. It is a sequel to the director's 2003 comedy hit "Hungama". ## Produced by Ratan Jain, Ganesh Jain, Chetan Jain, and Armaan Ventures, Hungama 2 stars Paresh Rawal, Shilpa Shetty, Meezaan Jaffrey, and Pranitha Subhash in the leading roles while Ashutosh Rana, Manoj Joshi, Rajpal Yadav, Johnny Lever, and Tiku Talsania also feature in pivotal roles. ## The movie will premiere on Disney Plus Hotstar on July 23 while the trailer will drop on July 1st. ## IT'S OFFICIAL... #HUNGAMA2 TO PREMIERE ON DISNEY+ HOTSTAR... TRAILER TOMORROW... Director #Priyadarshan’s next venture #Hungama2 - starring #PareshRawal, #ShilpaShettyKundra, #MeezaanJafri and #PranithaSubhash - premieres 23 July 2021 on #DisneyPlusHotstar. pic.twitter.com/FJ87upSiVA— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) June 30, 2021 Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, May 24, 2021: The Amazon Prime Video's upcoming show, "The Family Man 2" is set to premiere on June 4. The trailer of the show was released on May 19 and is getting a bumper response from every part of the country irrespective of the controversy around it. ## While the show is already on the high buzz, it found new fans in Sidharth Shukla and Shehnaaz Gill, who have been ruling social media since the last year. For their undeniable chemistry during Bigg Boss 13, the couple found a true fanbase who fondly called them Sidnaaz. Sidnaaz's positive response to the trailer will surely boost the hype of The Family Man 2 among the fans. ## Shehnaaz Gill was one of the first to give her take on the trailer and wrote, "Family Man ka trailer dekh kar mazza aa gaya. @sidharth_shukla Season 1 wapas dekhna banta hai, what say? #LoveTheFamilyMan". ## In response, Sidharth said, "Sri, Sri, Srikant ji, the not so minimum guy ko wapas dekhna hi padega. Can't agree more @ishehnaaz_gill, #LoveTheFamilyMan @BajpayeeManoj, kya kadak trailer hai!". ## Sri, Sri, Srikant ji, the not so minimum guy ko wapas dekhna hi padega. Can’t agree more @ishehnaaz_gill , #LoveTheFamilyMan @BajpayeeManoj , kya kadak trailer hai! https://t.co/RnF5KUyUU5— Sidharth Shukla (@sidharth_shukla) May 24, 2021 ## Meanwhile, Manoj Bajpayee, who is playing the lead role in the series as a secret NIA agent, gave a hilarious reaction on Sidnaaz's tweets. He wrote, "@ishehnaaz_gill @sidharth_shukla Tumlog ka plan sunkar mujhe FOMO, LOLO, ROFLO ho raha hai... main bhi aa raha hoon guys, mere liye ruko". ## The reaction from Sidharth and Shehnaaz is obviously a PR thing by The Family Man 2 makers, but it has certainly helped Amazon Prime Video to make the fans curious to watch the show and also gave Sidnaaz fans to cheer who want to see their favorite persons to be together in any manner they can.## Created and directed by Raj & DK, the show also stars Samantha Akkineni in her digital debut and lead antagonist along with Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, Shreya Dhanwantary, Sunny Hinduja, and others play important roles. ## On the other hand, Sidharth Shukla is gearing up the release of his digital debut series, "Broken But Beautiful 3", which is set to premiere on May 29 on ALTBalaji. He will be romancing Sonia Rathee who is also making her web debut. The trailer of the show was recently launched and it is receiving positive reviews from fans. ## Stay tuned...