India Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Naman Ramachandran Anil Thadani’s AA Films has acquired the Hindi-language distribution rights for four highly anticipated 2024 southern Indian titles. The films are: Sukumar’s “Pushpa: The Rule – Part 2,” starring Allu Arjun; Shankar’s “Game Changer,” headlined by Ram Charan; Nag Ashwin’s “Kalki 2898 AD” led by Prabhas; and Koratala Siva’s “Devara,” starring NTR Jr. All these films are originally made in the Telugu language but will also be released across India and the world in several Indian languages, including Hindi.

India–Taiwan co-production “Demon Hunters” will be unveiled at the upcoming Cannes Film Market. The action-horror-comedy film is directed by Chen Mei-Juin (“The Gangster’s Daughter”) and produced by Light House Productions (Taiwan) and Kleos Entertainment Group (India), with the backing of the Taiwan government. The cast is headlined by India’s Arjan Bajwa (Prime Video series “Bestseller”) and Taiwan’s J.C.

Former reality star Binky Felstead staged an impromptu Made in Chelsea reunion at the weekend, as her famous co-stars from the show came together to celebrate her son Wilder’s first birthday.The 33 year old reality star who previously shot to fame on the E4 series invited the entire gang to her house on Saturday to celebrate the milestone occasion, before documenting the party with a string of adorable snaps on social media. At the party, close pal Lucy Watson, 33 made an appearance alongside James Dunmore and brought their six-week old son Willoughby along for the party, while her sister Tiffany, 30, was joined by her son Jude, nine months.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCat’s documentary “Sugarcane” garnered the top nonfiction honor at the 26th annual Sarasota Film Festival. About the abuse and death of Indigenous children at a Canadian-based Indian Residential School, the docu premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival (SFF), where it picked up the U.S. documentary directing kudo.

She burst onto our screens at the beginning of this year as the daughter of Dean Wicks and Shabnam Masood. Elizabeth Green was cast in the role of Jade Masood, originally portrayed by Amaya Edward between 2015 and 2016. Jade has instantly become a poignant character on the show, raising awareness of the condition cystic fibrosis, which she suffers from.

Refresh for latest…: As it crossed the $1B international box office milestone this past weekend, Warner Bros again owned the frame with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and its third session haul of $33.7M from 71 markets. That was good for a 47% drop from the previous weekend and lifts the overseas cume to $278.6M and global to $436.6M. Meanwhile, WB and Legendary’s other major title in the marketplace, Dune: Part Two, now has a shot at getting to $700M worldwide.

EXCLUSIVE: Amit Dhanuka has joined forces with Indian filmmaker Shashank Khaitan at Mentor Disciple Entertainment as a partner.

As Barry Hulse walked into the number eight barracks at the maximum security Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai his mind reeled. Awaiting trial for drugs smuggling offences, he'd been locked up with hardcore addicts, terrorists and some of India's most ruthless gangsters.

Survivor host Jeff Probst is happy that CBS ordered the show to be more inclusive.

Naman Ramachandran Indian actor-producer Yash‘s Monster Mind Creations and producer Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios have partnered on an adaptation of Indian epic “Ramayana” for global audiences. The film will be directed by Nitesh Tiwari, whose “Dangal” is the highest Indian grosser of all time.

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced that the 40th annual festival will take place in Santa Barbara, California, from February 4 through February 15.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Rachel Perkins has been appointed as chair of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) council for a period of three years. She follows previous chairs Russell Howcroft and Debra Richards. AFTRS is Australia’s leading specialist education, training and research institution, supporting excellence in Australian screen and audio storytelling. “Rachel is one of Australia’s leading storytellers, particularly when it comes to First Nations stories,” said Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke. A graduate of AFTRS, writer, director and producer, Perkins founded Blackfella Films, which has gone onto become one of Australia’s leading production companies.

K.J. Yossman International writers guilds representing 67,000 professional screen writers across the globe are collaborating on developing an “ethical framework” for the use of AI in screenwriting.

The Apprentice winner Harpreet Kaur is set to tie the knot with fellow contestant Akshay Thakrar in the show's first ever wedding, and Lord Alan Sugar is on the guest list.The couple, who met during the 2022 series of the hit reality show and got engaged in 2023, are planning to say their vows at the end of next month. Harpreet has revealed that not only is Lord Sugar invited, but also Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell from the show.The lovebirds have planned three separate days of celebrations, including a traditional English-style white wedding, followed by an Indian ceremony and then a "big fat reception party".

Netflix has dropped the trailer for upcoming Indian series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, showcasing the private exchanges of courtesans amid sweeping scenes of revolution in British-ruled India.

The BBC‘s news operation in India has formally split in two, as the UK broadcast organization seeks to comply with local media rules.

Studiocanal’s The Copyrights Group Bolsters Exec Team

Alex Ritman Rwandan actress Eliane Umuhire (“Augure by Baloji,” “My New Friends”), French producer Sylvie Pialat (“Timbuktu,” “Staying Vertical”), Belgian cinematographer Virginie Surdej (“The Blue Caftan,” “Our Mothers,” “Casablanca Beats”) and Canadian film critic, journalist and frequent Variety contributor Ben Croll have been named on the jury for the Critics’ Week section of the Cannes Film Festival. The four will now join Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen, who last week was named Critics’ Week jury president, with the group set to choose the sidebar competition’s award winners, including the Grand Prize for best feature film, the French Touch Prize of the Jury, the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star award for best actor or actress and the Leitz Ciné Discovery Prize for best short film.

Naman Ramachandran The BBC‘s news operations in India have been effectively divided from Wednesday with the launch of Collective Newsroom. Collective Newsroom was formed in December 2023 in order to comply with India’s strict foreign direct investment (FDI) in media rules. The Indian government’s cap on FDI in digital news outfits is 26%.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Leading European distributor Global Screen, part of Telepool, has secured further international sales of high-end drama “Davos 1917” at MipTV. New acquisitions of the six-part thriller include SBS Australia, TVP in Poland and Big Tree Entertainment in India and the subcontinent. “Davos 1917,” which launched at the end of last year on SRF in Switzerland and ARD in Germany, has already been bought by a strong lineup of premium international broadcasters and streamers across North America, Europe and Asia.

Rihanna opened up about the beginning of her relationship with A$AP Rocky… and there were some glaring red flags all over their love story!

Lexi Carson ‘80s nostalgia is heading back to Netflix’s theaters with Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection – 1984. The Milestone Movies collection will screen across three theaters: New York’s Paris Theater, The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and The Bay Theater in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Selected films turning 40 this year will play in Netflix’s theaters and the 1984 collection is also available to stream.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent New York-based group FilmRise has dropped a gripping first trailer for “Missing From Fire Trail Road,” Sabrina Van Tassel (“The State of Texas vs. Melissa“)’s documentary film about the crimes against indigenous women.

Rihanna has shared an update on her long-awaited new album, revealing that she has “a lot of visual ideas” for the material.The singer spoke about the anticipated album in a newly shared discussion with Interview Magazine, which took place at the rehearsals for her first show in eight years.On the night, Rihanna took to the stage at a pre-wedding ceremony in India to play her first full live show since 2016 – and was reportedly paid $6million (£4.7million) for the private concert.During the discussion before the set, she was asked about what it was like to be back in a rehearsal space, and if she had “the vibe to do music again”.“I have a lot of visual ideas. It’s weird.

Naman Ramachandran Netflix has unveiled a spectacular trailer for Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.” The series is set in Heeramandi, Lahore, British India, where Mallikajaan (Manisha Koirala) rules over an elite house of courtesans. She schemes, fearing no one — until the return of her late nemesis’ daughter, Fareedan (Sonakshi Sinha), brings tensions in the house to a boil. Outside, the city is also roiling, with revolutionaries demanding India’s freedom from British rule, with Bibbojaan (Aditi Rao Hydari), one of Mallikajaan’s daughters, joining the fight for freedom.

Naman Ramachandran Indian actor Vipin Sharma is earning global acclaim for playing a trans character in Dev Patel‘s feature directorial debut “Monkey Man.” Sharma plays Alpha, the leader of a trans community known in India as hijras, who is instrumental in providing a new lease on life to Patel’s character when he’s down and out in “Monkey Man.” Aamir Khan’s “Taare Zameen Par” (2007) was Sharma’s breakthrough role, and since then he has won plaudits for “Paan Singh Tomar,” “Gangs of Wasseypur” and “Shahid” (all 2012), “Raanjhanaa” (2013), “Raman Raghav 2.0” (2016), “Paatal Lok” (2020) and “Dear Jassi” (2023). When director Anthony Maras offered Sharma a role in “Hotel Mumbai” (2018), starring Patel, the actor accepted.

Producers in Southeast Asia are facing a very different, much quieter landscape to the one in front of them just 12 months ago, as U.S. players rein in their spending to appease shareholders, and neighboring countries such as Korea, Japan and India draw attention.

EXCLUSIVE: Israeli format Power Couple has been picked up by Banijay in the Nordics and been awarded a slew of recommissions.

Naman Ramachandran Indian cinema A-list actor-producer-director Prithviraj Sukumaran is extremely busy, with a hit film in theaters, another due this week and several more in the works. Malayalam-language “Aadujeevitham” (“The Goat Life“), directed by Blessy (“Thanmatra”) is based on Benyamin’s bestselling 2008 novel of the same name and tells the true story of Najeeb, an immigrant laborer from Kerala forced into slavery on a remote goat farm in a Middle Eastern country. Sukumaran plays Najeeb.

Annika Pham On the heels of its successful world launch at IDFA, the critically-acclaimed anti-colonial pic “Our Land, Our Freedom,” sold by First Hand Films, has landed a deal with BBC Africa Eye. “Our Land, Our Freedom,” a Kenyan/U.S./Portuguese co-production, and the upcoming India-set “Kalari,” to be pitched in Visions du Réel docu festival’s Swiss Preview showcase, epitomize what First Hand Films stands for.