Fukrey 3, Trailer launch: Risqué sera sera On an authoritative website, the word ‘Fukrey’ translates as ‘slackers’. It must be native to Delhi and its environs, as I have never come across this word anywhere else. That a Mumbai-based production house (Excel Entertainment, of Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani), bank-rolled this definitive Delhi dalliances caper, beginning with its first episode in 2013, and stayed with it for another 10 years, shows the faith the...

Phone Bhoot trailer launch: Horrorlarius Ever since the audience saw the first poster of Katrina Kaif, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Ishaan Khattar starrer Phone Bhoot, they were eagerly waiting to get more glimpses of the film. Their wait is over: the trailer of this most awaited comedy of horrors was launched on 10 October at the PVR multiplex, Juhu, Mumbai. Phone Bhoot is a title most likely chosen as a pun on the word Phone Booth, and has been in the news for some time now, because superstar ...

MAMI 22, 01: Priyanka Chopra Jonas new Chairperson, Festival in March 2022, No international competition Mumbai Academy of Moving Image has unveiled plans for 2021-22. The blueprint for the next film festival will feature new leadership and a new creative vision that is attuned to the radical changes the world has witnessed in the last two years. Taking over the reins as Chairperson is actor, producer and author Priyanka Chopra Jonas. She was unanimously nominated by MAMI’s Board of Tru...

Inside Edge 2: There’s many a snick between the bat and slip Inside Edge, the first original foray on to the digital platform in India by Amazon Prime, returns tomorrow with its Season 2. Based on cricket and the wheels within wheels of its glamorous, short, fast 20-20 overs or T-20 version, its first season brought in an international Emmy nomination. Now, with Season 2 out on December 06, 12 am Indian Standard Time, the makers, Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar of Excel Entertainment,...

Siraj Syed’s IFFI 2016 diary X, Open Forum 6: Finding your way across 2K, 4K, 6K, 8K  or 18K A digital technician who has built theatres (Lightbox in Mumbai, for one)-Neil Sadwelkar, Na Tum Jaano Na Hum producer Vivek Singhania, and Indian Documentary Producers’ Association (IDPA) President Mike Pandey, participated in the last Open Forum of International Film Festival of India 2016, organised by IDPA, at old GMC building, Panaji, Goa, on 27 November. The moderator was film-m...

The Divergent Series-Allegiant Part I, Review: Alley Giant Three down, one to go. This film is the first of two cinematic parts, based on the novel Allegiant, the final book in the Divergent trilogy, by Veronica Roth, and the third instalment in The Divergent Series of films. On the score board too, the series hits divergent marks. Neil Burger barely scraped through with the Divergent debut two years ago, while German director Robert Schwentke acquitted himself well in Insurgent last year. Sc...

Continuing short reviews of films, seen at the 46th International Film Festival of India. (See Festival Diary I, II, III, IV and V for more coverage) Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara: India: Zoya Akhtar Dude, this was released in 2011! So how come you are writing about it now? Simple. I saw it NOW! Daughter of a writer-poet father, one of India’s best-known, and an actress who was famous as a child star, Zoya is perhaps not as famous as her brother Farhan, who is an actor-director-producer-wr...

MFF 17, by Jio-MAMI, Festival Diary, I                                                                                                        (Coming up: Part II) It began in 1997, as the International Film Festival of Mumbai (IFFM). Som...

Shahrukh Khan's new film“Don 2 – The Chase Continues” introduces the German Capital to Bollywood filmlovers. One of the top three destinations in Europe, after London and Paris, it registered an increase in the number of Indian visitors  by 43 percent in 2010. Now, Berliners would like Don 2 to make the city even more popular with Indians. Burkhard Kieker, CEO, visitBerlin says "Don 2 has two starring roles, Shah Rukh Khan and Berlin.” What's Shahrukh's considered opinion of...