Vikram Gokhale starrer Sur Lagu De marks Marathi debut of Meghna Naidu Teaser launch of the Marathi language film Sur Lagu De on 12 December witnessed a few tears and many moist eyes, as everyone lamented the loss of the central character in the film, Vikram Gokhale, who passed away recently, after completing this film. Although he was seriously ill, he gave as many as 14 hours a day to the shooting of Sur Lagu De, to help complete the movie that was started pre-Covid. In the film, he is pair...

MIFF 2020, Open Forum 3: “Crowd-funding comes from your own sources” For its third Open Forum, Indian Documentary Producers’ Association (IDPA) chose a topic that captured the fancy of several veteran and newbie documentary-makers, ‘Crowd Funding’. A four-member panel presented their thoughts, views and experiences, while Aditya Seth (Vice-President, IDPA) moderated. Panelists comprised cinematographer-director Priyanka Singh, Wishberry partner Anshulika Dubey, d...

Director Ashutosh Gowariker, actor Vikram Gokhale flag-off 8th Theatre Olympics in Mumbai Taking forward its long association with the world of drama, the city inaugurated the 8th Theatre Olympics, a fortnight-long international theatre festival, organised by the National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, on 24th March. Eminent film and theatre actor Vikram Gokhale, and reputed film-maker Ashutosh Gowarikar inaugurated the festival, at a function held at the prestigious Nehru Centre, that was...

Hichki, Review: Hitch key Protagonist Rani Mukerji plays a spunky woman with Tourette Syndrome*, who sets her mind on teaching as a profession. Rather ambitious, considering she bursts into tics, making funny, bark-like noises every 30 seconds or so. It is inspired by the life of American Brad Cohen, probably the most famous person with Tourette Syndrome. With no real stars, this come-back vehicle of actress Rani Mukerji, who took a break for about four years, post marriage to the Yash Raj Fi...

Gour Hari Dastaan/The Freedom File, Review: His-story Described in the press as a Kafkaesque black comedy when it was launched in 2011, Gour Hari Dastaan is based on a true story, of Gour Hari Das (now 85), with some Kafkaesque undertones, but very little or no black comedy. It cannot afford to be a comedy, let alone a black one, since it deals with the sensitive subject of the neglect and disregard suffered by those who participated in the struggle to rid India of British colonial rule. Brit...