To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.
From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig (Little Women, Lady Bird) comes Barbie, starring Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie (Bombshell, I, Tonya) and Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Half Nelson) as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera (End of Watch, the How to Train Your Dragon films), Kate McKinnon (Bombshell, Yesterday), Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Juno),Ariana Greenblatt (Avengers: Infinity War, 65), Issa Rae (The Photograph, Insecure), Rhea Perlman (I’ll See You in My Dreams, Matilda), and Will Ferrell (the Anchorman films, Talladega Nights). The film also stars Ana Cruz Kayne (Little Women), Emma Mackey (Emily, Sex Education), Hari Nef (Assassination Nation, Transparent), Alexandra Shipp (the X-Men films), Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami, Peaky Blinders), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie), Jamie Demetriou (Cruella), Connor Swindells (Sex Education, Emma), Sharon Rooney (Dumbo, Jerk), Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Derry Girls), Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy), Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren (The Queen).
Gerwig directed Barbie from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, The Squid and the Whale), based on Barbie by Mattel. The film’s producers are Oscar nominee David Heyman (Marriage Story, Gravity), Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, with Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Ynon Kreiz, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich and Cate Adams serving as executive producers.
Gerwig’s creative team behind the camera included Oscar-nominated director of photography Rodrigo Prieto (The Irishman, Silence, Brokeback Mountain), six-time Oscar-nominated production designer Sarah Greenwood (Beauty and the Beast, Anna Karenina), editor Nick Houy (Little Women, Lady Bird), Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (Little Women, Anna Karenina), visual effects supervisor Glen Pratt (Paddington 2, Beauty and the Beast), music supervisor George Drakoulias (White Noise, Marriage Story) and Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water, The Grand Budapest Hotel).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Heyday Films Production, a LuckyChap Entertainment Production, a Mattel Production,Barbie. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in theaters only nationwide on July 21, 2023 and beginning internationally on July 19, 2023.
Barbie will be released in the UK on 21st July 2023 by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Created by Russo Brothers’ AGBO and showrunner David Weil, the 6-episode series features Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stanley Tucci, and Lesley Manville in pivotal roles, with two episodes dropping on April 28 and one episode launching weekly through May 26.
The phenomenal lead pair of Prime Video’s upcoming global spy series, Citadel, journeyed to Mumbai for the epic Asia Pacific premiere. Ahead of the grand evening, the lead cast of the action-packed series, Richard Madden, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas sat down for an entertaining chat and revealed what went into making this ground-breaking spy franchise. Created by Amazon Studios and Russo Brothers’ AGBO, with David Weil serving as showrunner and executive producer, Citadel will premiere exclusively on Prime Video, with two episodes dropping on April 28, and one episode rolling out weekly through May 26.
“We are excited to open the first window to the great universe of Citadel, and thrilled that we get to host the Asia Pacific premiere in Mumbai,” said Gaurav Gandhi, vice president, Asia Pacific, Prime Video. “Citadel is the beginning of a new, ambitious, landmark franchise—one built on a completely original IP— with interconnected stories that traverse the globe. This is an amazing way to create a really diverse global community of storytellers, and make entertainment truly borderless. The popularity of the genre, the novelty of the concept and the magic of the Russo Brothers, David Weil, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Richard Madden, and everyone else involved with Citadel, gives us confidence that audiences will love this truly global series.”
“Over 75% of Prime Video India’s customers watch international shows and movies in English or local languages on the service. With localisation in Indian languages, over 25% of the total viewing time of international shows and movies is now in local languages. Keeping that in mind, we’ll be releasing Citadel not just in English and Hindi, but also in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam,” said Sushant Sreeram, country director, Prime Video, India, “With Citadel, we are building an interconnected universe that takes borderless entertainment up a notch. Each Citadel series is locally created, produced, and filmed in-region, and stars top talent, forming a distinct global franchise. We are thrilled to be a part of the global Citadel universe and build this franchise together with an Indian instalment that is currently in production. I am certain that our customers in India will appreciate the scale and ambition that we are trying to bring to storytelling through Citadel.”
Priyanka Chopra Jonas who plays Nadia Sinh said, “When Jennifer Salke, who is the head of Amazon Studios, presented Citadel to me, she wanted to create an international, global franchise – an original IP that truly connects the world. Amazon strongly believes in diversity; and true diversity is represented internationally, not just by having different skin tones, but also by hearing the way people speak, actually delving into the culture. And this show has incredible ability to span across every country and continent. So, I didn’t even know the story and I said yep, doing it.”
Actor Richard Madden who plays Mason Kane shared, “Citadel has been incredibly physically demanding. But I think that’s what really is dreamy. It’s not simply a gun show or a fight sequence. This is how these two characters interact physically, and how they dance together. We learn in each action sequence a little more about the two of them. Just like in the drama scenes, the stakes are so high because of the adrenaline of what’s going on. The show just works both in the drama and action sequences.”
Citadel is executive produced by the Russo Brothers’ AGBO and showrunner David Weil. Alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden, the 6-episode series features Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville in pivotal roles. This thrilling spy series, that takes viewers around the world, will premiere exclusively on Prime Video starting April 28 with two episodes and then one episode rolling out weekly through May 26. The global series will stream across 240 countries and territories in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and other international languages.
The Last of Us based on the critically acclaimed and beloved video game series has successfully made the transition to television with its debut season on HBO.
The show brilliantly blends elements of action, adventure and drama, taking viewers on an emotional journey through a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by the Cordyceps fungus.
The series stays true to its source material, following the story of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they navigate a dangerous and unforgiving landscape filled with infected creatures and hostile human factions.
The casting choices for these lead characters are spot-on with Pascal and Ramsey delivering compelling performances that capture the essence of their characters. Their chemistry is authentic and heart-wrenching, reflecting the growing bond between the two as they struggle to survive.
The supporting cast is equally strong, with standout performances from Gabriel Luna as Tommy and Anna Torv as Tess. Each character is given ample depth and development, ensuring that viewers become invested in their individual stories and struggles.
Visually, The Last of Us is a masterpiece.
The production team has gone to great lengths to recreate the game’s hauntingly beautiful world with lush, overgrown cityscapes contrasting sharply against the harsh realities of life in a post-apocalyptic setting.
The infected creatures are horrifying and well-realized, with realistic makeup and special effects that bring them to life.
In terms of storytelling, the show does an exceptional job of balancing character-driven drama with high-stakes action sequences. The pacing is deliberate, allowing viewers to become immersed in the world and its characters while still maintaining a sense of urgency and danger.
The writing is superb with faithful adaptations of the game’s most memorable moments and the addition of new storylines that enhance and deepen the narrative.
One of the show’s greatest strengths is its exploration of themes such as survival, morality, and the human condition. Through its characters and their choices, this artful show presents a thought-provoking examination of what it means to be human in a world where humanity is on the brink of extinction.
The Last of Us is a must-watch series for fans of the video game and newcomers alike.
With its strong cast, gripping storylines and stunning visuals, the show successfully brings the game’s world to life on the small screen.
Be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you breathless and eagerly anticipating the next episode!!
Slightly late to the party, but I finally watched Farzi.
But if you’re like me, and liked Farzi, here are 5 films / series you can watch along the social themes of survival, and virtues and values where greed or pride leads to downfall.
Good girls
The show starring Christina Hendricks, Retta, and Mae Whitman is a witty and irreverent drama that explores the theme of female empowerment in the face of adversity. Three suburban moms decide to rob a local supermarket to take car e of their families’ financial needs.
What starts as a necessity soon becomes a hobby with these unsuspecting moms discovering their knack for this life of crime, gang heists, debts, secrets and more.
You know how Farzi takes us through the process of making counterfeit money, from finding the right quality of paper, to creating the perfect color ink. You’ll witness the same process but through the resources available to a suburban mom; hint – nail polish – kaafi ghareloo nuskhe
Watch these Good Girls being completely badass on Netflix.
Queen Pins
You’ve heard of counterfeiting money, but have you heard about counterfeiting coupons?
Loosely based on a true story, Queenpins follows the lives of Connie Kaminski (played by Kristen Bell), wh is a former Olympic medallist suffering from an existential crisis, financial debt and a failing marriage and her friend, JoJo Johnson (played by Kirby Howell-Baptiste), an unemployed makeup artist and wannabe social media influencer.
Both tired of being in a rut and struggling to make ends meet, they chance upon an idea to “win” coupons from companies, which soon turns into a multi-million dollar counterfeit coupon scheme.
Connie and JoJo take couponing to a whole new level, forging and selling on an industrial scale, and making millions in the process, before their luck runs out.
This light-hearted comedy thriller of survival makes Queenpins an entertaining watch. What’s quite interesting is how determined the authorities and loss prevention officers are to stop this pink-collar crime.
Queenpins in streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Molly’s Game
Another film about a former Olympian duping the system is Molly’s Game with Jessica Chastain in the titular role.
Based on the true story of a world-class skier, the film tracks Molly Bloom after the unfortunate end of the Olympic career due to an injury.
Instead of getting a degree, Molly takes on odd jobs till she stumbles upon the opportunity to work at an underground poker business played by the most famous and wealthy individuals.
This is where Molly’ Game becomes a game of tact and survival – Like our boy Sunny in Farzi, Molly quickly learns the ropes and establishes a business to successfully run an underground celebrity poker club. As the business grows, so do the stakes.
You can watch this story of ambition, risk and redemption on Netflix.
21 Blackjack
That leads me to another film with gambling as a backdrop – 2008’s film called 21.
This too is inspired by real events and people following the journey of six MIT students who are trained by their university professor to become experts in card counting in Blackjack and are flown to Vegas every week to make millions at the casinos.
They manage to trick players every night using strategic mathematical skills and advanced card-counting techniques, to cash in the big bucks… till they get too big for their shoes. As the stakes get higher, the casinos become more suspicious, and the team begins to navigate dangerous waters to keep their winning streak alive.
Shuffle through Netflix to watch this intellectually thrilling heist drama. If you’re not great with numbers like me, you might have to pause it a few times and figure their strategy at the table.
Fakes
Going back to the subject of counterfeiting, but with a lighter theme is the series called Fakes.
You want to take a guess?
Well, I’ll tell you anyway. Fakes is also inspired by a semi-true story of two teens who “accidentally” build one of the largest fake ID empires in North America, before a whole lot of shit goes down and they eventually get busted by the cops.
Unlike any of the other films in the list, the USB of this series is its narration. Each episode is told from the respective teenager’s point of view, often breaking the fourth wall. While one character is a neurotic brainiac named Zoe (played by Emilija Baranac), the other is an obnoxious, rich spoilt brat named Rebecca.
So, you have sort off keep track of each version of the story and connect the dots to solve the case.
Although it’s based on a true story, the cheeky treatment makes Fakes a fun watch, streaming on Netflix.
By the way, did you notice that all the stories have characters go from rags to riches… to rags !
After building intrigue among the audience with black and white images reminding us of the 1947 India partition, the makers of Bheed have released a video putting the speculations to rest. The pictures, which look from the 1947 India Partition are shockingly from the 2020 India Lockdown reminding similar times when people were uprooted from their homes.
12 years after the 84th Academy Award-winning French film ‘The Artist’, Bhushan Kumar and Anubhav Sinha’s upcoming social drama Bheed is another feature film made completely in black and white.
Depicting the hard-hitting reality of social disparity at the times when borders were drawn within the country. The Rajkummar Rao and Bhumi Pednekar starrer is a story of the time when migrant workers were stranded without necessities, trying to find their way home in the middle of a nationwide lockdown.
Anubhav Sinha speaking more about the film says, “Bheed is a story of the most perilous times which changed everything for humanity. The key objective of shooting the film in black and white was to showcase how the visuals of the social disparity during India’s Lockdown were strikingly similar to what people went through during the 1947 India partition. This story is about people whose lives changed in a snap and the colors from their lives were lost when the border was drawn within the country.”
Bhushan Kumar says, “Bheed is a special film as it communicates the story of the toughest times people had to face just to reach their homes. It is a very important story and who better than Anubhav to direct it? The film has been shot in black and white as it depicts the struggle in our society that we often overlook. I’m glad that we are able to bring such an important story to our audiences with a unique cinematic experience.”
The Anubhav Sinha directorial is going to be one of a kind, black-and-white film that speaks about the partition that our generation experienced in 2020. The audience is enthralled by this extraordinary idea of depicting the 2020 India Lockdown in black and white for the first time on the silver screen.
Directed by the master of telling real-life stories Anubhav Sinha, Bheed has a noteworthy ensemble starring Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Kapur, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh Rana, and Dia Mirza. The film is jointly produced by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series and Anubhav Sinha’s Benaras Mediaworks. The film also features Virendra Saxena, Aditya Shrivastava, Kritika Kamra, and Karan Pandit.
Thank God It Is Friday and we are starting the weekend with a bang!
With that, I finished watching the sole Hindi theatrical release of the weekend Selfiee starring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi. It is an official adaptation of the original Malayalam film Driving Licence, a film that I had absolutely loved!
It was during the second lockdown that I had finally got myself to watching Driving Licence. The reason for its delay was that I had by then already watched Ayyappanum Koshiyum which was written and directed by Sachi who was the writer behind Driving Licence too.
Incidentally, the core theme of both the films are similar, that of an ego tussle between two alpha males. And both films were previously out within months of each other. Somehow, my excitement for the film wasn’t as high as it usual is for a Malayalam film. But having dragged myself into it, I absolutely enjoyed it and how! Both films were presented so differently that it barely gave you a sense that they were pretty much similar films tackling a similar subject.
Bollywood has often been guilty of presenting adaptations after adaptations, something that I do not approve of wholeheartedly. But if they are presented well, I do not have a problem. And one thing that was going in favour of Selfiee was that Prithviraj Sukumaran was the co-producer here. He was a part of Driving Licence as well and so you needed a person who had previously understood the crux of the film.
As a result, the first trailer of Selfiee did gather my attention. It was much better than what I had expected to be, given the recent track record of Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi, both of whom would desperately need a hit now.
Finally I did manage to catch its press release and finished watching Selfiee.
An official adaptation of the original Malayalam film Driving Licence, Selfiee follows the story of a superstar pitted against a police officer at an RTO over a trivial issue that escalates quickly. The premise here is pretty good and I was pleasantly surprised as to how close this adaptation gets to the original. If anything, the differentiation did lay in its tonality with the original being quite mellowed down but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the core emotion here not only is intact but slightly enhanced given the current tempest surrounding Bollywood.
The screenplay standing at about a 145 minutes is slightly longer than the original but you won’t really feel the difference here!
The drama does begin with the introduction of the two protagonists – one in reel life with a movie playing within a movie, and the other a notable fan of the former. It was important to establish the crux of the relationship pretty well at the start and to the writers’ credit it was done quite well.
A minor criticism at the start can be attributed to the fact that the film was not true to the area where it is set in. The location was Bhopal here but the vibe of the city was missing, either through its dialogues or through the surroundings.
If you have watched the original, then you would know that there was a steady sense of world building there with a tinge of humour. The leisurely pace would often allow you to invest in characters better. But the same may not be necessarily true for the Hindi speaking audience.
We had previously seen the same in the Hindi adaptation of Drishyam 2 which was edited so minimalize the initial buildup. And the makers do opt for a similar strategy here as well. Which is not to say there was no buildup here, instead, the scenes were shortened so much so that there was a lot happening at any given point of time. Another green tick for the adaptation!
As far as Driving Licence is concerned, we do remember that iconic scene at the police station wherein the tension is slowly escalated to a boiling point. This scene here was deconstructed into being a little less layered and a tad simplistic. But the events before and after that sequence are commendable with the right doses of humour infused within the screenplay. The events are interesting and engrossing with minor tweaks made to the screenplay that doesn’t really change the overall core of emotions.
Speaking a bit about the politics of the drama, it is often seen that the tension between two individuals is brewing primarily due to the people around them. And that is well established here too.
The level of misunderstandings that some miscreants can cause was an eye opener here, as was the case in the original.
I did like how accurately (and over the top) the media was represented here.
While you would assume that the public sympathies would often lie with the common man (which is true), it doesn’t take time before the media can switch sides. And that bit was interesting as well! I also did like how the entire ‘Boycott’ (or Boy Cut, Boycoot…take your pick) culture was infused in the screenplay. This made me want to think that the timing of this film in terms of its adaptation was absolutely spot on!
The events leading up to the final act including the elaborate driving test – including the verbal one. And those parts were executed pretty well. If anything, I would have liked if the drama would have been further grounded as opposed to that one over the top sequence that I did witness (which was that one complaint in the original too).
But the end is heartwarming and you could feel the warmth between the two characters once realisation sets in. Overall, the screenplay here is a clear winner and almost matches up to the original!
The dialogues are witty and quite self aware which does make for a solid watch which is hilarious in parts too. But a small gripe being that none of the characters from Bhopal did speak the dialect of the land.
The music is good here and the rendition of Main Khiladi, Tu Anari works beautifully here. It was a genius decision by the makers to include the soundtrack that would fit the bill perfectly with the mood of the drama.
The BGM is good as well and makes its presence felt amidst the multiple slow motion shots of the characters. The cinematography is good as well and it represents the machismo of the two principal characters really well. The editing is sharp too.
Director Raj Mehta does a commendable job here. His skills are really put to test in the crucial second hour which was tricky but he comes out a winner!
The performances by the ensemble cast is terrific.
Mahesh Thakur and Kusha Kapila manage to impress in their respective parts. Abhimanyu Singh (his ads had me laughing hysterically) and Meghna Malik are absolutely hilarious and both of them have such incredible comic timing.
Adah Sharma scores and scores well in an extended cameo. Diana Penty as Vijay’s wife looks pretty and does a good job despite a limited screen presence. Nushrratt Bharuccha as Minty, Om Prakash’s wife has a few witty lines that she absolutely nails it.
The film marks the return of our very own “Serial Kisser”, Emraan Hashmi who desperately is in search of a commercial hit. He has always been a prolific actor and it made me the happiest to see him perform here. There is an inherent sweetness to his character of Om Prakash with a hint of innocence. It was pulled off incredibly well by Suraj Venjaramoodu in the original. And so he did have big boots to fill. But he adapts and does it well wherein the warmth within him is infectious and enough to look past his flaws.
And this film also marks the return of “Khiladi Kumar”, Akshay Kumar coming off a below par 2022. And here you can see glimpses of the old Kumar in a role which he was more comfortable in. I liked how his character was written to be so self aware, almost at times pulling off a dig at himself. And as Vijay Kumar, he is outstanding to watch! This is probably the best Akshay Kumar films in recent times, and by a margin.
Popcorn Rating – [3.5/5]
Selfiee is an enjoyable drama with great performances which does come really close to the original Malayalam film Driving Licence.
Running at a theatre near you.
NOTE: THE VIEWS AND OPINION EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR. Edited by Nidhi Sahani
Magic Mike’s Last Dance is all about cheap thrills with extremely attractive actors getting creatively raunchy and dancing sexy.
In the franchise’s third instalment, we’re introduced to Maxandra (played by Salma Hayek Pinault), a wealthy socialite who finds a new purpose after a “magical” night with infamous Mike (played by Channing Tatum).
Impressed by the man who “moves like water”, Maxandra offers him an opportunity of a lifetime and lures him into moving to London. Giving away the offer on the table would be spoiler…
What follows is a slightly slow-paced but entertaining journey of Mike learning to walk again for other dancers to take over the good old sensual strip shows.
There are portions in the film that a borderline adult-rated with Hayek Pinault climbing (literally) up Tatum’s torso and being dry-humped. The film doesn’t hold back to explicitly show jaw-dropping moments with heavy pelvic thrusts and exotic dance moves.
However, it somehow manages to weave it as a piece of art and an exploration of human emotions from the mundane to feeling a sense of passion / purpose.
The best and the most enjoyable moments are at “the last dance”, literally, where all the strippers put on a show for the audience consisting of primarily women. Watch out for the exclusive performance enjoyed by three women towards the end – it’s hard to tell if their reactions were natural or an act.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the franchise ends at a high point with a theatrical performance in the movie, with a social commentary of women enjoying pleasure beyond love was almost as good as watching a live show.
However, not sure how would the film be perceived or accepted in a cultural context to England which is set in.
Popcorn Rating – [3/5]
If you’re looking for a movie date on Valentine’s Day, Magic Mike’s Last Dancecould be an easy, light-hearted watch. And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can take it up a notch and celebrate Galentine’s Day at live show of Magic Mike in London.
If you can get past the first 15-20 minutes of cringe stereotypes and cliched characters in the new Netflix series called Class, then good luck!
As you may already know, Class is an Indian adaptation of the Spanish show called Elite, which is about an “elite” high school exploring the relationships of students from different background and the drama and harsh realities that come with it.
This article is not a comparison of the original series and not even an objective review of the show; This is more of an opinion on the various elements in the series.
Like Elite, Class revolves around students at a fancy high-class school in Delhi and the relationships between three working-class students who are given the equal opportunity to enrol with some wealthy classmates.
It’s a bunch of teenyboppers being spoilt brats, indulging in sex, drugs, tantrums, bullying, and … yeah, that’s pretty much it.
The girls wear too much make up in high school and have perfect hair, and teenage boys walk around the corridors with chiselled bodies wearing Rolex watches and Armani shoes.
I get it, this probably the easiest way to show wealthy snobs in school.
But can someone explain to me how on earth is a student blatantly bribing a teacher and being snarky without any repercussions? Which school allows that?
What follows in the next few episodes is a flash-forward plot interrogating suspects of a murder mystery, taking place in two timelines.
An element that I’ve noticed a lot of makers use these days is a set template for their characters and stories. It’s almost like a checklist.
A scheming, conniving character. A highly sexual character. A same gender relationship. Substance abuse and violence. Wealthy and frivolous parents of troubled kids…
It’s becoming exhaustingly unoriginal.
Few days ago, I watched Vasan Bala’s documentary called Cinema Marte Dum Tak, where there was an interesting point raised about how the evolution of particularly for the digital medium. An old time Film Distributor, Hyder Gola said something very apt about the perception of presenting “bold” content.
He said that if big directors make the same “adult-rated” content, they will be praised by the audience for giving their stories “an amazing sexual effect”.
Class is streaming on a reputed platform like Netflix so it’s safe to assume that necessary guidelines and appropriate ratings are checked for the “mature” audience.
But it’s still mainstream and easily accessible.
Not that I’m not comparing this series to an adult film or a B/C grade content. I just don’t agree with the hyper-sexualized content across the board passing off as creative cinema, especially showing teenagers or characters of impressionable age in such scenarios.
At some level, it’s understandable to take creative liberties with art and take risks, but don’t forget that art can also be perceived as a representation of reality.
I find it hard to believe that the urban Gen Z’s of Delhi or India, in general, are so notoriously ignorant, insensitive and hostile towards anyone from a different section of society. Or is this what we’re supposed to believe happens in the top ranked schools in urban cities?
However, not all is bad.
There are some refreshing aspects of Class that are worth acknowledging and appreciating.
One is its attempt to bring the prevalence of the caste system into focus and show the unfortunate and very real class-divide in society. Not enough is done in mainstream cinema to shed light on the issue.
And the other is a superlative cast.
99% of the actors are new and everyone is committed to their roles. At no point can you fault their commitment to the characters and the finesse with which all the “students” have acted.
I just hope they don’t get type casted in such characters because they’re all very promising. Honestly, the only reason I watched the complete season.
Shah Rukh Khan recently promoted his film Pathaan in Dubai, with its trailer showing at the Burj Khalifa – and he’s also the city’s tourism brand ambassador.
Few days later, we saw actor Amitabh Bachchan inaugurating a football match as a chief guest.
In December 2022, Bollywood celebrities were seen visiting Jeddah for the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia – never saw that coming.
And last year, we saw a bunch of celebrities announce their 10-year Golden Visa for UAE.
But why has Bollywood suddenly become so much popular in the Middle East?
The middle east has always been obsessed and in love with Bollywood.
How do I know this? Because I grew up Kuwait !
Before the advent of glamourous multiplexes, we had a shoddy single screen theatre in Kuwait called Firdaus cinema, which was the only theatre that screened Hindi films.
That was a big deal at the time because there was a specific theatre dedicated to only Bollywood films and all films were screened there. Not just the big budget films.
But the infatuation didn’t stop there.
The local cable channel called Kuwait Television, or KTV used to air Hindi films every Friday (Thursdays and Fridays were weekends back then – Friday being equivalent to Sunday, a family day).
Our Friday ritual at home was to have biryani and tune into KTV 2, sometime between 3 and 6 pm, to watch a Hindi movie with Arabic subtitles.
And for the longest time the only films that were shown week on week were either 1992’s Khuda Gawah or 1988’s Shahenshah.
Not sure about Shahenshah, but the characters and backdrop of Khuda Gawah set in Afghanistan fascinated Arabs. And I think Amitabh Bachchan set the tone for all South Asian films in the region.
Any guesses who were the other male actors adored almost three decades ago?
The three Khans who ruled the industry in the 90s – Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan.
This was around the time of Dil Toh Pagal Hai, Mohabattein, Raja Hindustani, Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, when the Bollywood craze was at its peak.
Bollywood films became increasingly popular in the Middle East also because people resonated with the romance, relationships, drama, themes of family values, and action in the film as it was similar to their own culture. Also, the melodies, vibrant colours and beautiful actresses like Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi and many more brought the audience closer to Indian cinema.
My non-Indian friends were more clued in on Bollywood films, latest releases, and gossip more than me.
That reminds me of the time when I went to watch Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. There was some buzz of a special appearance around the time of its release but not many knew who the actor was and when to expect it in the film.
I remember sitting in the movie theatre, the film was inching towards the second half and we see it Anjali (Kajol’s) transformation. I was just excited to witness the new avatar of Anjali, but a Kuwaiti girl sitting next to me was beyond stoked with each passing frame.
She literally jumped at her seat, started cheering at the reveal and screamed “Salman KHAAANNNN”. She was so thrilled at that “hero entry”.
I vividly remember that moment because it was the first time I witnessed a non-South Asian thoroughly enjoying a Bollywood film.
Few years later, Kuwait also had its first Bollywood tour where celebrities like Salman khan, Karishma Kapoor and Kashmira Shah amongst other performed. Ahhh, it was magic!!
These days Bollywood films, or should I say South Asian films are mainstream in multiplexes all over the Middle East. So much so, that special promotional strategies are planned specifically for the Middle Eastern audience.
Apart from targeting the Arab and expat audience, there are few other reasons why a lot of films are shot in the Middle East, specifically Dubai.
The city offers several tax incentives for filmmakers including customs exemptions on film equipments and production materials so they can be imported easily, and also tax exemptions on production costs such as equipment rentals, hotel arrangements and even salaries.
Dubai also has a film fund that provides financing for local and international film productions along with state-of-the-art film studios and cost-effective post-production facilities that also helps makers reduce cost.
And needless to say, all this promotes tourism which further benefits the city’s growth.
Did you know there is a Bollywood theme park in Dubai called Bollywood Parks Dubai that features attractions, shows, and rides based on popular Bollywood films and franchises. It was created in partnership with several leading Indian entertainment companies, including Yash Raj Films, Rajshri Productions, and UTV Motion Pictures.
[3.5/5]
