A landmark moment in Indian cinema, Brahmāstra is a new original universe inspired by deeply rooted concepts and tales from Indian history but set in the modern world, with epic storytelling of fantasy, adventure, good vs evil, love and hope; all told using cutting edge technology and never-seen-before visual spectacles.
Director Ayan Mukerji speaks on this momentous occasion, “Marking the beginning of a new cinematic universe, ‘The Astraverse’, I believe Brahmāstra is the kind of film that India would feel really proud of. It touches on our roots; celebrates our rich culture and it takes us forward with our technology. The film is proudly Indian and Imaginative and bringing together some of Pan-India’s most renowned names was a dream come true!”
Starring a stellar ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna Akkineni.
The movie is presented by the visionary S.S. Rajamouli (Director of RRR and Baahubali Part 1 and 2).
Brahmāstra will release in cinemas in the UK September 9th, 2022 distributed by the Walt Disney Studios.
The 24th annual UK Asian Film Festival presented the Tongues on Fire Flame Awards at the Closing Gala ceremony on Sunday 15th May at BFI Southbank. The presentation, hosted by actors, Nisha Aaliya and Yanick Ghanty, followed the UK Premiere of Gangnam Girls. Representing the film at the Closing Gala were director, Charmi Nemchand Chheda, and producer, Nyema Zam. Additional guests in attendance included actors, Hina Khan, Lillete Dubey, Shaheen Khan, Yasir Hussain, Sudha Bhuchar, Himanshi Choudhry, Beo Raana Zafar, Harv Nagra and Vishnu Krishnan; supermodel and actress, Elena Fernandes; and music artists, Talvin Singh OBE and Abbas Hasan.
The ‘Dare To Dream’ theme of this year’s festival commemorated 75 years of India and Pakistan’s Independence. The curation acknowledged personal and societal freedoms as well as address topical issues such as climate change and human resilience in the face of oppression through the festival programme.
Tongues on Fire Flame Award-winners:
Best Film Curator’s Choice: Gandhi & Co
Best Short Film: February 1st
Best Actor: Yasir Hussain
Celebrating Dare to Dream Theme: Adieu Godard
Best Original Screenplay: Adh Chanani Raat
Best Documentary: Kekee Manzil: House of Art
Best Music Score: Talvin Singh
Best Director: Abu Aleeha
Best Debut Feature Film: Gangnam Girls
Best Film: Dostojee, Two Friends
Trail Blazer: Hina Khan (check out our exclusive interview here)
Rising Star Award: Nisha Aaliya
Best Animated Film: Priya And The Twirling Wind
Championing Change: Emergence – Out of Shadows
Silver Flame Award – Contribution to Film & Television: Shaheen Khan
Golden Flame Award – Contribution to Film and Theatre: Lillete Dubey
UK Asian Film Festival was powered by Sunrise Radio; Official Online Media Partner was DESIblitz; and TV Partner for UKAFF Short Film Competition was Shorts TV. Presented by Tongues on Fire, the 22nd edition ranin venues across London, Birmingham, Leicester, Coventry, Warwick, Bradford, Stockton and Glasgow; and online via BFI Player and Modern Films. UKAFF was supported by the BFI awarding funds from the National Lottery and Arts Council England using funds from the National Lottery and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). #HereforCulture.
More than £30M is raised each week for good causes across the UK by the National Lottery.
Since the trailer for Jugjugg Jeeyo has been released, anticipation and buzz is building amongst fans. The makers have created more hype by released the film’s first track called The Punjaabban Song.
The song is a true blue Bollywood song with unmatchable energy, which is sure going to be on repeat in parties. The track begins with Neetu Kapoor’s entry with her on-screen son Varun Dhawan and Maniesh Paul by her side. They are then joined by Kiara Advani and Anil Kapoor on the dance floor.
The track has been sung by Gippy Grewal, Zahrah S Khan, Tanishk Bagchi and Romy, withmusic and lyrics by Tanishk Bagchi and Abrar Ul Haq.
The most anticipated movie of the summer, Jugjugg Jeeyo, has finally released the trailer and looks like a full-on family trailer. Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, Neetu Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Prajakta Koli, and Manish Paul are the main cast of the movie and the movie is directed by Raj Mehta and produced Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Hiroo Johar.
The trailer shows how two couples of the same family are struggling for divorce because of post-marriage issues. The trailer opens with a wedding scene of Kuku and Naina (played by Varun Dhawan and Kiara Advani) and the next scene shows that they are frustrated with their marriage and ready for divorce.
While the older couple has a different story where Bheem (played by Anil Kapoor) has fallen in love with a younger woman and planning to tell Neetu Kapoor about ‘the other woman’. The family are reunited at a family wedding and try to fix each other’s marriage.
Presented by Viacom 18 and Dharma Productions, Jugjugg Jeeyo stars Neetu Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor and Varun Dhawan in lead roles. Directed by Raj Mehta, the film is set to release worldwide on 24th June 2022.
Growing up, I always admired the energy and creativity of dancers and choreographers who managed large troop for stage performances. One such choreographer who’s known for his style of beautifully synchronized performances is Shiamak Davar. He is a master of his craft, skill, and finesse in the world of dance… and so is his team.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet one of them, Supriya Chavan who is now a Lead Instructor teaching diverse forms of dances across London to aspiring artists of all ages.
Having met her and seen her perform live, I can confidently say that Chavan is not only a great dancer but an artist who enjoys spreading cheer and happiness through music and movement.
Chavan moved from India to London in 2019 to further develop her expertise and vision for art and dance internationally.
When asked about her goals, she shared “I want to give dancers and creators a chance to develop their own artistic choices and art-making process. Hence helping them create a unique identity and career for themselves.” This is certainly evident from her training and also the content Chavan share on her social media.
As part of the Shiamak Davar International program, Chavan has stormed the stage by performing at several entertainment award shows such as IIFA, TOIFA, Filmfare, Zee Cine, Star Guild, Mirchi Music, and Lux Golden petal.
I had the pleasure of watching her in action at Shiamak Davar’s Winterfunk – Confidance in November 2021, where Chavan took centre stage for a powerful performance.
She led a group of up to twelve dancers to perform a modern contemporary act on Trampoline, and she certainly gave life to the song and its essence.
Using fluid body movements and postures, Chavan and her team portrayed a free-flowing yet controlled act depicting human emotions and restraint.
As the lead performer, it’s hard to look away from Chavan skilfully aligning the knowledge of concept and the art form. She intelligently choreographed the act of showcasing inner strength even during times of chaos; The varied formations, visual effects, integration of a real trampoline as a prop used by the dancers to signify them flying freely was a masterpiece.
Another noteworthy act from the evening was the performance on Dil Se’s title track.
After an entertaining group performance divided on either side of the stage, Chavan captivated the audience with a enchanting solo act in an Indo-contemporary style form.
With strong grounded base, sharp hand movements along with delicate legwork, she expressed a peaceful warrior’s stance. And the costume choice of pleated gold harem pants certainly amplified the spirit of the song – unity, strength and perhaps eternal love.
No wonder one leaves with the sense of a restless inspiration, questing continuous artistry. And although her varied ingenious skills are seen everywhere in the shows, her compelling elegance little changed by the years, the essence of the dancer in herself is strangely never absent – we see her plural selves, hard to pin down, perpetually in motion.
In addition to being a versatile dancer and choreographer, I was delighted to learn that Chavan has proven a mettle as a proficient trouper with experience in costume designing, sourcing, lighting, and several other technicalities.
She is carving a niche for herself through dance and culture that connects with South Asians and beyond.
Her vision and dedication to continuously improve her form as well as lead by example is what makes her a great leader and mentor for aspiring artists.
The positive feedback from her students and clients is certainly proof of that.
“Incredible performers and within limited space all the artists performed so well. Right from that little girl, who was absolutely wonderful performer, to the older one which I could think of performed really good. Credit goes to your entire team and of course you all Mentors. I can imagine how much hard work was put in to compile the show,” Jyoti Sahane delightfully shared after Chavan’s group performance in Croydon.
The powerhouse of talent has also performed with Bollywood celebrities such as Shilpa Shetty, Krystle D’Souza and Aditi Rao Hydari, and is expanding her range to different forms teaching Bollywood, Bollysass, Bolly hop, Bolly Ada and Shiamak style.
Chavan continues to practice and hone her skills everyday as she believes there is no greater feeling in in the world than moving to a piece of music and letting the rest of the world disappear. She is all set to take over the world of dance one step at a time and proving that music and dance no boundaries.
ZEE5 Global, the largest streaming platform for South Asian content, is set to premiere the much talked about film, The Kashmir Files, on 25th May in the UK and Europe. After receiving a record-breaking success at the box office, The Kashmir Files has recently broken records for its digital debut with the highest numbers in the first week of its release.
Available in multiple languages, including the original Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada and English, and with Indian Sign Language interpretation, the film has garnered 9MN+ and 300MN+ views and streaming minutes respectively during the first week of its digital launch on May 13th. This is yet another achievement forZEE5, after registering a world record for being the first OTT platform to release a Bollywood commercial film with Indian Sign Language interpretation, making it accessible for viewers with a hearing disability.
Written and directed by the distinguished Vivek Agnihotri, the film stars veteran actors like Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi and Darshan Kumaar in pivotal roles. The story narrates the void that still looms in the valleys of Kashmir. Director Vivek Agnihotri has done splendid work in narrating the emotional distress of the Kashmiri Pandits; echoing their sense of deprivation, the pain of departure, the fear of existence and the struggle to survive.
Talking about the film’s digital premiere on ZEE5 Global, director Vivek Agnihotri said,“Starting from its theatrical release to now its digital release, the love from the audience for The Kashmir Files has only grown spirit by spirit. This movie has been my most gratifying project so far and I am thankful to the viewers for accepting it, loving it and making it their own. The first week’s numbers for the digital premiere on ZEE5 are very encouraging and I hope that with ZEE5’s global reach, more and more people discover it and watch it”.
Actor Anupam Kher shared, “The Kashmir Files is a depiction of an incident that happened with our people, years ago and is still not known to so many. The success of the film is a testimony to the honesty with which Vivek and the crew have worked on this project. The film received appreciation from all over the nation and now for those who couldn’t watch it on the big screen, The Kashmir Files will be available on ZEE5 Global.”
Darshan Kumaar further shared, “The Kashmir Files is very close to my heart as it has been a career-defining film for me. I am overjoyed that it has turned out to be one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of the year. I am looking forward to its premiere on ZEE5 Global and am excited for it to reach many more people.”
The Kashmir Files will be premiered on the 25th of May 2022 on ZEE5 Global in UK & Europe
ZEE5 Global, the world’s largest platform for South Asian content has been continually bringing a wide variety of content in various formats in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali and other languages for its global audiences. This much-loved platform is now all set to exclusively premiere RRR in its original language, Telugu, and also in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada with English subtitles.
A glorious homecoming for many fans, RRR is a roaring, rearing, rousing mix of genres that center around two Indian revolutionaries and their fight against the British rule in 1920. Headlined by Ram Charan, N.T. Rama Rao Jr., in lead roles, the film is produced by D. V. V. Danayya of DVV Entertainment, and features Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt, Shriya Saran, Samuthirakani, Ray Stevenson, Alison Doody, and Olivia Morris in pivotal roles.
Viewers across the world can now watch the blockbuster film in the best 4K quality and with Dolby Atmos straight from the comfort of their homes.
The film will release on the platform on May 20th as a tribute to the widely loved actor, N.T. Rama Rao Jr. on his birthday.
Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global said, “At ZEE5 Global, we constantly look to bring the best stories from South Asia to the world. Today, we are delighted to bring our global audiences yet another blockbuster film- S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR. Bringing alive the true essence and real feel of the film, the movie will be available exclusively on ZEE5 in its original language, Telugu, and also in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada along with English subtitles, and is a must-watch for any movie buff.”
Along with RRR, viewers can also watch other blockbusters like the much talked-about film, The Kashmir Files(available in select global markets including US, Australia and streaming from May 25th in UK), Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Jhund, Attack Part 1, Bangarraju (Telugu) and much more, and at a limited period 40%+ discount offer on the Annual pack.
RRR will be available for streaming as part of ZEE5 Global’s premium subscription packs from 00:00 hours (IST) on May 20th.
Watch RRR in its Original language Telugu only on ZEE5 across global markets from May 20
Banned, Pakistani film, Javed Iqbal: The Untold Story Of A Serial Killer, will receive its World Premiere as the Opening Gala at BFI, Southbank.
The ‘Dare To Dream’ theme of this year’s festival commemorates 75 years of India and Pakistan’s Independence. Here’s the complete brochure of the festival.
The curation will acknowledge personal and societal freedoms as well as address topical issues such as climate change and human resilience in the face of oppression through its programme of film screenings, premieres, live events and industry panel discussions.
UK Asian Film Festival is powered by Sunrise Radio; Official Online Media Partner is DESIblitz; and TV Partner for UKAFF Short Film Competition is Shorts TV.
UK Asian Film Festival 2022, presented by Tongues on Fire, will run from 4th – 15th May in venues across London, Birmingham, Leicester, Coventry, Warwick, Bradford, Stockton and Glasgow; and online via BFI Player and Modern Films. UKAFF is supported by the BFI awarding funds from the National Lottery and Arts Council England using funds from the National Lottery and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport(DCMS). #HereforCulture.
Making a bold statement for freedom of artistic expression against censorship, the Opening Film will be the World Premiere of Javed Iqbal: The Untold Story Of A Serial Killer (Pakistan, 2022, Dir: Abu Aleeha, Language: Urdu and Punjabi with English subtitles) on Wednesday 4th May at BFI Southbank. Currently banned in Pakistan, the film depicts the untold story of Lahore’s notorious serial killer, Javed Iqbal, who confessed to police and media that he had abducted, sexually abused and murdered more than 100 boys in Lahore between 1998 and 1999. He was arrested and sentenced to death. But just two years into his sentence, he allegedly committed suicide in his prison cell. The authorities suspected his horrific crimes were part of a wider paedophile ring in operation.
Inspired by writer and director Abu Aleeha’s own novel, ‘Kukri’, the film provides a detailed analysis of Iqbal’s statements and his time in police remand. Without sensationalising the subject matter, the film delves into the psyche and character of Iqbal, at the same time depicting the seriousness and sensitivity of Lahore police during the investigation. A High Court case to get the film released is currently ongoing in Pakistan since the Punjab Government and the Central Bureau of Film Censors (CBFC) issued an order to halt its release earlier this year, despite initial censor board approval. Tragically, the issue of child sexual abuse is still a taboo subject in Pakistan, more so when men and young boys are involved. Director, Abu Aleeha; producer, Javed Ahmed Kakepoto; and actors Yasir Hussain and Ayesha Omar will introduce the film.
In keeping with the festival’s historically feminist focus, the Closing Film will be the UK Premiere of Gangam Girls (Bhutan, 2021, Dir: Charmi Nemchand Chheda, Language: Dzongkha with English subtitles) on Sunday 15th May at BFI Southbank. The film charts four, childhood friends who, though extremely different, grow up supporting each other’s dreams. While each undergoes personal challenges, their friendship helps them navigate a passage through their early years. A decade after a fallout that takes them on their separate ways, the childhood friends reconnect over the course of a weekend. Reunited, the group must now confront their past differences. The film will be introduced by director, Charmi Nemchand Chheda, and producer, Zangmo Dukpa.
UK Asian Film Festival Founder and Director, Dr Pushpinder Chowdhry MBE says, “We are looking forward to opening UKAFF 2022 with Javed Iqbal, a film that digs deep into the psyche of a serial killer and that highlights the importance of mental well-being. Abu Aleeha’s directorial tells a compelling, real-life horror story of a psychopath captured by a woman police officer, sensitively played by Ayesha Omar.
The importance of this film cannot be underestimated. It brings to light an issue – the abuse and mass murder of young boys – that is of the utmost importance and yet rarely discussed. It has always been far too convenient for South Asian societies to brush such issues under the carpet but only by creating safe spaces in which to confront these issues and their root causes can we begin to create the meaningful social change we need. In that way we all owe a debt of gratitude to the creators of this film.”
UK Asian Film FestivalCreative Director, Samir Bhamra says, “The festival’s theme this year, Dare to Dream, speaks to the challenges of our time. In this era of reckoning, we ask are people free to dream? 75 years after Indian and Pakistani Independence, telling taboo stories still comes at a price. Our opening film, Javed Iqbal: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer, was banned in Pakistan. Censorship remains a barrier that we support brave filmmakers to overcome. Our festival facilitates the conversations that we need, but are prohibited from having. Year on year, we fight to enable storytellers to dream freely. It is their intense, powerful and thought provoking films that allow our audience to see the world through new eyes and imagine a future where dreaming is no longer a risk.”
ZEE5 Global, the largest streaming platform for South-Asian content, will soon premiere people’s blockbuster film, The Kashmir Files. The film recently became the first Hindi film to cross the ₹250-crore-mark at the box office and broke all records in the post-pandemic era. Now with its world digital premiere set on ZEE5, the movie will soon be accessible across 190+ countries in multiple languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada and with English subtitles.
Produced by Zee Studios and Tej Narayan Agarwal, Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi and Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, The Kashmir Files is written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri and features a stellar and talented cast of actors including Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumaar, Pallavi Joshi and Chinmay Mandlekar.
Living up to its title, The Kashmir Files is a true story, based on video interviews of the first-generation victims of The Kashmir Genocide of the Kashmiri Pandit Community. It’s a heart-wrenching narrative of the pain, suffering, struggle and trauma of Kashmiri pandits and questions eye-opening facts about democracy, religion, politics and humanity. The movie garnered positive responses from critics and fans alike and even struck an emotional chord with many including superstars like Aamir Khan and Akshaye Kumar among others.
On the exclusive premiere of The Kashmir Files on the platform, Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global said, “At ZEE5 Global, we look to bring our viewers handpicked stories from South Asia that are real and relatable and brought to life by the best of content creators and artistes. The Kashmir Files has received a massive response from audiencesand we are happy to now bring this movie exclusively on ZEE5 Global for viewers across the world. ”
Director Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri said, “The Kashmir Files is not just a film but an emotion and a movement. I am glad that the theatrical release received such an overwhelming response across the world and now with its World Digital Premiere on India’s largest homegrown video streaming platform – ZEE5, the film will reach more people and will continue to strike a chord in millions.”
Vivek Agnihotri’s other critically acclaimed films, The Tashkent Files which went on to win the prestigious National Award and Buddha In A Traffic Jam are also available on ZEE5 Global. With such films, ZEE5 Global continues to strengthen its slate, iterating its customer-first approach and its endeavour to be the platform of choice for the millions.
Get set for the World Digital Premiere of ‘The Kashmir Files’ exclusively on ZEE5 Global
