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29 Apr 2022
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The 24th UK Asian Film Festival commemorates 75 years of India and Pakistan’s Independence

April 29, 2022 No Comments

The 24th annual UK Asian Film Festival is all set to launch with an exciting line up of films and events on 4th May 2022.

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 Festival Creative 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.”

For further information visit: www.ukaff.com and grab your tickets now !

29 Apr 2022
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‘The Kashmir Files’ is set for a world digital premiere on ZEE5 Global

April 29, 2022 No Comments

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 audiences and 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

26 Apr 2022
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Prime Video to Premiere Amazon Original Series ‘Modern Love Mumbai’ Featuring Stories From 6 Phenomenal Indian Creators

April 26, 2022 No Comments

Prime Video announced that Modern Love Mumbai, the first of the three localized Indian versions of the widely acclaimed international series will globally premiere on May 13, 2022 in over 240 countries and territories. Produced by Pritish Nandy Communications, the new Amazon Original series will feature 6 heart-warming stories about discovering and exploring love in all its shades and emotions. The Mumbai chapter of the international franchise, inspired by the famous New York Times column, will bring home love this season with soul-stirring and uplifting stories that are rooted in the heart of the city of Mumbai. The anthology includes –

  1. RAAT RANI – directed by Shonali Bose, starring Fatima Sana Shaikh, Bhupendra Jadawat and Dilip Prabhavalkar
  2. BAAI – directed by Hansal Mehta, starring Tanuja, Pratik Gandhi and Ranveer Brar
  3. MUMBAI DRAGON – directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, starring Yeo Yann Yann, Meiyang Chang, Wamiqa Gabbi and Naseeruddin Shah
  4. MY BEAUTIFUL WRINKLES – directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, starring Sarika, Danesh Razvi, Ahsaas Channa and Tanvi Azmi
  5. I LOVE THANE – directed by Dhruv Sehgal, starring Masaba Gupta, Ritwik Bhowmik, Prateik Babbar, Aadar Malik and Dolly Singh
  6. CUTTING CHAI – directed by Nupur Asthana, starring Chitrangda Singh and Arshad Warsi

Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video said, “We are excited to bring forth Modern Love Mumbai, the first of our three local versions of Modern Love, our well acclaimed international franchise. Modern Love Mumbai features a bouquet of six heart-warming, lyrical stories that explore love in its many forms and together all the stories represent a unique love affair with the poly-cultural city of Mumbai. We are certain that these stories will add hope, humour and some sunshine into your lives. We are happy that Modern Love Mumbai further solidifies our long-standing relationship with our producers, Pritish Nandy Communications.”

“We are delighted to partner with Amazon Prime Video once again for a prestigious franchise like Modern Love which already has a massive fan base across the globe. We believe that just like New York, the city of Mumbai also has a mesmerizing charm, which we have explored and captured.” said Pritish Nandy, Producer, Pritish Nandy Communications. He further added, “With the most wonderful cast of masters and contemporary, Indian and international actors and some of the finest directors, writers and music creators that we have today, Modern Love Mumbai beautifully negotiates through the different shades of love that Mumbai, the city of dreams, throws up and celebrates. I am confident that every story in this anthology series will tug at and win the audiences’ hearts. Like they say, love makes the world go round and it’s been our absolute pleasure to partner with Amazon, John Carney and the New York Times in bringing to India these stories of every day love with every day people in a whole new normal kind of celebration.”

26 Apr 2022
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Ritu Soni: I’m so filmy, it hurts !

April 26, 2022 No Comments

My first memorable journey into cinema was watching the film Guide in Southall, London.

The packed cinema came alive as the film started. Big stars shone onto the screen and it had started. In each reel I lost myself.

A five-year-old in a foreign land with a very filmy family descended on the cinema to enjoy memories from home.

When the heroine danced her classical dance, my feet tapped alongside her.

I was too young to understand the story as its plot was quite out of reach for a small child but the songs were hauntingly beautiful.

From there, at the tender age of five, I had begun this journey into that beautiful world of Hindi films and memories of an India I didn’t know.

Poster of Guide

Locally, a cinema opened that saw the need to run a Sunday feast of 2 to 3 films back-to-back.

Samosas in our bags and tea in our flasks we descended on the venue and took our seats to be mesmerised by films like Aradhana and then to cry uncontrollably as the hero died.

Memories of this time flood my mind. And the journey into films continued at home through the vinyl record collections.

Those unknown films came alive through the covers of the records and the songs that played. We then had to wait for the video era to provide us with the next episode of movies memories

The first weekend we hired a video player and watched films back-to-back with crowds of family friends huddled around the ‘magic box’. Then we had our own video player and video hire became big business as did video piracy.

Poster of Aradhana

Soon we were watching films a lot more often and sometimes when the tapes would get stuck, we would untangle the tape and hope and pray it would still play .

From there to ultimate DVD collections and now constant streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix to name a few !

Cinemas now show every release. Film festivals growing year on year satisfying our thirst for cinematic experiences. There is nothing we miss but I remember our journey into cinema and it still gives me a buzz and in all those years it hasn’t lessened at all.

I’m so filmy it hurts.

22 Apr 2022
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‘Kaun Pravin Tambe?’ is the right slice of goodness

April 22, 2022 No Comments

Age is not a number. It is a word. Four letters full of drivel.

There have been an umpteen number of films milking the “it’s never too late” cash cow of philosophy. Most of them unfolding tales of great comebacks and attainment of glory. In this highway of heroic movies, Kaun Pravin Tambe? takes the cosy by lane. A 134 -minute story of a do-gooder with cricket at the backdrop by serendipity.

I say so because the film, despite of being a cricketer’s biopic doesn’t invoke it’s genre clause. It rather opts for the harder way to uncoil the story; in the absence of a great beyond.

Pravin Tambe’s entire journey has been a late blooming miracle. The film, however, intends to demystify its own premise lore.

Tambe’s middle class perils come forth but not as a curse but a predicament to levitate out of. His destiny is wired with mishaps, leading to awareness and not self-pity. He is the hero of his story and also the jester of the court called the society.

He’ll play with his friend’s son and make the former look like a million bucks; but slice his friend back to size in private. His falls and skylarking don’t make you feel sorry for him but yearn to walk through the screen and align him in the concerned direction.

Image from Kaun Pravin Tambe?

This film works as a biopic template of multiple levels.

First, it succeeds in representing empathy, compassion, gender neutrality and the malleable nature of our multilingual, multiracial and diverse social fabric without creating an orchestral brouhaha out of it.

Second, the writing maintains objectivity, understanding the characters world, pretext and equipping it with parallel characters. Those which complement the narrative and push forth the telling without posing like ancillary fillers to hoist Tambe as the phoenix rising out of the ashes.

Third, and by far the most delightful aspect, the film doesn’t get ahead of itself and turn idealistic or morally overbearing.

Precision comes from years of practice. Brilliance is born out of an aptitude moulded out of learnings from personal loss, injustice and dejection.

Kaun Pravin Tambe? does an impeccable job of presenting this concept of ‘fighting the battles’ necessary to hardened oneself for the longest of wars. Micro wars that people fight at the most elite stage of their careers, exhibiting high-functionality and core competence.

Over the horizon of two hours, we witness Pravin branch out from club level medium pacer to IPL clenching spin doctor.

The journey is the payoff. The conclusion, a bonus.

Image from Kaun Pravin Tambe?

Kaun Pravin Tambe? could have been a great, probably the best sports film offered by the Hindi film industry but the film has its own share own bugs and clogs.

The BGM is a bummer. They sound like free music temps available on YouTube. The soundtrack is dated and shoddy.

Songs sound like bad covers of tracks for the mid 2000s composed in 90s by some over enthu composer.

Perhaps due to logistical limitations, the whole process behind Tambe’s IPL selection is bypassed as the film rushes to the money moments. And, the shoehorned inclusion, or I should say, the transformation of Parambrata’s character Sanyal into an antagonist born out of envy. A weird cross between Boria Majumdar and Sanjay Manjrekar.

The film already had enough meat to be played around. Parambrata’s character could’ve been author backed better. That’s where the film serves its “Bollywood roots” and finds its aberrations.

But that doesn’t hold back Kaun Pravin Tambe? from being a good watch.

Image from Kaun Pravin Tambe?

With Shreyas Talpade and Ashish Vidyarthi’s firmly gripped performances and equal adages from the parallel characters, this film grows on to become a sleeper hit quite alike Pravin Tambe’s life story.

A screen representation that works as a spiritual sendoff to Talpade’s character Iqbal. The same Shreyas Talpade, who alike Pravin Tambe, has been adamantly successful in his kind of work. And visibly satisfied. For its not always about attaining glory but coming to truce with the flaming passion within.

Not everybody wants to be the king of the mountain. Some just want to soak in the sunrise around it.

Pravin Tambe’s inspirational and culture disrupting career will go into the books, not only as a miracle but as the gold standard of fortitude and perseverance in sports. A legendary career that, thankfully, gets creative justice.

In the current climate of manufactured hate, distasteful lows of discourse, virtue signalling and bigotry, Kaun Pravin Tambe? is the right slice of goodness to gravitate us back to our collective spirit.

It loops us back to a time and world that resonates more, for we relate more. Takes us back to a fine time when data, algorithms, views and numbers didn’t matter. And age wasn’t yet a scare.

‘Cuz age was never a number. It was a word. Four letters full of drivel.

Kaun Pravin Tambe? is streaming on DisneyPlus Hotstar.

01 Apr 2022
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‘Attack’ explores a refreshing concept that’s imaginative and exciting… for the most part

April 1, 2022 No Comments

How often do you watch a commercial Bollywood film and feel it’s genuinely different or noteworthy?

Attack falls in this bucket for exploring a refreshing concept that’s imaginative and exciting… for the most part.

The film centres around a terrorist attack on the Parliament of India and the rescue mission single-handedly managed by a “Super Soldier” Arjun Shergill (John Abraham). However, it doesn’t rely on the typical macho Bollywood hero to save the day.

Here, the hero is supported by an advanced artificially intelligent (AI) chip implanted in his body, called IRA, to give him the mental and physical strength to fight against all odds.

This is where Attack distinguishes itself from the run-of-the-mill action thrillers and sci-fi films. It brilliantly integrates the function of technology in 2022 and its potential purpose in the combat.

Abraham plays a strong and determined soldier whose suffering from the loss of his partner, Ayesha (Jacqueline Fernandez) in a terrorist attack, and coping with his disability that has paralyzed him permanently.

His situation makes him the perfect candidate to test the limitations and development of this AI technology invented by Dr. Sabaha Qureshi (Rakul Preet Singh).

Image from Attack

While the concept and premise are inspired and exceptionally executed with sharp VFX, the story went nowhere with it – which is also the biggest drawback of the film.

It lacks conviction to establish that such an event can occur in the capital of India, and that too at the Parliament (although it did happen 2001).

On one hand, the film fiercely celebrates the use of AI to fight crime, but on the other it conveniently ignores the same technology and security that could be protecting the Parliament in the same period.

… THE IRONY!

Moreover, the film constantly undermines its own characters especially the military forces and intelligence officers are who seemingly as gullible as a toddler.

Writers Lakshya Raj Anand, Sumit Batheja and Vishal Kapoor overlook the necessity of building the arcs of supporting characters in an attempt to hype the protagonist alone.

Chief officer V.K. Subramaniam (Prakash Raj) and the acting Prime Minister played by Rajit Kapoor offer solutions to resolve the matter and settle with the terrorists – all their conversations are not only laughable but test the intelligence and patience of the viewers as well.

Perhaps this was an attempt to mock how politicians really behave in crisis, but it certainly did not work in a slick film resting on such a clever subject.  

Image from Attack

Speaking of which, crafty cinematography by Will Humphris, P.S. Vinod and Soumik Mukherjee along with pumping music by Shashwat Sachdev are top-notch. The action sequences, though jarringly lengthy, are a treat for sci-fi and gamers with stylish visual effects, 360-degree camera-work, and electrifying music.

Final Verdict:

Attack wins on a fresh concept and exciting execution, but unfortunately falters in the second-half due to poor direction and hare-brained story. It does have a great potential for an entertaining franchise though!

Popcorn Rating –  [3/5]

Attack releases in cinemas worldwide on 1st April 2022.

03 Mar 2022
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ZEE5 Global announces Zindagi’s next original drama ‘Mrs. & Mr. Shameem’

March 3, 2022 No Comments

Having delighted audiences with critically acclaimed and path-breaking originals such as Churails, Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam, Dhoop Ki Deewar, among others, ZEE5 Global has announced its next Zindagi original titled Mrs. & Mr. Shameem. The 20-episode series features popular actors Saba Qamar, of Hindi Medium fame and Nauman Ijaz, and is set to premiere on ZEE5 Global on March 11, 2022.

Mrs. & Mr. Shameem is directed by Kashif Nisar, who is known for his work on series like Dumpukht – Aatish E Ishq, and O Rangreza while the show is penned by Sajjad Gul (Saji) a contemporary play writer who is also known for touching upon social issues and psychological traits through his stories.
Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 Global, said, “Our audiences across the globe are always eager to discover all the contemporary stories that are coming out of South Asia. We are happy to now expand our rich content library with the upcoming Mrs. & Mr. Shameem, a story of two people and their unique love story.”

Speaking about her experience playing Umaina, Saba Qamar shares, “Umaina is fearless, strong and is not afraid to express herself. She is a true wild child. Playing this role was very exciting and challenging at the same time as it is very different from the roles I have played earlier. I think it’s time men and women are given the freedom to choose their path and not be restricted to play by the rules. Mrs. & Mr. Shameem demonstrates this perfectly.”

Talking about the show and his character Shameem, Nauman Ijaz shares, “Shameem is not like the usual hero you get to see in series and films. He is a soft-hearted, caring man. He redefines the portrayal of how an ideal man or man of the house typically should be. Throughout the show, you’ll see him practise respect, love and concern for his family and friends but unfortunately he is made fun of for being ‘effeminate’. I have thoroughly enjoyed playing this character, and I’m looking forward to the release of the show.”

A Zindagi original, Mrs. & Mr. Shameem is a distinctive love story of a pure bond graduating from friendship to growing old together and everything in between. 

Watch the official Mrs. & Mr. Shameem trailer here:

28 Feb 2022
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Trailer Launch – ‘Sutliyan’ is a slice of life family drama

February 28, 2022 No Comments

ZEE5 Global has launched many flagship original series which went on to become popular and iconic – such as Abhay, Rangbaaz, Sunflower, among others. Next up is original series, Sutliyan, a family drama starring Ayesha Raza, Shiv Pandit, Vivaan Shah and Plabita Borthakur which is set to premiere on the platform on 4th March.

A ZEE5 Global Original series, produced by Manor Rama Pictures, Sutliyan is a heartwarming story of a family where the adult children return to their family home in Bhopal, the city where they grew up, weeks before Diwali. As they meet after years, trying to come to terms with situations, they are burdened with emotional baggage from the past and unresolved conflicts as they undergo the challenging, yet necessary journey of emotional and spiritual cleansing.

Ayesha Raza shared, “Sutliyan was definitely one of my special projects as it gave me three beautiful children for the rest of my life. We had a lot of fun shooting for this series and I am sure that people will connect to our characters and feel the bond that we shared off-screen and  on-screen”.

Shiv Pandit shared, “Sutliyan is the perfect mix of meaningful & entertaining content. The show has the perfect dose of fun, banter, family values, emotions, drama and most importantly, it is an extremely positive show. We had a blast shooting for the series, and we hope that the viewers feel like a part of our Sutliyan family after witnessing our bonding on-screen”.

Plabita Borthakur shared, “Sutliyan will ignite that warm, fuzzy feeling in the viewers and hopefully, bring them closer to their loved ones. It is the perfect family drama which one must watch with their family. The show also talks about some real issues which we need to address together as a society, and I am glad that I got to front these conversations via my character”.

Vivaan Shah shared, “Sutliyan would not have been the same without the love and support from Ayesha Ji, Shiv and Plabita. These reel characters became my real family as we were shooting in Bhopal in the midst of covid and lockdown and I am glad that I got the opportunity to be a part of something so relevant. The show talks about the importance of family and I could not have been happier to be a part of something so emotional and fulfilling”.

Users can download the ZEE5 app from Google Play Store / iOS App Store, on Roku devices, Apple TVs, Android TVs, and Amazon Fire Stick. ZEE5 is also available on www.ZEE5.com
.Watch Sutliyan exclusively on ZEE5 from 4th March

Watch the official Sutliyan trailer here:

28 Feb 2022
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‘Jalsa’ -Prime Video Announces the World Premiere of the Much-Awaited Drama Thriller

February 28, 2022 No Comments

Prime Video today announced the global premiere of the much-awaited drama thriller Jalsa. Directed by Suresh Triveni, Jalsa is jointly produced by Bhushan Kumar & Krishan Kumar (T-Series), Vikram Malhotra & Shikhaa Sharma (Abundantia Entertainment) and Suresh Triveni. The film features a stellar ensemble of actors like Vidya Balan, Shefali Shah, Manav Kaul, Rohini Hattangadi, Iqbal Khan, Vidhatri Bandi, Shrikant Mohan Yadav, Shafeen Patel, and Surya Kasibhatla. Suresh Triveni has earlier collaborated with Vidya Balan for the critically acclaimed Tumhari Sulu, and the duo is now coming together for the second feature. It also marks the third collaboration between Prime Video and Vidya Balan. Jalsa is the next step in the long-standing association between Prime Video and Abundantia Entertainment, following a celebrated content slate that includes Shakuntala Devi, Sherni, Chhorii, Ram Setu, and the hugely popular Amazon Original series Breathe. Jalsa will have a global premiere on Amazon Prime Video on 18 March in India and across 240 countries and territories worldwide.

“At Prime Video, when selecting stories, we look for authenticity and freshness.  Stories that are nuanced and beyond conventional storytelling are finding viewership world wide. In a fine blend of drama and thrill, Jalsa offers a truly differentiated story, made better by performances from a brilliant cast,” said Manish Menghani, Head, Content Licensing, Amazon Prime Video. “Jalsa marks another milestone in our long-running, successful collaboration with Abundantia Entertainment with titles like Shakuntala Devi, Sherni, Chhorii and many more. We are delighted to play home to another one of Vidya’s stellar performances, that audiences are sure to love”

“Impactful storytelling blended with engaging entertainment is at the core of what we do at Abundantia Entertainment”, Vikram Malhotra, Founder and CEO of Abundantia Entertainment said. “Featuring two of the finest actors of our times, Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah, Suresh has woven Jalsa into a brilliant narrative of complex emotions, well-etched characters and a gripping pace. I am also excited to extend our successful partnership with Prime Video after Shakuntala Devi, Sherni and Chhorii and look forward to the global premiere of Jalsa across 240 countries and territories across the world.”

“Jalsa is one of the most gripping and entertaining films that we’ve been a part of at T-series and I am thrilled that it is with one of our most trusted partners, Abundantia Entertainment.” Bhushan Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director – T-Series added, “We have had an extremely successful collaboration in the past with films like Airlift, Sherni and Chhorii and I look forward to recreating the same magic with Jalsa. I am excited for the film to premiere on Amazon Prime Video as it will allow the film to get a truly global audience as it rightfully deserves.”

Jalsa is a highly engaging and captivating tale of conflict, as shown through the life of a top-line journalist and her cook. Replete with spellbinding performances and a nerve-wracking storyline, Jalsa promises to keep you on the edge of your seat, and leave you intrigued for more.