After receiving an astounding response for Sunoh, Va Va Voom, In Raahon Mein, and the trailer, Netflix’s The Archies added another feather to its glory by hosting a star-studded music album launch event.
The film’s ensemble cast including Dot (Aditi), Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina and Yuvraj Menda along with the filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, and music team, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Ankur Tewari, Tejas and Shivam Mahadevan unveiled the 16-song album amidst the huge crowd from the industry, media, and influencers.
The gala event kicked off with a tete-a-tete with Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, and the music team Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Ankur Tewari. The evening witnessed the cast dancing to the electrifying tunes of ‘Va Va Voom’. Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, and Khushi Kapoor danced to the tunes of ‘Asymmetrical’ sung by DOT. Additionally, Ankur Tewari and Tejas gave a smashing performance and had the audience cheering in and crooning along to ‘Choona Aasman’ and ‘Sunoh’, ensuring that the evening became a memorable musical experience for everyone in attendance. The event culminated with the entire cast singing to Plum Pudding. Their infectious energy and stage presence left the audience eager for more, further increasing the excitement for the film. Videos of these performances soon hit the
internet, teasing fans with a glimpse of the musical extravaganza. The highlight of the evening was the unveiling of the song Dhishoom Dhishoom, featuring Dot, Suhana Khan and Khushi Kapoor dancing on roller skates opened to enthralling responses from everyone present.
The album, a 16-track masterpiece, includes ‘Sunoh,’ ‘Va Va Voom’ and ‘In Raahon Mein,’ along with other newly released songs such as ‘Dear Diary,’ ‘Jab Tum Na Theen,’ ‘Dhishoom Dhishoom’, ‘Lonely July,’ ‘Everything is Politics,’ ‘Plum Pudding,’ ‘Yeh Saari Aawazein,’ ‘Choona Aasmaan,’ and ‘Asymmetrical,’ among others.
Director Zoya Akhtar took a moment to share insights into the film’s musical journey. She said, “We are super excited to finally drop the entire album for our audiences. The film is a musical, and the album is unique given the comic book narrative, the 60’s era and the Young adult tone. Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Ankur Tewari, Dot, my father, Arijit Singh and Tejas on one album is more than I could have dreamed of. I wanted an album that makes me smile. This one does and I hope the listeners do too.”
The talented trio Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, also spoke about their experience of creating music for the film saying, “With ‘The Archies’ music, we’ve aimed to create something refreshing for the audiences. The ‘60s music adds a unique vibe, complemented by a talented team of musicians and lyricists. Our personal favourite has to be ‘Plum Pudding’ and we’re excited to see how audiences respond to it and our other songs.”
Composer, Singer, lyricist Ankur Tewar also shared his excitement on the full album release saying, “Working on this album has been an incredibly exciting and collaborative process. I had a blast creating music with a ’60s vibe and collaborating with talented artists spanning generations like Javed Akhtar Sir, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and Dot. As musicians, working with Zoya Akhtar was an enriching experience, her clear vision made the entire process quite seamless.”
‘The Archies’ album features collaborations with celebrated artists including lyricist Javed Akhtar and Dot, music composers Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and singers like Arijit Singh, Ankur Tewari and The Islanders. The film’s music is now available on all streaming platforms and Sony Music’s YouTube channel.
A heartfelt coming-of-age tale set in the idyllic backdrop of the 1960s, ‘The Archies’ is a collaborative effort between Netflix India, Tiger Baby, Archie Comics, and Graphic India. Helmed by Zoya Akhtar, the film arrives on Netflix worldwide on December 7, 2023.
Ranbir Kapoor starrer ‘Animal’ recently took over the iconic Burj Khalifa, towering above Dubai’s skyline. In a larger-than-life and colossal event, the grand event saw the projection of the film’s special cut on the world’s tallest building, transforming it into a mega canvas for cinematic magic.
Ranbir Kapoor, Bobby Deol along with producer Bhushan Kumar took centre stage in Dubai and joined the sea of fans who gathered to witness this marvel. Co-producers Shiv Chanana and Pranay Reddy Vanga also graced the grand event with their presence. This isn’t a first one though, recently, the film made waves in the heart of Manhattan’s iconic Times Square. The teaser, a dazzling display on the digital billboards of this cultural hub, captivated the attention of onlookers and set the stage for the film’s global presence.
This time around the Burj Khalifa, standing as a symbol of innovation and grandeur, provided the perfect canvas for the larger-than-life narrative that “Animal” promises to deliver and the countdown to the film’s release has never felt more electrifying.
As the song’s extended version also echoed through Global Village, the vision was extraordinary as dancers and fans gathered to form a vibrant and enigmatic atmosphere making it a perfect evening to release the song.
Glimpses of the cast and fans interaction have gone viral as they moved to the bests of the song ‘Arjan Vailly’. The evening ended on a high note as fans got selfies and interacted with the remarkable cast.
The song launch at Global Village was a mix of star power and musical joy, setting the stage for ‘Animal‘ to roar in cinemas with the big release on 1st December.
Animal stars Ranbir Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna and Anil Kapoor in pivotal roles. Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar’s T-Series, Murad Khetani’s Cine1 Studios and Pranay Reddy Vanga’s Bhadrakali Pictures have backed Animal. The film directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga is in the crime drama genre and promises to take viewers on a thrilling ride on 1st December 2023.
Joram, an Indian survival thriller drama, has already created a buzz on both national and international stages, earning acclaim at various film festivals. With its gripping storyline and outstanding cast, including Manoj Bajpayee, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Rajshri Deshpande, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Smita Tambe in lead roles, the film promises to deliver an emotional experience. The film even received a standing ovation at its premiere screening in Mumbai.
The immersive poster release with a motion logo along with the powerful teaser track sets the stage for an emotionally charged rural experience that will captivate audiences.
Directed, written, and crafted by Devashish Makhija and produced by Shariq Patel, Ashima Avasthi Chaudhuri, Anupama Bose, and Devashish Makhija.
The film stars Manoj Bajpayee and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, under the cinematic vision of Piyush Puty and the editing mastery of Abhro Banerjee. The soul-stirring music is composed by Mangesh Dhakde. A collaborative effort between Zee Studios and MakhijaFilm, Joram is set to become a cinematic milestone, eagerly awaited by fans and critics alike and is set to release on 8th December.
Netflix India today launched the much-anticipated trailer of ‘The Archies’, a Zoya Akhtar spectacle produced by Tiger Baby, Graphic India, and Archie Comics, that transports the audience to the whimsical world of 1960s Riverdale, India. The trailer unfolds a musical narrative led by seven charming characters from the beloved Archie comics, steering through the retro alleys of love, friendship, and youthful aspirations.
Earlier glimpses into the world of ‘The Archies’ were provided through a teaser, engaging character posters, and the catchy tunes of “Sunoh” and “Va Va Voom.” Each element presented a doorway into the quaint yet vibrant world of Riverdale. With the release of the trailer, the door swings open wider, unveiling a deeper glimpse into a narrative filled with music, camaraderie, and a quest to make their voices heard. The trailer signs off with a profound message – ‘You are never too young to change the world’, leaving audiences curious and yearning for the full narrative to unfold.
Speaking about The Archies trailer, Director Zoya Akhtar shared, “Having spent a lot of my childhood living in an Archie Comic, I’m thrilled to introduce Riverdale to this generation.
The characters are iconic, their teenage life innocent, the world simpler, a time when less was more. Archie Comics, Netflix, Tiger Baby and Graphic India were in complete sync and wanted the adaptation to be as wholesome as the original comic was. It’s clean young adult content and was very fresh for Reema and me to work on. It’s also very exciting that a global IP chose the India film industry to make its first feature. Excited to get it out there.”
Adding onto that, Monika Shergill, Vice president for Content at Netflix, shared, “The Archie comics, with their timeless charm and universal theme of friendship was a loved IP to adapt to the Indian cultural tapestry. We set out with the ambition to make a live action film with an Indian twist, and Zoya and Reema were the perfect choice to bring the story to life. They are incredible storytellers and have made a film full of colour and heart, fantastic characters and toe-tapping songs. The Archies is truly a family entertainer with a touch of delicious nostalgia.”
The story of ‘The Archies’ is not just a tale to be told, but an experience waiting to be lived, releasing exclusively only on Netflix on December 7, 2023.
Kisi ko kuch nahi pata. Sab andhere mein teer maar rahe hain (No one knows anything. We’re all just shooting in the dark). Here’s part 2 of my take on the evolving business of entertainment (Part 1 here).
Recent trends followed by the earth-shattering reception to Pathaan and Jawan suggest how it is the era of masala and mass entertainers and everything else is conducive for the digital space. Even numbers suggest the same. But, numbers, for their design, will always tell you what is clicking in the market and not necessarily what would click for you.
What’s bugging modern Indian cinema like a parasite aren’t solely the clouded marketing minds but the elitist mentality of a select group of the audience. The part that has given rise to content shaming.
The cool kids club that prefers every piece of content to be grave, dark, morbid and call it artsy. Yes, the anti-mainstream lobby.
What these self-assigned feudal lots should understand is that every film doesn’t need to be a thespian’s treasure trove. People watch cinema for primarily two reasons – A) as a passion B) as a recreational activity.
While the ones actively chasing it as a passion will always subconsciously examine and learn from every film, the common moviegoer, the pedestrian will always watch a movie for either an entrance to a new world or escape from the real one they live in. It is always the well off, privileged lot without real world problems that sets off to find problems, pain and suffering through content since they don’t have to go back home to a grim reality.
The average Indian too wants to be moved by cinema. But they don’t want counselling. Which leads us to the biggest roadblock that cinema faces in this modern, civil society.
Message: Humari film mein ek strong message hai.
The most blatant and oblivious display of the holier than thou approach. Here’s a kicker. Films change nothing in the society besides fashion, communication slang and beauty codes.
People didn’t go and grab a hold of Manu Sharma in the Jessica Lal Murder Case after watching Rang De Basanti, 3 Idiots didn’t stop student suicides and Jawan didn’t end jingoism and bigotry in the country.
Films, at best can present an outlook that one could relate with. That’s what resonates with the audience. Everything else is either an unintentional passing of the bias one has been programmed with or clear propaganda.
We must understand and accept that India is a cinema loving country and not a cinema literate one.
Watching films is still the fifth or sixth or even least important activity for most people.
Reasons why, even a mammoth blockbuster in this nation of 140crore+ people can only manage 2-3cr footfall. Yes, the viewing habit and patterns have evolved. But change is a slow and painful process.
Change must eventuate from grass-root levels. Better literacy, education, and personal development will lead to overall better decision making and preferences. And a refining and reformation in demands will automatically rechristen the quality of supply.
To conclude, I reiterate, none of us know exactly what is wrong or right for the business. Everything is running on fudged numbers, prejudice, and assumptions.
Take me for the lack of a better example. The amount of strong opinions I have on these things, I should’ve achieved a lot as a creator. My supposed clarity of thought should’ve placed on a lofty place in the industry. But that’s not how it works.
Opinions are good for discussion and nothing beyond. While I might have the taste for all things good, I still don’t possess all skills. Maybe temperament, people management, inability of brown nosery, anything must be adequate. And the harshest truth of the game is – taste and skill grow at different paces. It’s not just me. It is all of us. On the same curve. But on different ends. Lost in the right direction. Trying to make sense of it.
Kisi ko kuch nahi pata. Sab andhere mein teer maar rahe hain.
During a momentous occasion for the UK media industry, internationally renowned actress, Manisha Koirala, was among the inspiring South Asian figures honoured with a prestigious award, celebrating her remarkable achievements in the Indian film industry and overcoming adversity. The award ceremony took place at the Houses of Parliament in London on Friday 27th October during the launch of the groundbreaking new publication, Asian Standard newspaper’s London edition. The launch was hosted by MP Wajid Khan, Baron Khan of Burnley.
Asian Standard London has been launched by RF Media & Publishing, guided by the indomitable and visionary mother-daughter team of Rokaiya Patel and Fatima Patel.Bringing the latest regional edition of the newspaper to the Capital has been the realisation of a decade-long dream that had its inception in the vibrant tapestry of London’s South Asian community. The launch event not only unveiled the city’s free, South Asian weekly newspaper but also served as a testament to the enduring power of determination and resilience.
In 2013, Fatima Patel conceived the idea of bringing the diversity of stories from the South Asian community to the heart of London. However, fate intervened in the form of personal setback with a ruptured tendon and a benign tumour that momentarily disrupted her vision. Despite these challenges, Fatima displayed unwavering determination and drew strength from the support of her loved ones. Ten years on, Asian Standard London marks the next milestone achievement in the newspaper series’ journey.
RF Media & Publishing’s approach is to regionalise their newspapers to amplify the often-unheard, grassroots voices of South Asian communities and to provide news that resonates with the specific interests and needs of each local community. Currently, the print newspaper is available in four editions: Bradford, Kirklees, Leeds and the North East. The publishing house has ambitious plans to launch six more titles by 2025, with the London edition being the next phase of UK-wide expansion, available on newsstands from 1st November.
As the Asian Standard begins to chronicle the stories, achievements and aspirations of London’s South Asian community, it stands as a testament to the tenacity of those who persevere through adversity and inspire the world. The London edition launch and the recognition of Manisha Koirala’s achievements serve as a reminder that dreams are not confined by geographical boundaries or limitations.
Koirala, a celebrated actress from Nepal, who has enthralled audiences worldwide with her exceptional talent and dedication to the art of cinema, was honoured for her outstanding contribution to the India film industry. Her journey has transcended boundaries and has been an inspiration to many aspiring actors. The prestigious award is a testament to her unparalleled achievements and relentless pursuit of excellence, while also overcoming major health issues in her life in beating cancer. Speaking about the award Manisha said, “I’m so deeply honoured to be here and to meet so many amazing people. Thank You for involving me today; this will always have a place in my heart. I have had a brilliant career but there have also been low’s. When I was diagnosed with cancer I had time to reflect. I started asking questions – have I lived well? Have I done justice to this life? And I hadn’t. In hospital I had a lot of time to reflect and especially about what was important to me – my health, relationships, my career. I’m ten years cancer free now and when death comes knocking at my door again I want to die thinking that I didn’t waste my time on earth and l know that I have lived fully according to my heart.”
Celebrating pan Subcontinent achievement and global personalities that have overcome great personal and professional challenges, also honoured at the launch event was Chairperson of global brand, Women In Management, social entrepreneur and motivational speaker, Dr. Sulochana Segera, from Sri Lanka. Acknowledging the award she said, “It’s an honour to be here and a bit emotional to receive the award. My work has been very silent; I normally talk about other women; but I’ve been told to stop hiding and to get on the platform. Fatima sent me a letter about the award and I was shocked as I normally send out letters to award other woman. Fatima’s award is not only for me but for all women and for my country.”
News presenter, former PR Advisor to the Mayor of London, Founder of faith-based jewellery brand, Soul Gems, and Deputy Director of Media, Campaigns and Public Engagement at global charity, ActionAid, Hasina Momtaz of Bangladeshi origin, was also honoured. She said, “Thank you to the Asian Standard and to Fatima; I’m deeply honoured to receive this award. Fatima, please continue to be a disrupter because disrupters are the instigators of change. With what’s happening in the world around us we need to see change.”
British Paralympic wheelchair rugby player and Paralympic Gold Medallist of Indian origin, Ayaz Bhuta MBE, was also honoured. Speaking about overcoming adversity at the event he said, “From a young age I tried to prove myself; I started playing cricket as a young boy and they couldn’t get me out. At school I wasn’t allowed to do much sport but I broke the barriers and began PE lessons in a wheelchair.” About winning Gold for Team GB at the Paralympics he added, “We played the USAParalympic Final and beat them by five points to win the gold medal. My gold medal was my dream but, for many with disabilities, all they want is to be is respected as a fully able-bodied person. That would mean leaps and bounds for them.”
English cricketer of Pakistani origin and champion against racism in cricket, Azeem Rafiq, was also honoured. While unable to attend in person, through a special video message he said, “I thank you for honouring me today, it means a lot and I hope it gives everyone hope in any adversity and confidence that, no matter how small or big our voice, there is power in our voice and we must use it whenever possible for standing up for what we believe in.”
Speaking about Asian Standard’s continuing journey and the London edition launch, Fatima Patel said, “As we launch the Asian Standard London, we embrace the vibrant tapestry of our community. In the ink that runs through these pages, we find the stories of resilience, the melody of cultures and the strength of unity. The Asian Standard doesn’t just represent my journey but the stories of resilience, hope and strength in adversity that we all carry within us. It is a testament to the power of never giving up, even when faced with the toughest challenges.
“The newspaper is not just a celebration of diversity; it’s a testament to our shared dreams and collective aspirations. Let these words be a bridge that connects hearts, a beacon of hope and a catalyst for change. As we empower voices, celebrate differences and honour the rich heritage that shapes our narratives, we ignite a spark that lights up the path toward a harmonious tomorrow. Together, we craft a story that echoes through generations, inspiring every reader to believe in the power of their own voice. In the pages of Asian Standard London, we don’t just find news – we find the soul of our diverse and united community.”
Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s action-thriller film Animal, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol and Triptii Dimri, is one of the most highly anticipated movies of this year. After dropping the first track of the song Hua Main, the makers have released the second song Satranga.
The song features Ranbir Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna celebrating Karva Chauth but then seen having a fight. They go through a rollercoaster of emotion and face love and heartbreak. The song is sung by Arijit Singh, composed by Shreyas Puranik and the lyrics have been penned by Siddhartha-Garima.
Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, Animal releases on 1st December, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, distributed in the UK by AA Films.
After making a paradigm shift in Indian action genre with Vikram, the prodigal Lokesh Kanagaraj’s next venture had its own skyrocket expectations amongst the masses. That too when it was announced that Lokesh’s next was with “Thalapathy” Vijay for the second time, the expectations gone out of the roof and finally Leo roared on the silver screens this week.
There’s always this pressure for a creator who has achieved his pinnacle form at an early stage which is to deliver another work that beats it and Lokesh is in that kind of a challenge.
Let’s see if this Leo‘s roar was loud enough or not. And it’s a challenge every time for me to write on a newly release big star movie.
The subtle massiness and a fixed narrative tone:
From the opening credits Lokesh declares that Leo is an official adaptation of John Wagner’s A History of Violence comic, where a hero who doesn’t want get into his violent roots is forced to take it up due to circumstances.
This template has been a staple for most of the commercial masala films as it offers for most part the catharsis needed for viewers who are mostly helpless about the vices that happen around them yet having the urge to beat ’em all.
With “Thalapathy” Vijay in the lead with his stardom stripped down for most part, he plays as Parthiban a cafe owner who lives with his peaceful family but has a violent past as Leo. He has a consistent character sketch where he shows a clear contrast between the two characters.
The cafe fight scene can be seen as a great example where he showcases the anguish, the guilt, the fear and a macrocosm of emotions. It might not be an overstatement to say Leo is a Vijay “Film” after ages. His family dynamics makes you really care about the stakes on hold.
More than the star, the character of Parthiban is seen for most part which is another surprise for a Vijay starrer something reminiscent of famous Hollywood action movies making the “mass” factor more subtle. Unlike his previous movies which had a lot of subplots and layers in the narrative, Lokesh Kanagaraj and his writers crew of Rathna Kumar and Deeraj Vaidy takes the most straight forward route for this Baasha template and it’s focussed in its narration.
While there are some complications in this approach which I will come to later yet this was a surprise move from Lokesh making room for more action in the film. With a much simple setups in the first half, the payoff rewards well despite being in a template that is beaten to death.
The meticulous action and technical expertise:
There are two types of action movies: one is where there is story written around the action sequences and the other where action sequences are written round the story. Leo belongs to the former category for most part and Lokesh Kanagaraj as a writer and director totally shines in the action sequences.
From the first Hyena sequences to the climax 1 vs 100 fight scene there’s a lot of meticulousness put into the tiniest of details in staging and writing these sequences. You can see the protagonist getting tired during the combats which is a rare sight for a Vijay starrer.
The CGI works which isn’t much of a forte of Lokesh was pretty convincing making the unbelievable real. Combined with Anbariv’s dynamic stunt choreography, Manoj paramahamsa’s kinetic camera work, Anirudh’s surprisingly great choice of Soft Synth and EDM, Philomin Raj’s classy cuts (not to mention the amazing match cuts) does great wonders for the adrenaline pumping theatrical experience for an action film of sorts like this.
It’s good to see some of the creative choices made for the action sequences especially those Mocobot cam shots, the dolly zooms, the serial view fight scenes (reminiscent of True Detective S01) and the POV shots in an Indian Mainstream action film like this.
Hollywood and Peaky Blinders overdose:
Lokesh in many interviews mentioned about the impact of80s Hollywood action films and Peaky Blinders series in his filmography.
While it’s good to see Lokesh Kanagaraj delivering a Hollywood styled approach in the Indian action genre and it’s palatable for most part, it just feels that the Hollywood pill has been overdosed a lot which is evident in the second half after the subtler interval block.
While exploring the world of Das and Co in the 20 min flashback, the Peaky Blinders influence is on the face with particularly with those occult beliefs of the “Family”, I lost it as a viewer.
In a series like Peaky Blinders it took six seasons to establish the family dynamics, the world etc. But here Lokesh condenses into a mere flashback making this unconvincing for the viewers which made the reason for Leo turning into a reformative person pretty much not fleshed out making it a badly made pastiche of its inspiration.
In the car chase sequence they tried to mimic the one shown in Raid 2 but unfortunately due to the mishaps in the CGI in that part and the payoff at the end of that sequence made it a case of yet another mere imitation.
I don’t really want to bring a lot of comparisons into this but when you take Baasha or John Wick the reason for the respective protagonists to reform themselves is made convincing which is particularly the reason it made them most rewatched films of all time.
The “Indianness” and an even more convincing emotional setup for the action set pieces was lacking in the film making it alienated. I wished the flashback would have been just a voice over narration by the characters just like they did for some parts in defining Leo’s character.
Undefined motive of the antagonists and more straight forwardness:
The supposed antagonists Anthony Das (Sanjay Dutt) and Harold Das (Action king Arjun) are menacing in their acting and does bring the condescending nature to the characters.
Leo is shown as an underground Rowdy character for the Das Family and business and he isn’t shown much of a guy who believes in brains over brawn. But their motive to kill Leo even after 25 years isn’t just really defined and hard to buy. Whether he has any secrets about the tobacco factory business? Or the datura business? Nothing – it’s just plain revenge which doesn’t really make you care about the stakes and the antagonism of the villains.
Just like in the first act, the film could have been even more consistent with its straight forward approach which would have made for an even more adrenaline pumping gratification.
The cinematic universe problem:
This is a problem that’s been on the cards in the recent years even the most established cinematic universes in Hollywood like the MCU, DCEU and other universes struggle to make use of the network narrative which they used it at first.
Cameos of certain characters don’t really make the audiences buy into these cinematic universes anymore which lead to some of the most interesting choices of narrative in recent years likeSpidermanAcross the Spider-verse.
I’m not expecting Lokesh to make an ATSV as LCU is in its foetus stage but considering the potential the universe it felt like the integration of it into the storyline of Leo makes it a bit of a “cash grab”. There could have been more interesting choices of setups if they’re gonna bring this into a cinematic universe but cameos of characters like Napoleon from “Kaithi” does deteriorate arc of them built in the first place.
And the Nick fury moment is yet another instance which made me feel like this could have been a standalone unpretentious film.
The audience reaction for it was pretty much baffling when I left the theatre as they were discussing a lot of “theories” and I wondered where was there a space to even make fan theories.
Glass Onion is the fitting term to describe the audience discourse that’s surrounding this LCU. The most interesting aspect of George Lucas’ Star Wars universe is that it didn’t rely on any base reference material unlike Marvel or DC but it went to be the highest grossing and critically acclaimed franchises of all time cinema. Lokesh Kanagaraj and writers’ team are going in the same trajectory like George Lucas with the LCU but I wish that he puts more introspection time into making a planned network narrative needed for a cinematic universe.
But let’s give props to the director-writer that all the LCU films are distinct in tone with each other.
Nonetheless, Leo is Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Bayhem providing a gratifying dose of silver screen adrenaline and it roars majestically!
One of the most awaited films of the year, Netflix’s ‘The Archies’ has released its first song ‘Sunoh,’ featuring Dot (Aditi), Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina and Yuvraj Menda. ‘The Archies’ is a coming-of-age musical following the lives of the town’s favourite set of teenagers by filmmaker Zoya Akhtar.
‘Sunoh,’ is a song created by the ingenious duo of Ankur Tewari and The Islanders, lyrically woven by the maestro Javed Akhtar and the young and talented Dot, harmoniously performed by Tejas Menon and Shivam Mahadevan. ‘Sunoh’ helps viewers to immerse into the exciting world of ‘The Archies,’ introducing the characters of the film.
Legendary Lyricist Javed Akhtar said “Writing ‘Sunoh’ was like unlocking a time capsule of the 1960s’ rock and roll era. It’s a musical experience that bridges the past and present, celebrating the enduring essence of this iconic period through melody and lyrics. Being a part of ‘The Archies’ has allowed me to rediscover the magic of an era that has deeply impacted generations.”
Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, said, “With ‘Sunoh’ we wanted to encapsulate the teenage soul of the 60’s. ‘The Archies’ is a celebration of that era. The song had to evoke simplicity, nostalgia but also a rebellion and idealism that could resonate with Gen Z today. Ankur and The Islanders are rock n’ roll boys at heart so they nailed it.
Ankur Tewari said, “The music of ‘The Archies’ is a heartfelt tribute to the timeless rock and roll era, a sonic journey that captures the spirit of a musical revolution. Through our compositions, The Islanders and I, aimed to resurrect the electric energy and vibrant rhythms of that iconic period, offering listeners a chance to relive the magic of a musical era that remains etched in the hearts of generations.”
An exciting ensemble cast spearheaded by the emerging talents of Agastya Nanda, Dot., Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, and Yuvraj Menda; the adaptation brings ‘The Archies’ to life. This live-action musical transports viewers on an enchanting journey back to the
captivating era of the 1960s, set in the fictional hill town of Riverdale. The film is produced by Netflix India, Tiger Baby, Archie Comics and Graphic India.
‘Sunoh’ is now available on all streaming platforms and Sony Music’s YouTube channel
The Archies will be released worldwide on Netflix only on December 7, 2023.
