Movies

Vikramaditya Motwane couldn’t have asked for a better start to 2025. The creator-director is receiving wide praise for Black Warrant, fronted by Zahan Kapoor. The Netflix series is his fourth work in the past two years after Jubilee (2023), Indi(r)a’s Emergency (2023) and CTRL (2024). “I am making up for lost time. During the Phantom [Films] years, I produced more than I directed. I want to direct more now,” says the filmmaker. Zahan Kapoor in Black Warrant Motwane has another wish too. The filmmaker, whose last theatrical release was Bhavesh Joshi Superhero in 2018, hopes to return to the big screen. At a time when spectacles are believed to be the ticket to box-office success, does he think smaller films can shine on the big screen? “Many have been saying from the past six-seven years ...

Marianne Faithfull, the British pop star, muse, libertine and old soul who inspired and helped write some of the Rolling Stones’ greatest songs and endured as a torch singer and survivor of the lifestyle she once embodied, has died. She was 78. Faithfull passed away Thursday in London, her music promotion company Republic Media said.“It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of the singer, songwriter and actress Marianne Faithfull,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family. She will be dearly missed.”The blonde, voluptuous Faithfull was a celebrity before turning 17, homeless by her mid-20s and an inspiration to peers and younger artists by her early 30s, when her raw, explicit Broken English ...

Amazon MX Player recently conducted its first StreamNext event, attracting some global marketing leaders such as Sir Martin Sorrell, and Benedict Evans, along with other prominent names from the entertainment industry.  The star-studded event showcased the evolving landscape of content consumption in India and how Amazon MX Player is becoming a transformative partner to advertisers for building strong and memorable brands. Talking about it, Girish Prabhu, Head of Amazon Ads India said, “Today’s gathering is all about bringing together the vast reach of Amazon MX Player with ad tech that leverages Amazon’s trillions of customer signals. It’s about enabling all brands, not just the ones selling on Amazon, to reach and deliver relevant advertising to over 250 million unique users in India. ...

Actor Abhishek Banerjee, known for his memorable roles in films and series, is currently facing an identity crisis of a rather unique kind. The confusion? He shares his name with his close friend and talented writer, Abhishek Banerjee. And thanks to this shared name, the actor is now being wrongly credited for work he didn’t do—specifically, writing a few brilliant episodes of Paatal Lok Season 2. Abhishek Banerjee on writer credit confusion The actor, in his signature style, has addressed the mix-up with a mix of amusement and exasperation. Years ago, during their struggling days, he had joked with his friend, “You should really think about changing your name. The day I become famous, people will think I’ve written all your stuff.” Little did he know, his words would one day come true. ...

The messy saga between It Ends With Us co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is facing yet another twist, this time in the form of a voice message Baldoni apparently sent to Lively amid the film’s production where he can be heard apologizing to his on-screen partner. In a nearly seven-minute voice memo first published by TMZ on Monday, Baldoni, who also served as director for the movie, can be heard speaking about script changes that Lively, one of the film’s producers, had presented.“Hey Blake, it’s two in the morning. Hopefully this does not wake you up. There is so much I want to say to you,” Baldoni began the message, which TMZ obtained in its entirety.“I want to start with an apology,” he continued. “Man, reading the second part of your message, my heart sank. I’m really sorry. I f...

He says Sooraj Barjatya wanted to collaborate with him because the veteran filmmaker loved how he brought simplicity to the screen. However, for director Palash Vaswani of Gullak fame, it was a dream come true. Vaswani had always wanted to create a love story, but making a show with the signature Rajshri touch while ensuring it remained relatable across all age groups was a challenge. Bada Naam Karenge commenced in April and concluded filming in October. However, the team spent nine months refining the script before beginning production. In conversation with mid-day, Vaswani discusses how he drew inspiration from real-life stories of people from small towns to shape the narrative, what he learnt from Barjatya, and how he expresses himself through his storytelling. Edited excerpts from the...

On Monday, Selena Gomez posted and deleted a tearful Instagram video that showed her crying over the deportation of undocumented immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents under U.S. President Donald Trump’s new executive orders on immigration. During his first week in office, Trump signed 10 executive orders on immigration and issued a slew of edicts to carry out promises of mass deportations and tighten border security.“I just wanted to say that I’m so sorry,” Gomez, 32, said in the now-deleted video. “All my people are getting attacked, the children. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry. I wish I could do something but I can’t.”“I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise,” she added, as she wiped away tears. In text over the video, she wrote, “I’m sorry” and...

In November 2023, we visited the set of Vikram Motwane’s Black Warrant. The set was a replica of Tihar Jail, modified to depict the harsh realities of prison and create an immersive experience. Production designer Mukund Gupta, of Jubilee (2023) and Jigra (2024) fame scouted several prison facilities with the filmmaker, associate production designer Vahi Shaikh, art director Yogesh Bansode, and a team of set designers before getting down to work. “We officially started designing and building the sets in mid-2023. Given the intense, crime-driven narrative, we knew the environment had to reflect a gritty, high-stakes atmosphere. From there, we worked on creating detailed sets, scouting locations, and building custom elements to bring that vision to life on screen. The entire journey, from co...

Descrease article font size Increase article font size Green Day, never shy to make their politics known, took a jab at Elon Musk during their debut performance in Musk’s home country of South Africa the night before Donald Trump’s inauguration. While performing their iconic 2004 chart topper American Idiot in Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium, frontman Billie Joe Armstrong changed up the lyric, “I’m not a part of the redneck agenda” to “I’m not a part of the Elon agenda,” taking aim at the billionaire, who has formed close ties with Trump in recent months and is tapped to lead the president’s new “Department of Government Efficiency.”Concert footage posted to X, the social media platform owned by Musk, has taken off, and the internet has a lot to sa...

Sharing the screen with talented artistes like Zeenat Aman, Bhumi Pednekar and Ishaan Khatter in one’s second acting job can be daunting. But singer-turned-actor Lisa Mishra believes The Royals has made her a better performer. Not only that, while shooting for the Netflix series, she developed an unexpected bond with co-star Pednekar. “Bhumi’s passion and dedication to her craft is deeply inspiring. Whether we were shooting intense scenes or unwinding during breaks, her energy was infectious. She has the ability to make everyone feel comfortable and valued. For me, working with her feels more like a sisterhood than just doing a job,” says Mishra, who made her acting debut with Call Me Bae (2024). Spending time with Pednekar on set was a learning experience for the actor. Mishra says her c...