BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 2, 2021: SS Rajamouli's Baahubali film series was so successful that it inspired streaming giant Netflix to make a prequel to Baahubali - The Beginning (2015). Titled Baahubali: Before the Beginning, the Telugu languages web series is based on Anand Neelakantan's 2017 and 2020 novels The Rise of Sivagami, Chaturanga, and Queen of Mahishmathi. ## Earlier, the series was being directed by Deva Katta and Praveen Sattaru, however, Netflix reportadly scrapped the project after 80 percent of the shoot got completed as they weren't impressed with the content. The series, which follows the journey of Sivagami's rise to power in the Mahishmati kingdom, has now been re-worked with a new team. ## As per the latest development, Netflix has started pre-production work on Baahubali Before The Beginning. Jannat fame Kunal Deshmukh and The Girl On the Train fame Ribhu Dasgupta are said to be on board to direct the series. ## Punjabi actress Wamiqa Gabbi, who has also featured in the Hindi, Telugu, and Malayalam language films, will be playing the lead role of Sivagami in this periodic, replacing Mruanl Thakur. The entire script work of Baahubali Before The Beginning is completed and the shooting commences from September. The budget of the series is said to have Rs. 200 crores. ## Baahubali: Before the Beginning is said to have seen the potential of being India's answer to Game of Thrones. The first season of the show will consist of a total of 9 episodes. It is produced by SS Rajamouli and Arka Media Works with Netflix. The first season will premiere in 2022 on Netflix. The show is intended to have six seasons, two seasons based on each book of the trilogy.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, June 29, 2021: Actor Sivakarthikeyan's medical action film, Doctor, has been a talk of the town for a long time now. The Nelson Dilipkumar directorial is ready for release since the last year, however, due to the covid-19 pandemic, it kept getting postponed. The movie was all set to hit theaters on March 26, 2021, however, due to the elections in Tamil Nadu, makers again postponed the release indefinitely. ## While the makers had a chance to release the "Doctor" in March this year before they announced the postponement, the second covid-19 wave made sure their wait gets longer if they still want theatrical release. As of June 2021, there are still no signs of releasing the movie anytime soon. However, there are a lot of rumors that have started making noise regarding the medium "Doctor" will release on. ## Recently, the producer of the film, KJR Studios had announced that the film will get the right release when things become normal. Ever since it has been speculated that Doctor has been sold to Disney+Hostar for direct-to-digital release in 4 South Indian languages. However, there is no official confirmation yet from the makers of the film. ## On the other hand, as per the latest buzz in Kollywood, the movie is still very much in line to get a theatrical release. While Disney Plus indeed approached the "Doctor" team to grab the streaming rights, it has also been said that the streaming giant also wanted the satellite rights to be given to Vijay TV. But KJR Studios had already inked a deal with Sun TV for the TV premiere, so things didn't go as per plan. ## And now, if there is anything to go by the buzz, Doctor will be hitting theaters on August 14 or 15 this year. However, the OTT release of the film can not be ruled out as theaters in Tamil Nadu are yet to reopen, which may (or already) force the makers to take the OTT route. It will be interesting to see what medium makers choose to release the film.## Priyanka Arul Mohan plays Sivakarthikeyan's pair in the film while Vinay Rai plays the antagonist. The film also has an ensemble cast of actors including Yogi Babu, Milind Soman, Arun Alexander, Sunil Reddy, and Reddin Kingsley. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 24, 2021: Vidya Balan starrer thriller film, "Sherni", invites fresh controversy. The movie, which released on June 18 directly on Amazon Prime Video, deals with the subjects like human-wildlife conflict and wildlife conservation. It shows how human greed is destroying wildlife. ## While the movie deals with the sensitive subject of wildlife, the makers of the film have been alleged for "twisting of facts" relating to the killing of tigress Avni. A Hyderabad shooter Asghar Ali Khan, who shot dead tigress Avni in Maharashtra's Yavatmal in 2018, is contemplating legal action against the makers of the film. "We are consulting the legal advisers. We have not yet taken a final call," Asghar Ali Khan told IANS on Wednesday. #### He has accused the makers of the film of presenting a completely different story regarding the killing of tigress Avni. Asghar Ali Khan, who is the son of well-known shooter Nawab Sahafath Ali Khan, alleged that the movie projected them as "trigger-happy shooters". "We had gone there at the invitation of the government and killed the man-eater tigress which had mauled to death 14 persons but we were projected as if we were hunting for fun", he said. ## He argued that the way the makers presented them in the film, could damage their reputation and add "fuel to the fire" to the sensitive matter which is already subjudice. Abundantia Entertainment Pvt Ltd, one of the producers of the film, however, clarified that "Sherni" is a creative work of fiction and will not hamper "any supposed ongoing investigation" or damage Asghar Ali or his father's reputation. ## Asghar Ali, however, is not satisfied with this. "If there is one similarity between what was shown in the movie and what happened in Avni's case, it can be called coincidence but there are so many similarities. There was a lady officer in the real operation, there is a lady officer (Vidya Balan) in the movie. There are other similarities like two cubs of the tigress and the use of urine of another tiger to attract the tigress", he said.## Sherni is directed by Amit V. Masurkar and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Vikram Malhotra, and Amit V. Masurkar under the banners of T-Series, and Abundantia Entertainment. Apart from Vidya Balan, who plays the role of an Indian Forest Service officer, the movie also stars Sharat Saxena, Vijay Raaz, Ila Arun, Brijendra Kala, Neeraj Kabi, and Mukul Chaddha in supporting roles. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Kochi, June 18, 2021: The covid-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the Indian film industries, especially, Malayalam. Due to the months of closure and lack of fresh content in cinemas, the Mollywood industry got hit hard, which is turning into money and job losses. The state government was also too late to allow theaters to reopen after the first wave, which kept audiences in check before they got some confidence to visit cinemas. ## When theaters in Kerala were allowed to reopen in January this year, they needed big stars to step up to revive the ailing Malayalam film industry. Their chances of some sort of relief were dented when superstar Mohanlal decided to release his long-awaited thriller film, Drishyam 2 directly on Amazon Prime Video, skipping its much-needed theatrical release. This move from Mohanlal, however, invited criticism from The Kerala Film Association, who called this move a selfish act by the superstar. ## Despite Drishyam 2's OTT release, theater owners were still hopeful for a quick recovery with an exciting upcoming slate of films. However, when good days were all set to shine all over again, the devastating second wave of the covid-19 made things further worse. The films which were slated for release in April and May, stand postponed as cinemas halls were shut again. ## It really became a game of patience and was always up to the filmmakers to blink first. And they did, Fahadh Faasil and Prithviraj Sukumaran - two of the biggest stars of Malayalam cinema, decided to release their most waited film, Maalik and Cold Case directly on OTTs, ditching theatrical release. Both the movies were held for theatrical releases for a long time but the prevailing situation of covid-19 in the state forced the makers to make the tough call. ## However, for theaters and exhibitors in Kerala, the OTT releases of Maalik and Cold Case are a massive jolt to their chances of quick recovery post the second wave. They were hopeful that Maalik and Cold Case will bring the audiences back to theaters, which are expected to reopen in mid-July as corona cases are going down regularly. However, there is Mohanlal's big budget, Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, and Aaraattu, scheduled for release in theaters, but theaters need other big stars to step to help them out. ## Fahadh Faasil particularly could face the consequence for his continued interest in OTT platforms. Maalik is his fourth consecutive direct-to-digital release in 9 months, despite the stern warning from The Kerala Film Body, who had warned FaFa to refrain from releasing his movies directly on OTTs by overlooking theaters. It will be interesting to see if the Film Body takes action on him or he will be giving the benefit of doubt. Meanwhile, Faasil is playing the antagonist in Allu Arjun fronted Telugu movie, Pushpa, which will release in multiple languages including Malayalam. ## For the record, the Malayalam industry is the lowest-grossing industry as the total net collection Malayalam movies have generated so far in 2021, is approx Rs. 35 crores, which is far less as compared to Telugu and Tamil industries. The Telugu film industry is leading in 2021 with approx Rs. 450 crores India net collection. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 17, 2021: Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar will soon be making his digital debut with Amazon Prime Video's thriller series, titled "The End". The show was announced many moons back but due to the covid-19 pandemic, the production was delayed. But now, things are finally falling in place as makers are set to roll out the series soon. ## Producer Vikram Malhotra said on Wednesday (June 16) that the production of the Akshay Kumar starrer show will start either towards the end of the year or early 2022. The producer was speaking during a special event of Vidya Balan starrer "Sherni", backed by Malhotra's Abundantia Entertainment, that his team is currently working on several series with Prime Video, including "The End". ## Malhotra's banner had previously produced the thriller series "Breathe" and its second season. ## "Apart from Breathe, there are other series in development like 'Hush Hush', which is in the middle of the production. We had to pause it because of the pandemic. There's a show called 'The End', featuring Akshay Kumar. It is set to start later this year or early next year, depending on how the situation is", Malhotra told reporters.## "The End" is said to be a survival thriller set in the future. Whereas "Hush Hush" is a thriller drama, led by an all-female cast, including actors Juhi Chawla, Soha Ali Khan, Shahana Goswami, Kritika Kamra, Karishma Tanna, and Ayesha Jhulka.## Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar has several projects in the pipeline. He is the busiest actor in the industry at the moment. His Sooryavanshi and Bell Bottom are ready to release while Atrangi Re and Prithviraj are also completed the production. Akshay also has Bachchan Pandey, Ram Setu, and Raksha Bandhan currently under production. Apart from these confirmed films, the actor is also in the final stage with producers to sign at least six to seven films. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, June 17, 2021: After months of speculations, Disney Plus has greenlit an eight-episode prequel series of Disney's 2017 American musical romantic fantasy feature film, Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson as the titular beauty and Dan Stevens as the beast. ## Neither of Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the prequel series, however, according to reports, both can make guest appearances. Josh Gad and Luke Evans will reprise their roles from the feature film while the limited series will also star Briana Middleton, who will portray LeFou's (Gad) step-sister, Tilly. ## The story of the prequel is set years before the Beast and Belle's romance and follows Gaston (Evans) and LeFou as they set off with Tilly, after a surprising revelation from Tilly's past comes to light, sending the unlikely trio on a journey filled with romance, comedy, and adventure. ## While the mysteries of the past are uncovered and the dangers of the present grow, old friends and new enemies reveal that this familiar kingdom harbors many secrets, according to The Hollywood Reporter.## Josh Gad will write and executive produce the series alongside Once Upon a Time in Hollywood creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Tony-nominated director Liesl Tommy will also serve as an executive producer while EGOT-winner Alan Menken will compose the soundtrack. ## The production of this musical extravaganza series will begin to roll out in 2022. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 16, 2021: Sidharth Shukla made his digital debut with the recently released romantic series, Broken But Beatiful 3. The series is directed by Priyanka Ghose, who said that she deliberately didn't watch any of Sidharth's previous work before directing him in BBB3. ## "I had heard of Sidharth but not seen any of his work. The minute I knew I was doing this project, I googled him and thus became aware of his popularity. However, even though there were ample videos online for me to check out his work, I refrained", Priyanka tells IANS. ## She further revealed the reason and said that she didn't want to make a preconceived image of the actor, who had previously worked in tv shows like Balika Vadhu, Dil Se Dil Tak, among others, and also starred in Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt fronted, romantic comedy film, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. ## "I didn't want to be tainted with a preconceived image of Sidharth while we were drafting the story and building Agastya (the character Sidharth plays in the series). I was hoping he would come and pleasantly surprise me with his own interpretation of Agastya. My hope turned to trust the first time we met for his narration", Ghosh said.## "The best part is he was so grounded. He had zero airs of a star and we immediately hit off a comfort level where we understood each other's interpretation of the story and the character and were in fact on the same page regarding vision and the aesthetics", she added.## Broken And Beautiful 3 is created and developed by Ekta Kapoor. While the first two seasons had Vikrant Massey and Harleen Sethi in the lead roles, season 3 starred Sidharth Shukla and Sonia Rathee as Agastya and Rumi respectively. The show premiered on May 29 on ALTBalaji and MX Player. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 13, 2021: Versatile actor Manoj Bajpayee has returned to reprise his fan-favorite role as Shrikant Tiwari in Amazon Prime Video's "The Family Man 2". The actor is very well received by the audiences for his role in this espionage action thriller series. ## The series, however, faced the heat from the Tamil-speaking people who alleged that the show depicted Tamils in an "objectionable manner". Many people asked for a ban on the series, for which, the makers had to release a statement that people shouldn't reach a conclusion by seeing only the trailer and asked them to wait for the show to premiere. ## Meanwhile, Manoj Bajpayee feels the series has worked, and that proves people know that the story isn't about hurting sentiments. ## "We as a team - our directors, writers, are very sentimental to each and every person and state. We are sensitive to the culture. We would never do anything to offend anyone. Even in the first season, and in this season of 'The Family Man', we don't talk about politics. We put the characters there and we look at those characters in a humanized way. All those characters are heroes of their own story", Bajpayee told IANS. ## "Now, the show is there right in front of you. I know you are liking it because somewhere you feel that the show is not at all what you were apprehensive about. It is talking about you and your sentiment in a very respectful manner with all the love", he added. ## Earlier, Tamil Nadu Minister for Information Technology, Mano Thangaraj, had written a letter to the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javedkar, on May 24, calling for a ban of the web series. In his letter, Thangaraj said that "the series had depicted the Eelam Tamils in a highly objectionable manner and that if allowed to stream it would be prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony in the state".## The Family Man 2, created and directed by Raj & DK, also has Samantha Akkineni in her Hindi debut, as a Sri Lankan Tamil suicide bomber named Raji, along with Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, among others in familiar roles. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 13, 2021: SonyLIV's web series, "Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story", has been one of the most talked-about shows in India ever since it has released. The crime drama, directed by Hansal Mehta, captured the story of one of Harshad Mehta, the mastermind behind the biggest financial scams in the Indian stock market. ## Scam 1992 has not only emerged as a winner, but it has also made Gujarati actor Pratik Gandhi, who essayed the role of Harshad Mehta, an overnight star. Now, the show finds its place in IMDb's most popular shows of all time across the world. Among the IMDb's most rated 250 web series and television serials, Scam 1992 stands at 18th position. ## Among the Indians shows, the financial thriller is the top-rated with IMDb ratings of 9.5 out of 10. The recently released, TVF's "Aspirants" is the second-best Indian show with IMDb ratings of 9. It is ranked at number 52 among all-time best shows. The IMDb ratings are determined by users who rate the shows on a 10 point scale. ## The Pratik Gandhi fronted Scam 1992 joined by the likes of Band of Brothers, Chernobyl, Breaking Bad, and Ricky and Morty to name a few. Recently, Applause Entertainment and Hansal Mehta announced the second installment of the "Scam" franchise, titled Scam 2003: The Curious Case of Abdul Karim Telgi. ## Meanwhile, Pratik is delighted about the success of Scam 1992. "Well, it's a super-happy feeling. It strengthens our faith in our craft, and instinct as a whole team. I am really happy that Scam is the sole Indian show to represent the Indian entertainment industry in such an esteemed list of shows", he told SpotBoye.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 10, 2021: Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn is gearing up for his digital debut. The actor announced his much-awaited OTT debut with the Disney Plus Hotstar series, Rudra: The Edge Of Darkness, in April. The crime drama thriller is said to the official Hindi adaptation of the British TV series, Luther which starred Idris Elba in the lead roles. ## Now, we have learnt that South Indian actress, Raashii Khanna has been roped in to play a key role. While Ajay Devgn will be stepping in the shoes of Edris Elba as a detective investigating serious crimes while simultaneously facing his own demons, Raashii will reprise the role of Ruth Wilson, who is a psychopath and murderer. Interestingly, Rudra marks Khanna's second back-to-back Hindi show after Raj-DK's in-the-production Amazon Prime series that stars Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead. ## According to Peepingmoon, Ferrari Ki Sawaari and Ventilator director Rajesh Mapuskar comes on board to helm the series, which will reportadly go on floors on July 21 in Mumbai. The gripping and dark cop drama will be shot over the next two months in numerous renowned sites around Mumbai. Sameer Nair of Applause Entertainment has produced the series in association with BBC Studios India. ## Reportadly, Rudra — The Edge of Darkness has been planned for multiple seasons with the first being made for 8-10 episodes. It is said to be Disney Plus Hotstar's biggest Indian show ever which follows the cases of a troubled yet intelligent officer who is trapped between an unrelenting approach to investigating many murders and his attempts to restore his marriage, with a bold and genre-defining story and fascinating characters. ## Ajay will start Rudra after completing his parts in MayDay (also directing), and Indra Kumar's comedy, Thank God which also stars Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh. After wrapping up Rudra, he will movie to sports drama, Maidaan, to finish the final portion. His Bhuj: The Pride of India is completed and will debut on Disney+Hotstar in August. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 9, 2021: British actor, Tom Hiddleston who played the character of Thor's brother Loki in Marvel Studios' movies, now has his own Disney Plus series, titled Loki. The series starts streaming on June 9 on Disney Plus. It is also streaming in Hindi on Disney Plus Hotstar VIP. ## In a new promotional video for the Indian audience shared by Disney Plus Hotstar Premium, Hiddleston is seen playing a game of Word Association and talks about all the Indian things that he loves.## In the game, Tom Hiddleston has to share the first thing that comes to his mind when he is given a certain word. On being asked about 'India', the actor says, "Shah Rukh Khan". He then asked about Bollywood and he says, "Am I allowed to say Shah Rukh Khan again? Shah Rukh Khan again". ## Tom Hiddleston's love for Shah Rukh Khan is nothing new. In 2012, Tom had said in an interview with Hindustan Times that he would want to star in a Bollywood movie and had mentioned that he loved SRK's "My Name Is Khan". ## Well, Tom is not only fond of Shah Rukh Khan but also has a connection with India's metro city Chennai. When he asked about an Indian city he loves, Tom says, "Chennai. My Akka (elder sister) lives there. She used to live there. And I have been there a few times. Chennai is great!". ## Tom Hiddleston’s cheekbones and wit cut sharper than glass and we are here for it! 👀😍 Watch #Loki streaming June 9 pic.twitter.com/FodbnUS61j— Disney+HotstarPremium (@DisneyplusHSP) June 8, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Hyderabad, June 8, 2021: Last year, many films across languages went for direct-to-digital release due to the covid-19 pandemic. However, the Telugu film industry did refrain from adopting this medium so early and it got a reward for showing courage by going for theatrical release. ## Ravi Teja starrer Krack, which was released on January 9, was the first Indian blockbuster movie during the covid-19 pandemic era. The movie released amid a lot of uncertainty and grossed over Rs. 60 crore worldwide and paved the way for others to follow. Now, actor Ravi Teja is gearing up for the release of his next, Khiladi. ## Khiladi was supposed to release on May 28, however, the second wave of the covid-19 hit makers' plan out of the park and forced them to postpone the release date. Though there are rumors that Khiladi will skip theatrical release and opt for an OTT release, director Ramesh Verma says that is not going to happen and they will wait for the theaters to open. He even went on to say that, unlike last year, there is no excitement for direct to OTT release this year. ## "Khiladi is a 100 percent theater film. Many films released online last year. There is no such excitement this year. The audience tends to watch films in parts on streaming platforms and the entire family does not get to sit together and watch a film peacefully. But there is no such problem with a theater release. We want to give such an experience with Khiladi", the director said according to binged.com. ## Khiladi is an action crime thriller film written and directed by Ramesh Varma and jointly produced by Satyanarayana Koneru and Varma under the banner of A Studios LLP. Apart from Ravi Teja, the movie also stars Arjun Sarja, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Dimple Hayathi, and Unni Mukundan in prominant roles. Devi Sri Prasad has composed the rocking music of the film. ## Stay tuned...