“This is not about defecation,” says the hero of Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, which translates as Toilet: A Love Story. “It is about our whole way of thinking!” What makes this startling line all the more surprising is that it is delivered by Akshay Kumar, an actor straight out of the Bollywood A-list.
The film, as the second half of its title suggests, has no shortage of such Bollywood staples as romance and love songs. But the main subject matter is one that no Hindi film has ever tackled before: open defecation.
This is a singularly Indian problem. Various studies estimate that 60 per cent of India’s billion-plus population don’t have access to a bathroom.
For women, this isn’t just a question of sanitation. It is also about safety, privacy and independence.
Akshay Kumar plays Keshav, a villager who marries an educated, spirited woman called Jaya. She simply refuses to join the other village women in their daily crack-of-dawn outing to the fields. Although she loves Keshav, she won’t live with him unless he addresses the toilet issue. This inspires Keshav to defy both his superstitious father and the village elders.
“If you want your wife to be with you,” he says, in another memorable line, “there has to be a toilet in the house.”
This is not the stuff that Bollywood romances are traditionally made of. Although there is more variety nowadays, a formulaic Hindi film tends to be built on the pillars of stars, songs, heartache, family values and love conquering all. “The masses prefer fantasy and larger-than-life images,” says Shree Narayan Singh, director of Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.
“For me, the most difficult aspect was how to convey the message of stopping open defecation in an entertaining way.”
The answer was humour, songs, melodrama — and plenty of preaching. Indeed, the film has been criticised for being heavy-handed government propaganda. The ‘Clean India Mission’ is a campaign personally championed by prime minister Narendra Modi. But viewers were clearly willing to overlook the film’s barely disguised political leanings: the film is a success, raking in the equivalent of ₤10 million (Dh47.51 million) in its first six days of release.
In 2018, Akshay Kumar will be starring in Padman – a fictionalised retelling of the story of Arunachalam Muruganatham (the social activist who revolutionised menstrual hygiene in rural India by creating a low-cost sanitary towel machine).
And Akshay Kumar isn’t the only one making unusual choices for Bollywood films. Take actor and director Aamir Khan, who has consistently tried to slip socially aware messages into the mainstream. His last film, Dangal (Wrestling Competition), was based on the true story of a wrestler who trains his daughters to be world-class champions. An eloquent plea for women’s empowerment, the film broke box office records not just in India but also in China, where it became the most successful Indian film ever released. In the UAE, Dangal did over 326K admissions in its first week of release. In total, the movie screened for 5 weeks with total admissions amounting to over 589K.
Ayushmann Khurrana appears in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (released August 31), playing a character suffering from erectile dysfunction — a topic rarely explored in Hindi cinema.
This seems an especially risky choice, given Bollywood’s long-standing tradition of heroic, virile leading men. But Ayushmann Khurrana seems undeterred. “In this day and age,” he says, “the subject of a film has to be novel. The hero has to be relatable.”
He cites Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar as an inspiration, praising them not just for defying the constraints generally placed on a hero, but for showing that such an approach can be commercially successful.
Aanand L Rai, one of the producers of Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, says he feels it is his duty to bring such issues to the fore. “I come from a typical middle-class family,” he says. “My audience and I are both middle class. We’ve always seen the middle class as conservative but that has changed.”
Rai believes that audiences have now overcome the fear that western influences, especially their more open attitude towards sex, will dilute Indian culture and morality. “We have our own identity,” he says. “We aren’t afraid.”
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is not the first time Khurrana has embraced such delicate subject matter. In 2012, he made his acting debut with another film-maker who seeks out socially relevant subjects. Shoojit Sircar cast him as a sperm donor in the sleeper hit Vicky Donor. Four years later, Sircar went on to co-write and produce Pink, a commercial and critical success about female consent.
Pink tells the story of three women on a night-out that turns ugly when their male companions become sexually aggressive. One girl defends herself by attacking the man with a bottle. She nearly blinds him and finds herself in court facing assault charges. The second half of Pink is almost entirely set in a courtroom and features the iconic actor Amitabh Bachchan as a lawyer who defends the girls and teaches their assailants, and the audience, that no means no.
“What is the moral of the story? For me, the most important thing is the moral.” Sircar says he broke “all the mainstream rules in Pink” simply because doing so was no longer an issue. “Now it’s just about the gut of the film-maker.”
But Sircar insists that his generation isn’t the first to take on social causes. “The best of Indian cinema,” he says, “was done by the masters. They tackled casteism, gender equality and poverty in the 50s, 60s and up till the 70s. I’m just at the fag-end trying to put together something.”
One of Hindi cinema’s earliest blockbusters was Achhut Kannya (The Untouchable Woman), a story of forbidden love from 1936 about a Brahmin boy and a dalit girl. One year later, V. Shantaram made the groundbreaking Duniya Na Mane (The Unexpected) about a young girl called Nirmala who is forced to marry an elderly widower who has children her age. She refuses to consummate the marriage, saying that, while one can endure suffering, injustice must be fought. Eventually Nirmala makes her husband understand his heinous mistake. He kills himself, exhorting her to marry a younger man.
Then, in the 1950s, directors explored the daunting issues facing a newly independent nation, Mehboob Khan’s Mother India being one landmark.
“These films were driven by a broad vision of society,” says Gyan Prakash, a historian of modern India at Princeton University in the United States. “They showcased economic and moral corruption, middle-class hypocrisy, unemployment, the gap between the rich and the poor. These critiques were organically generated and carried forward by music and cinematography. None of them seem like public service ad films like many do today.”
Indeed, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha might be great sloganeering but it’s hardly great cinema. The film’s blatant pushing of the government line also underlines an uncomfortable truth. Today’s actors and directors might be keen to test the boundaries of Hindi cinema but one topic remains resolutely off-limits: politics — especially any critique of government policies.
“The reference to any living or dead political figures,” says Prakash, “is bound to meet the censor’s scissors.” Sircar agrees. “We will only have a true democracy,” he says, “when I can stand and criticise.”
Source: Gulf News (Tabloid) and MVM Analysis
Grouchy, greedy and constipated: nobody could accuse Stephen Frears of kowtowing with his portrayal of Queen Victoria in his new film Victoria & Abdul, which premiered in Venice last week.
The director, who won a string of awards for The Queen, his 2006 depiction of Queen Elizabeth II in turmoil at the time of Princess Diana’s death, returns to royal questions in a tale of the current British monarch’s great, great grandmother’s friendship with a young Indian Muslim, Abdul Karim, in the final years of her long reign.
Set at a time when the British Empire was at its peak and India was its ‘Jewel in the Crown’, Frears’ script lampoons the pomposity, arrogance and ignorance of the Imperial age.
But, he says, the convention-defying, cross-cultural relationship at its heart has resonance today, when Britain and India’s relationship has been transformed but racism and Islamophobia lingers.
Abdul, played by Ali Fazal, is an Indian Muslim prison clerk picked out, on the strength of his height and Victoria’s liking for tall men, to be sent to London in 1887 to present the queen with a gold Mughal coin as part of celebrations to mark her golden jubilee.
It is supposed to be a fleeting visit on which, he is repeatedly told, he must above all avoid looking directly at Victoria, played by Judi Dench 20 years after her first turn as Victoria in Mrs Brown.
It is an instruction Abdul flouts, and having caught the sovereign’s eye he is soon ensconced in the royal household, to the fury of her son Bertie, the future Edward VII, and a toadying clutch of buttoned-up courtiers and ladies-in-waiting who surround and stifle the monarch.
Actors Ali Fazal, Judi Dench, director Stephen Frears and actor Eddie Izzard pose during a photocall for the movie ‘Victoria and Abdul” at the 74th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy September 3, 2017. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
Quran and Poetry
Indian actor Ali Fazal said he had delved into history books to get a grasp of Abdul’s unique experience.
“That time was so different and so essential to this fantastical little world that these two created at the middle of this massive British Empire,” he said.
“The important thing was that we more or less humanised that era where there was protocol, there was racism and everything that we are still dealing with now.”
The Victoria-Abdul first encounters is frail and unhappy, a morbidly obese compulsive eater who is incapable of getting through her wolfed-down meals without smearing food across her face.
“I’m so lonely, everyone I’ve really loved has died and I just go on and on,” she tells her new confidant, 30 years after the death of her husband, Albert, and four years after her later-life companion, Scottish gamekeeper John Brown, passed away.
Soon though she has recovered a glint in her eye as Abdul’s presence gives her a new lease of life.
Judi Dench said the offer to play Victoria again had been an “irresistible proposition”.
“It is very, very complex her attitude to Abdul: not just a feeling of love, but the delight of being relaxed with someone without anyone around or any standing on ceremony.”
Victoria and Abdul’s bond strengthens as he teaches her Urdu and introduces her to the Quran and Indian poetry.
Historical Detective
By this time the scandalised royal household is in open revolt, with the irascible Bertie (Eddie Izzard), playing chief mutineer, even threatening to have his mother certified insane.
Victoria stands her ground but with his protector ailing, it is clear Abdul’s return to India is only a matter of time.
Abdul’s story, and the remarkable fact that Victoria, who initially knew so little of India she had to ask him to describe a mango, learnt sufficient Urdu to write letters in it, went untold for over a century, largely because of the efforts Bertie went to destroy all evidence of it.
Traces survived however and some historical detective work by journalist Shrabani Basu brought the story back to life.
Her book, Victoria and Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant, was written after she discovered 13 of Victoria’s journals that, because they had been written in the Urdu Abdul had taught her, had been overlooked by British historians.
She then tracked down, via a nephew of Karim’s in Karachi, a diary that he had kept as well as some surviving correspondence between the two that had lain forgotten in the vaults of the Royal Archives.
The letters confirmed the degree of intimacy between the young man and the dying monarch.
Invariably sprinkled liberally with kisses, Victoria describes her protégé in one as a ‘true friend’.
Movie Stats. and Critic Reviews
IMDB: Popularity 233 (up 159%)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% want to watch this movie
“A satisfyingly sweet confection which will find, and please, its audience.” – Julian Wood, FILMINK (Australia)
“Stephen Frears knows how to keep the culture-clash comedy bright and sprightly, and Lee Hall has written a script which can be charming fun while having a few digs at racism and snobbery along the way.” – Nicholas Barber, BBC.com
“The royal performance by Judi Dench as Queen Victoria is the crowning glory of the film.” – Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
Watch the trailer below:
Victoria and Abdul releases across cinemas in the UAE on Thursday, September 14.
Sources: Gulf News (Tabloid), Malaymail Online, IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes
The 14th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival will run from December 6 to 13
Film fans and industry professionals can now register for the 14th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), which will run from December 6 to 13.
Festival attendees can get early bird offers until October 1 and receive priority tickets for DIFF’s line-up of local, regional and international premieres, along with attending its red carpet galas, press conferences, forums, masterclasses, VR experiences and panel sessions at the Madinat Jumeirah.
Shining a spotlight on the future of the industry, students and industry professionals from the film, broadcast and advertising industries are also being encouraged to register to be connected with DIFF’s roster of international filmmakers, producers, scriptwriters and other high profile individuals.
The Dubai Film Market (DFM) also returns this year – which gathers over 4,000 delegates from more than 60 countries to connect projects and create partnerships.
Shivani Pandya, DIFF Managing Director said in a statement to Gulf News: “Every year we strive to ensure the festival provides an unforgettable experience – introducing audiences to the broadest range of compelling, challenging and entertaining films from a generation of new exciting talent and acclaimed filmmakers from around the world.”
Visit the DIFF website for registration and more information
Source: Gulf News (Tabloid)
Charlize Theron recently starred as a roughhousing MI6 agent in ‘Atomic Blonde’, whilst Jennifer Lawrence is set to play a ballet dancer turned spy in ‘Red Sparrow’.
Violent women are all the rage this season — so long as they are highly trained and impeccably dressed. Charlize Theron is a ruthless MI6 agent in Atomic Blonde, Jennifer Lawrence a seductive Russian in Red Sparrow and Taraji P. Henson a slick hit-woman for the mob in Proud Mary.
Atomic Blonde – which released in the UAE on July 27, is based on the graphic novel (The Coldest City) and is directed by David Leitch, a stunt man and co-director of Keanu Reeves vehicle John Wick, which gives us a fair idea of his priorities. Theron is Lorraine Broughton, a British spy who is sent to Berlin to retrieve a valuable list of agents.
Yes, Atomic Blonde is darkly funny in places, and the well-choreographed action is brilliantly performed by Theron, who did most of her own stunts. It’s also stylish, in a garish 80s way: think neon-lit hotels rooms, off-the-shoulder jumper dresses and thigh-high boots to a soundtrack including New Order covers and — of course — Nena’s 99 Red Balloons.
But we know as much about our heroine as her opponents do: that she is beautiful, lethal, clever and has a raft of secrets. As with any genre, the best female killer thrillers give you a reason to care. We had a run of these in the 90s: Luc Besson’s Nikita and its remakes concerned a young convict who was given a choice between death or life as an assassin, and trained up for dangerous jobs (training being an altogether more satisfying type of makeover than your usual montage).
The Long Kiss Goodnight saw Geena Davis playing an amnesic mother suddenly recalling her past as a hit-woman while trying to protect her daughter from her enemies. This was a woman juggling two identities, struggling to come to terms with a revelation that was both thrilling and emotionally engaging.
Thematically, this was a precursor to the Bourne films, even if the Bourne novels came first. The Long Kiss Goodnight also managed to work a decent conspiracy story into its plot, while the cold war hokum in Atomic Blonde just seems to get in the way.
Given the nasty nature of killing for a living, it helps to give a character a strong motivation, whether it is coercion, revenge or threat. Angelina Jolie had a tragic past in 2010 thriller Salt, while Jennifer Lawrence’s Red Sparrow (releasing March 2018) isn’t given much choice by handler Charlotte Rampling, who states: “If you cannot be of service to the state, I am to put a bullet through your head.”
Red Sparrow teaser footage and Jason Matthews’ source novel suggest more character detail: Lawrence is a ballet dancer who breaks her leg before being recruited. She is trained “to determine a target’s weakness and exploit that weakness through seduction”, then meets a CIA agent (Joel Edgerton) who will test her allegiances. I usually find Lawrence rather cold, but this may work for the role, and she’s teamed with Francis Lawrence, who directed her in three Hunger Games movies.
Proud Mary (releasing January 2018) comes from Babak Najafi, the director of London Has Fallen, which rings a loud warning bell, although the trailer is fun and the premise promises the cosy notion that Mary’s “life is completely turned around when she meets a young boy”. It stars Henson, and of course black gun-toting heroines are even rarer than their white counterparts in mainstream movies – hence, the use of Foxy Brown-style typeface for the film’s title, reaching back all the way to the rash of female-fronted blaxploitation movies in the 70s.
In a Hollywood dogged by its fair share of blank action heroes, a blank action heroine is certainly a statistical improvement.
All eyes on Red Sparrow and Proud Mary to raise the game — although, looking further ahead, the smart money is on The Rhythm Section (release date TBC), a Blake Lively espionage thriller that’s currently in pre-production with the Bond producers, Eon. Why this one? It’s directed by The Handmaid’s Tale Reed Morano, who just happens to be … a woman. Imagine that!
Don’t miss out on these upcoming movies! Stay tuned for more updates.
The teaser trailer for Tamil-Telugu spy-thriller Spyder was released on the occasion of Mahesh Badu’s 41st birthday.
The action-packed teaser was released in both Tamil and Telugu, and going by the visuals, the film assures an epic clash between Mahesh Badu (who plays an Intelligence Bureau officer) and S.J. Suryah (rumoured to be donning the role of a bio-terrorist).
Interestingly, Mahesh has dubbed his own voice for the Tamil version of the teaser trailer.
Produced A.R. Murugadoss, Spyder is tentatively slated for release on September 28 across cinemas in the UAE.
The movie also stars R.J Balaji, Priyadarshi Pullikonda and Rakul Preet Singh.
Watch the trailer below:
Source: Gulf News (Tabloid)
The buddy-action movie genre has become a tried and true Hollywood premise. Whether it’s Lethal Weapon or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the formula has worked for decades. That said, there’s always room for tweaks as far as any movie is concerned. On that note, Conner Schwerdtfeger recently sat down with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson to ask them how The Hitman’s Bodyguard sets itself apart from a typical buddy-action flick, and Reynolds opened up the conversation by explaining that it’s a smart deconstruction of the genre, saying:
We live in an era in which self-awareness has become a hot commodity. It doesn’t matter what genre you’re dealing with; the ability to look at conventions and ideas of a traditional action movie (such as nail guns being effective weapons) and subvert them often proves helpful. Jordan Peele’s Get Out did it for the horror genre, and even Ryan Reynolds’ own work on Deadpool did it for superhero movies last year. The trick is simply knowing which clichés to lean into and which ones to deviate from when the rubber hits the road.
However, Samuel L. Jackson seemed to have a more focused reason on his mind. Building off of what Reynolds said, Jackson highlighted the fact that The Hitman’s Bodyguard leans far more heavily on romance than a standard buddy movie, saying:
He has a point. Although romance is something that pops up in buddy movies from time to time, the central relationship of any given buddy story tends to be the one shared between the two (often male) protagonists. By contrast, The Hitman’s Bodyguard plays with that trope by expanding the lives of its two heroes and focusing on the strained relationships and estranged lovers in their respective worlds. In the grand scheme of buddy movies, that is not something that we see very often (if ever).
Click here to check out a clip from Conner Schwerdtfeger’s interview with Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson and hear everything they had to say about their work on The Hitman’s Bodyguard, as well as the buddy-action genre as a whole.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard – presently screening across cinemas in the UAE.
Source: CinemaBlend
Emirati director Abdulla Al Kaabi’s Iran-set drama Only Men Go to the Grave (Al-Rijal Faqat End Al-Dafn) released to the public at DIFF365@VOX on August 10 and will screen until August 23.
Movie Synopsis: After the Iraq-Iran war ended in 1988, a blind mother welcomes her estranged daughters to tell them a secret. Unfortunately, she accidentally dies while sharing it. During the funeral, the daughters try to deal with their mother’s sudden death and also work together to unveil her secret by looking for clues from visitors, but they end up uncovering more than they bargained for.
Genre: Drama
Producer: Mahoutforoush Farshad
Scriptwriter: Abdulla Al Kaabi
DOP: Peyman Shadmanfar
Editor: Meysam Mollai
Composer: Peyman Yazdanian
Cast: Saleema Yaqoub, Hebe Sabah, Abdelreza Nasari
Contains: Adult references
The film won Abdulla Al Kaabi the best Director of a Muhr Emirati Feature at the Dubai International Film Festival last year, and the film was his debut feature.
Tickets are available online at the box office. DIFF365@VOX is located at VOX Cinemas – Mall of the Emirates – Screen 9. Visit DIFF and Only Men Go to the Grave for more information on the film.
Sources: Gulf news (Tabloid) and DIFF
From Aquaman to Venom, the Marvel and DC Comic cinematic universe is expanding!
There’s no stopping film adaptations of comic books, which have proven their worth at the box office worldwide.
According to industry aggregator, Box Office Mojo, Marvel raked in a combined $2.6 billion (Dh9.5 billion) in earnings worldwide, riding on the back of two films alone — The Avengers (2012) and Captain America: Civil War (2016). Not to be left behind, DC Comics flexed its might with The Dark Knight, which topped the box office record for the highest grossing film of 2008, earning more than $1 billion.
Last year, 4 out of the 10 biggest money-spinners in Hollywood were film adaptations of comic book characters. If the fanfare at last month’s San Diego Comic Con was anything to go by, productions houses are pulling out all the stops to keep this bullish run going. The convention saw major announcements made by the comic books giants, and with a new roster of films announced that are centered on comic book characters, it’s safe to say that the DEMAND is far from over.
Here’s a list of Marvel and DC movies to watch out for over the next few years:
MARVEL
Black Panther
Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o
Release Date: February 8, 2018
About: After a brief appearance in Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther returns to his fictional home country of Wakanda to serve as their new leader and finds out about political propaganda going on within. Unafraid of his enemies, he teams up with CIA and the country’s Special Forces to battle them.
What we know do far: Filming for Black Panther was completed in April 2017 and is going through post-production. At the San Diego Comic Con, an exclusive footage was presented to a standing ovation.
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Riz Ahmed
Release Date: October 4, 2018
About: The standalone film will present Eddie Brock, a rival of Peter Parker, working hard to get a photographer’s job at the Daily Bugle. In an incident with an extra-terrestrial symbiote that attaches on his body, Brock attains superpowers that become a threat to the world.
What we know do far: Sony is aiming to make this film R-rated. Production of the film may start from this autumn and Venom will not have any connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, nor will Spider-Man play a role in the film.
Captain Marvel
Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson
Release Date: March 7, 2019
About: Carol Danvers, a United States Air Force pilot, is victim to a bomb blast caused by an alien race. She gets fused with one of its aliens, which gives her superpowers — she can fly, absorb and protect energy. She uses these superpowers to battle the antagonists Skrulls, with the help of Nick Fury.
What we know do far: Artwork concepts of Captain Marvel and Skrulls were revealed at the San Diego Comic Con. Since the film’s timeline is set in the ‘90s, Nick Fury will appear without an eye patch.
DC COMICS
Aquaman
Director: James Wan
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman
Release Date: December 20, 2018
About: Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and to be a hero to the world.
What we know do far: Its ‘first look’ footage was presented at the San Diego Comic Con showing two fishermen sinking into Atlantis, facing its armies and warrior sharks. Also, actress Nicole Kidman makes a comeback to superhero films after last appearing in Batman Forever 22 years ago. She wanted to be part of the film because it was shot in Australia, where she is from.
Flashpoint (The Flash)
Writer: Seth Grahame-Smith
Cast: Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons
Release Date: TBC
About: In the midst of a stormy night, Barry Allen, or The Flash, is soaked by a mix of chemicals struck by lightning due to which he gains the ability of run fast. With new abilities, he becomes obsessed with fighting crime.
What we know do far: The likes of Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds and Chris Pine were considered for playing The Flash until Ezra Miller was selected. Fans supported his casting by using the hashtag #supportezramiller. Besides, at the San Diego Comic Con, it was revealed that the film will be an adaptation of the Flashpoint comics in 2011.
Cyborg
Writer: George Pérez, Marv Wolfman
Cast: Ray Fisher
Release Date: April 2, 2020
About: Replaced by highly advanced mechanical parts in his body at a young age, one half of Cyborg’s body is human while the other half is robotic. His biggest strength is a high IQ, while his robotic abilities giving him superhero strength, stamina and speed. Yet, his weaknesses are his inability to resist the technology inside him and to stay human.
What we know do far: Set to appear in Justice League this November, Cyborg’s role will mostly be CGI and his origins will be the heart of the story in the film.
DID YOU KNOW?
In addition to the excitement around Justice League, the DC Extended Universe will release more films as part of their line-up till 2020, which will include the likes of Batgirl, Shazam and Green Lantern Corps. However, details about these projects are yet to be revealed. Whereas, Marvel has major upcoming releases with Thor: Ragnarok releasing this October and Avengers: Infinity War releasing next year.
Based on the Top 10 Movies in the UAE between 2012 and 2016, the Top 2 movie genres are Action and Adventure – proving UAE cinema audiences ‘gorge’ ACTION. Additionally, both Marvel and DC movies (on average) attract over 300K moviegoers in the UAE.
With a list of action packed Marvel and DC movies slated for release over the years ahead, don’t miss out on advertising your brand alongside these movies. Take note of the release dates and contact a member of our sales team for more information on cinema advertising opportunities.
Sources: Gulf News (Tabloid), IMDb
The fifth edition of the Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival (SICFF) will be held from October 8 to 13.
SICFF takes place every October and it was launched in 2013. It is the first children’s film festival in the country and the region. The festival is dedicated to enhance the media literacy of children and young people, foster children’s creativity and showcase the very best in filmmaking for, by and about children and young people. The festival plays an essential role in bringing international films and new media content for youth and children in the region. It exposes them to world cultures and promote peace, tolerance and global understanding of how people from different cultures, religions and backgrounds live together in this world.
Organised by Funn – Sharjah Media Arts for Youth and Children, an arts organization, the festival will showcase films, conduct movie workshops and host media arts activities.
“The festival plays an essential role in bringing international films and new media content to children and young people in the region and this year’s edition has a host of activities formulated to open up the wonderful world of movie-making to such creative young minds,” said Shaikha Jawaher Bint Abdullah Al Qasimi, Director of Funn and SICFF.
“SICFF is more than just a celebration of the moving image; it was established to encourage children to work together, to share ideas and to undergo new experiences. It aspires to connect young people with world cultures and to enhance peace and tolerance, by showing through the medium of film how people from different regions, races and religions can live happily side by side,” added Shaikha Jawaher.
Funn aims to nurture future generations of creative artists in media and film and promote new works made by the United Arab Emirates’ young filmmakers at international film festivals and conferences worldwide.
Sources: Gulf News and SICFF
Ajay Devgn’s Baadshaho is set in the period of Emergency. It is the story of six ‘rebels’ who took that opportunity to bring a change in their destiny.
Actor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn says he always keeps his fans in mind when making films. “I think they are the ones who make you a star. They really love you and they know what they want from you, so their opinions should be considered,” he said.
Devgan was speaking at a media interaction for the film Baadshaho where the rest of the film’s cast and crew — including Emraan Hashmi, Ileana D’Cruz, Esha Gupta, Vidyut Jammwal and director Milan Luthria — were also present.
Baadshaho is set against the backdrop of the 1975 Emergency period in India.
Within two months, another film Golmaal 4 will also release, but Devgan doesn’t think it will affect their film.
“Both the films are of different genres so the audience will get a chance to watch two different films. I am not worried about that,” he said.
Producer Bhushan Kumar said the audience is looking for films that are entertaining and Baadshaho is one such project. “We have to make films as per the reliability factor of the audience. There have been commercial films that have come out [this year], but were too imaginative and they have not worked,” Kumar said.
“Baadshaho is not an imaginative film, it’s real and made in an entertaining way,” he added. “In Baadshaho, we have taken a relatable topic and we are hopeful people will connect with it. We are showing what happened during the Emergency period. Milan Luthria has given great visual to the film,” Kumar said.
According to Kumar, the selling point of Baadshaho is its genre — a period action film.
“Recently so many films have come — both big and small — and nothing really has worked and there is always a change that is needed. The audience is open to all kinds of films but the content has to be equally good,” he said.
The teaser trailer opens with some glimpses of the Emergency, when the announcement was made. Later, all the characters – Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Ileana D’Cruz, Esha Gupta, Vidyut Jammwal and Sanjay Mishra are introduced.
Baadshaho has been extensively shot in Rajasthan and has some high-octane stunts with a bit of romance between Emraan and Sunny Leone (yes, Sunny Leone comes as a surprise) and Ajay and Ileana.
Here’s the official teaser of Baadshaho:
Baadshaho will be Ajay Devgn’s first release of the year. He last starred in the 2016 film Shivaay. Meanwhile, this is the actor’s third film with Emraan. They have earlier co-starred in Once Upon A Time In Mumbai (directed by Milan Luthria) and Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji.
Baadshaho releases in cinemas across the UAE on August 31.
Is your target audience an Asian audience? If so, contact a member of our sales team for more information on cinema advertising opportunities alongside Baadshaho.
Sources: Gulf News, NDTV and ZOOMtv
