BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 24, 2021: The suspense about who will host the digital version of the controversial reality show, Bigg Boss is over as the filmmaker Karan Johar has been roped in to host the show. There were rumours floating on social media that either Sidharth Shukla, Farah Khan, or Rohit Shetty will host the mini version of the show, which all turns out to be false.## "My mom and I are huge 'Bigg Boss' fans and wouldn't miss it for a day. As a viewer, it keeps me hugely entertained with dollops of drama. For decades now, I have always enjoyed hosting shows and now with 'Bigg Boss OTT'... it will surely be over-the-top", says Karan.## Karan will anchor the show for the six weeks run of "Bigg Boss OTT", which premieres on August 8 on Voot. After the completion of the digital version, the show will move seamlessly into Colors with the launch of Season 15 of "Bigg Boss", which will be hosted by Salman Khan. ## "Bigg Boss OTT will undeniably have a lot more sensational and dramatic (content). I hope I can live up to the audience's and my friends' expectations, make Weekend Ka Vaar with the contestants an enjoyable affair in my own style, and up the ante on the entertainment quotient. Wait for it!", Karan added. ## #BiggBossOTT hoga itna over the top that only someone ekdum over the top could have matched the vibe. 🔥🔥The one and only @karanjohar, joins #BBOTT as the host. Ab toh itna crazy, itna over the top hoga ki aap soch bhi nahi sakte. 🤫 #BBOtt #BBOttOnVoot #Voot @vootselect pic.twitter.com/8M1NqsYS2S— Voot (@justvoot) July 24, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Los Angeles, July 22, 2021: After the huge success of the Zombie movie "Army Of The Dead", which is among the most viewed Netflix movies of all time, the streaming giant has signed a first-look deal with filmmaker Zack Snyder for two years. The deal is under the aegis of Zack Snyder's production company, Stone Quarry, which he runs with wife Deborah Snyder, and executive Wesley Coller. ## As per the deal, Snyder will make and create content for Netflix including the sequel to Army Of The Dead, which gained 75 million views in the first four weeks of its debut. The first film that falls under the new deal is a sci-fi adventure tale "Rebel Moon". It is a Star Wars-inspired movie that will be co-written by Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad. The production on "Revel Moon" is expected to begin in early 2022. ## The sequel to Army Of The Dead will be co-written by Snyder with Shay Hatten, who had also co-written the first movie with him. Among the other content from Snyders for Netflix, a German-made prequel to the Zombie movie, titled Army of Thieves, and an anime spinoff, were already in production ever before the movie was released in May. The prequel is on track for a release later this year while the anime is set to debut in spring 2022.## But that's not all. The other projects that are planned under the Netflix – Stone Quarry partnership are an animated series, "Twilight of the Gods"; and an action film that will mark the directorial debut of stunt coordinator, Damon Caro, a long-time collaborator of Snyders.## Previously, Snyders' Stone Quarry company had a deal with Warner Bros., for whom Snyder guided, either as director or producer, most of the DC superhero flicks in the modern age of comic book movies (except the Christopher Nolan Batman movies). Snyder's last offering for Warner Bros. was the director's restored version of the much-maligned 2017 Justice League, "Zack Snyder’s Justice League", which debuted on HBO Max in March 2021. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 20, 2021: The duo of Sidharth Shukla and Shehnaaz Gill aka Sidnaaz is undoubtedly the most loved duo coming out from the controversial reality show Bigg Boss. Their love-hate relation during Bigg Boss 13 was the highlight of the show and it actually made them the fans' favorite. ## After their Bigg Boss 13 stint, Sidharth and Shehnaaz even featured in the two music videos - Bhula Dunga and Shona Shona. Their on-screen chemistry was something that was adored by their fans Cashing in Sidnaaz's unpreceded fan-following to their advantage, Voot is bringing something special for their fans free of cost on its streaming platform. ## The video titled, Silsila SidNaaz Ka, which is termed by Voot a film, reportadly will trace Sidharth and Shehnaaz's journey in the Bigg Boss 13 house. Set against the backdrop of friendship, love, and romance, the movie will have unseen footage from the reality show, showcasing the good and bad times of Sidharth and Shehnaz as a couple.## Describing it as a modern-day fairy tale, Voot has used pictures of Sidharth and Shehnaaz in the attires they wore while entering the Bigg Boss 13 house for the motion poster. The music has been composed by RcR Rapstar. Silsila SidNaaz Ka will premiere on Voot on 22nd July 2021. ## SIDNAAZ KI MOVIE ?! 😱NO! WHAT? Kya aap ho ready to welcome the most loved jodi on #Voot, again? Haan sahi suna, aa rahe hai #SidNaaz leke apna silsila pyaar aur dosti ka ❤️Drop a 🥳 if you're excited!Music by @rcr_rapstar #SilsilaSidNaazKa #SidharthShukla #ShehnaazGill pic.twitter.com/MSFTvvErX3— Voot (@justvoot) July 20, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 16, 2021: Netflix is reviving its ambitious show, Baahubali: Before The Beginning after scrapping it despite the 70% of the shoot completed. The show was earlier being directed by South Indian filmmakers Deva Katta and Praveen Sattaru and shot with Mrunal Thakur as young Sivagami. However, things didn't turn out the way it was visualized. It led Netflix to scrap the entire shoot and later it decided that it will be reshot with a fresh cast and director. ## Based on Anand Neelakantan's novel The Rise of Sivagami, the streamer has roped in Punjabi actress Wamiqa Gabbi to play the role of Sivagami. The show is currently under the pre-production stage and Wamiqa will start shooting by September or October this year. ## And now, as per the latest development, Netflix has got in the lady superstar of the South Indian cinema, Nayanthara to play a pivotal role in the series. Nayanthara's character in the series is yet to be known. The show will mark the versatile actress's Hindi as well as digital debut. ## Touted as the most expensive Indian series coming out from Netflix, Bahubali: Before The Beginning is reportadly divided into two parts. The show is the prequel to SS Rajamouli's magnum opus blockbuster franchise Bahubali starring Prabhas, Anushka Shetty, Rana Daggubati, Ramya Krishnan, Tamannaah, and Sathyaraj among others.## Baahubali: Before the Beginning is said to have seen the potential of being India's answer to Game of Thrones. Jannat fame Kunal Deshmukh and The Girl On the Train fame Ribhu Dasgupta are reportadly on board to direct the series. The first season of the show will consist of a total of 9 episodes. ## Meanwhile, Nayanthara is also reportadly in talks to star alongside Shah Rukh Khan in Atlee's film. While she has yet to give her nod for her debut Hindi film, it is said that she liked the script narrated by Atlee. Apart from it, she will be starring in the upcoming Tamil action family entertainer, Annaatthe, led by superstar Rajinikanth. She also has a few more films in the pipeline. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, July 9, 2021: Netflix has unveiled the much-awaited teaser of the Tamil anthology web series, "Navarasa", created by the ace filmmaker, Mani Ratnam. The 9-episodes series stars some of the biggest names of the South Indian cinema such as Suriya, Vijay Sethupathi, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Fahadh Faasil, Arvind Swami, Prakash Raj, Anjali, among others. ## Unlike the other shows and films, Navarasa has been made for a noble cause. As we all know, the covid-19 pandemic had left the film industries in a bad shape as workers who form the bulk of it were struggling to make their ends meet. It was then that Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan along with the rest of the team thought of raising funds by making a series and generate funds to support those in the film industry who have been affected by the COVID19 crisis. ## It is to be noted that the artists, technicians, and directors working on the series are contributing towards the film without remuneration, with only the costs of production being associated. The profits earned from the project will be donated to the members of the Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI), who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. ## Mani Ratnam, in a conversation with Sreedhar Pillai for sify.com, said that they are close to reaching their target between Rs 12 to 15 Crores, which will go directly to the worker and his family. They are working with Bhumika Trust which was set up for disaster relief management, and have issued individual credit cards to all workers. ## In the process, the team started distributing prepaid cards to the workers from the end of March 2021 onwards, with each beneficiary receiving ₹ 1,500 per month on the prepaid card for a period of five months, which can be utilized at grocery outlets. Nearly 12,000 workers in the film industry will benefit from it. ## Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan, who are producing the series under their respective banners Madras Talkies and Qube Cinema Technologies, had initially thought of releasing the anthology in theaters. However, due to the closer of cinemas because of the covid-19 pandemic and each part of the anthology being 30-40 minutes long, a theatrical release was not possible. It will now premiere on Netflix on August 6. ## Navarasas is based on the Indian concept of the 9 human emotions or 'rasas' - anger, compassion, courage, disgust, fear, laughter, love, peace, and wonder. Each episode has been directed by 9 different directors - Bejoy Nambiar, Priyadarshan, Gautham Menon, Karthick Subbaraj, Karthik Narain, Vasanth, Arvind Swamy, Rathindran Prasad, and Sarjun. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 9, 2021: Touted to be India's biggest show ever, Disney+Hotstar announces the magnum opus, a period adventure drama Series, The Empire. The Hotstar Specials series, created by Nikkhil Advani, is described as a monumental period adventure drama tracing the origins of a dynasty. ## Directed by Mitakshara Kumar, the series is based on the novel Empire of the Moghul by Alex Rutherford. The show will follow the life story of a warrior, adventurer, survivor, and accidental king. Being made on a huge budget, the series promises a magnificent visual spectacle mounted on a scale not seen in the digital realm before. ## Nikkhil Advani will serve as a showrunner on the project. His wife Monisha Advani will produce along with Madhu Bhojwani through their banner Emmay Entertainment. The cast of the series will be announced soon. ## "Bringing alive a visually stunning world with a solid story narrative was the main aim for me, Mitakshara Kumar our director, and everyone at Emmay Entertainment. Right from the story, to the star-cast and high production value - our ambition was to create a show that is larger than life; one that leaves a lasting impression on viewers", Advani said in a statement.## "Partnering with Disney+ Hotstar has made it possible to bring this visual spectacle to life. My partners Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani and I at Emmay Entertainment are very proud to introduce the very talented Mitakshara Kumar", he added. ## Announcing the series, Disney Plus Hotstar also unveils the spectacular teaser of the show. ## ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, July 7, 2021: The Canadian film director and writer, Richie Mehta, who created and directed the International Emmy-winning Netflix series "Delhi Crime", has come on board for a web series based on the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Mehta comes on board as writer, director, and showrunner for this show. ## Based on Dominique Lapierre and Javier Moro's 1997 book, "Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World's Deadliest Industrial Disaster", the series will be produced by Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP Movies and Ramesh Krishnamoorthy's Global One Studios. ## The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a gas leak incident on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. It is considered among the world's worst industrial disasters. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas. The highly toxic substance made its way into and around the small towns located near the plant. ## The makers have not yet signed up the series to a streaming or broadcast partner. According to Ronnie Screwvala, the makers are quite happy that they want to develop this series completely on their own, go with their own conviction, and go to somebody who buys into the makers' vision rather than being a bit of a mishmash of everyone. ## The series, which is likely to consist of six to eight one-hour episodes, is in development and will commence production in early 2022. RSVP's Sanaya Irani Zohrabi, Krishnamoorthy, and Mehta will serve as executive producers. Shaun Mehta (Amal) is co-writing. ## Meanwhile, Screwvala has several film projects in the pipeline in the form of "Pippa" "Sitara" "The Immortal Ashwatthama" and "Tejas". ## Stay tuned...

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...