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...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 7, 2021: The "Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives", which was released last year on Netflix, was one of the most loved reality series. The series gave an insight into the lives of four Bollywood wives - Maheep Kapoor (wife of Sanjay Kapoor), Bhavana Pandey (wife of Chunky Panday), Seema Khan (wife of Sohail Khan), and Neelam Kothari (wife of Samir Soni). ## The season first of the series became so popular that season two is already in the works. Meanwhile, Karan Johar who is a pivotal part of the show, recently revealed that the idea for making Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives came while going for a condolence meeting with the four leads of the show. ## Spilling some beans on the same, Karan said during a Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives reunion on Clubhouse, that while he was traveling with the four ladies for a condolence meeting as one of their friends lost their father, he realized that these ladies are completely crazy. ## He further said that they were discussing their attire in flight for Delhi, much like Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Page 3', whether Neelam had too much shine on her white kurta or whether Maheep was underdressed for a chautha. Seeing them doing such crazy and idiotic stuff, Karan said that the four of them have to be on a show. According to the filmmaker, they made something even like a chautha sound like such a massive problem in what they were wearing to what was happening. ## Karan said that he was always aware of Maheep, Bhavana, Seema, and Neelam's crazy personalities. "But I really thought that they need to be on camera because I thought that barring Neelam, who is a bona fide star and has faced the camera for 40 films, the other three were technically virgins to the camera and I think they were naturals", he said.## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 5, 2021: The Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai, Maharashtra left stranded once again when the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic forced the state government to enforce the lockdown to curb the virus a few weeks ago. The shootings of the films and tv shows were paused and theaters were shut which badly affected the daily wage earners. ## Now, as the coronavirus cases are declining sharply in Maharashtra and all over the country, the Maha. government has decided to unlock the state from Monday (June 7), which will be based on the COVID positivity rate and the availability of oxygen beds in the state. To unlock the state, the state government led by CM Uddhav Thackeray on Friday issued a five-level restriction plan. ## According to level 1, which includes areas where the weekly covid-19 positivity rate is less than 5% and where less than 25% of oxygen beds are occupied, theaters will be permitted to operate at full capacity while shooting can also resume in such areas. ## The theaters will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity in the areas when the weekly positivity rate is less than 5% and oxygen beds occupancy is between 25% to 40%, according to level 2. Level 3 consists of cities and districts which have a weekly positivity rate of 5%-10% or oxygen bed occupancy of more than 40%. ## Mumbai city falls under the level 3 category since its weekly positivity rate is 5.56% while the bed occupancy is 32.51%. According to the guidelines, cinema halls won't be allowed to resume operations for places under Level 3. However, shootings can be resumed. But, one will have to strictly follow certain rules - the shoots will happen in a bubble and moreover, no movement will be allowed outside after 5 pm.## As per the government notification, every Thursday, the public health department of Maharashtra will declare the list of oxygen beds occupancy and weekly positivity rate in each district. Depending on these figures, a decision will be taken whether a district needs to be moved to a different level.## 🚨Level of restrictions for breaking the chain 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Vi8WvkDuqi— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) June 4, 2021 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Chennai, June 4, 2021: Samantha Akkineni, who made her digital debut with Amazon Prime Video's "The Family Man 2", is overwhelmed with the response she is getting from the viewers. The series, which was originally planned to premiere on June 4, preponed a few hours as it dropped on June 3. Manoj Bajpayee reprised his role as a secret NIA agent from season one along with Priyami and others. ## Samantha Akkineni is the latest addition to the show. She plays the main antagonist called Raji, who is a member of a Tamil Rebelian group that joins hands with a dangerous terrorist organization, ISIS, to unleash an attack on India. However, what unfolds in the show, really surprised everyone who hailed Samantha for doing such a bold and gutsy role. ## On Friday (June 4), Samantha took to Instagram and shared a BTS picture with director duo Raj & DK and penned down a heartfelt note, dedicated to the Tamils of Eelam. The actress also said in the note that she watched documentaries of the Tamil struggle of years to bring sensitivity and balance to Raji's character. ## "When @rajanddk approached me to do the character, I was aware that portraying Raji's character required sensitivity and balance. The creative team shared documentaries of the Tamil struggle that included stories of women in the Eelam war. When I watched those documentaries, I was aghast and shocked by the troubles and unspeakable grief that the Tamils of Eelam went through over an extended period of time", Samantha said. ## "I noticed that the aforementioned documentaries had only a few thousand views and that is when it dawned on me how the world just looked away when tens of thousands of people of Eelam lost their lives. And, lakhs more lost their livelihood and their homes. *Countless many* continue to live in faraway lands with the wounds of the civil strife still fresh in their hearts and minds", she added. ## Samantha concluded the long note by saying, "Raji's story, though fictional, to me, is a tribute to those that died because of an unequal war, and those who continue to live in the painful memory of the war. I was particular about Raji's portrayal being balanced, nuanced, and sensitive. I want Raji's story to be a stark, much-needed reminder for us, more than ever before, to come together as humans to fight hate, oppression, and greed. If we fail to do so, countless more will be denied their identity, liberty, and their right to self-determination".## View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 4, 2021: Actress Kirti Kulhari, who was last seen in the Netflix film, The Girl on the Train, is all set to feature in back-to-back direct to the digital release, Shaadisthan. The trailer of the Shaadisthan - a road trip film, which brings two contrasting worlds which come together, was released on Friday. ## Talking about her character, Sasha, in the film, Kirti says she could instantly relate to it because she is an unapologetic, strong, and confident young woman who lives life on her own terms, strives to shatter stereotypes and isn't worried about being judged by anyone. ## The film follows the journey of four young and free-spirited musicians, a smalltown couple and their young daughter in a camper van, travelling from Mumbai to a small town in Rajasthan. It aims to deliver the message that being unconventional doesn't equate to being morally wrong.## Kriti said, "Shaadisthan is not only an entertaining movie but also holds a mirror to society and the conditioning it imposes on people and how people live by it as if it's their truth". ## Directed by Raj Singh Chaudhary, the movie also features Medha Shanker, Nivedita Bhattacharya, and real-life musicians Shenpenn Khymsar, Apurv Dogra, and Ajay Jayanthi, with Kay Kay Menon in a cameo. The film is scheduled to release on June 11 on Disney+ Hotstar.## Watch Trailer of Shaadisthan Here - ## ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Mumbai, June 4, 2021: Amid the controversy, Amazon Prime Video's original series, The Family Man season 2 dropped on June 4. Created and directed by the director duo Raj & DK, the show stars Manoj Bajpayee, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, Shreya Dhanwantary, and Sunny Hinduja along with South Indian actress Samantha Akkineni in her digital debut. ## Samantha Akkineni's character, however, gave birth to controversy a few days before the show premeried. She came under the scrutiny of Tamil audiences for her role of Raji as they demanded a ban on the series for showing Tamils as terrorists. However, the makers said that the assumptions have been made based on a few shots in the trailer and urged people to wait for the show to premiere. Prime Video also reportadly asked Samantha to keep mum until the show arrives. ## In one of the interviews, the director duo Raj & DK had said that Samantha's character is the surprising package in the show which will grab everyone's attention. Well, they were right in saying this as The Family Man's fans are applauding Samantha for doing such a bold and one of the most challenging roles of her career. ## Here is what viewers are talking about The Family Man 2 and Samantha Akkineni - ## The shocking scenes in EP 2, her kickass transformation from demure to passionate warrior mode; @Samanthaprabhu2 like never before, in terms of performance & her totally raw serious look. Bold and Gutsy #SamanthaAkkineni 👌Will binge through EPs 3 to 9 today! #TheFamilyMan2— Kaushik LM (😷 #StaySafe) (@LMKMovieManiac) June 4, 2021 ## @Samanthaprabhu2 as Raji is top notch. She emotes through her eyes and expressions most of the time. Few few actress succeed in choosing roles that remain in the minds of audience and #SamanthaAkkineni as Raji is one such role.#Familyman2— Ro-HIT (@rohith_writings) June 4, 2021 ## "Raji" the name is enough!!!!! What a performance by @Samanthaprabhu2 💥. Samantha Akkineni ma'am was just on fire!!!Also Manaj Bajpayee sir never disappoints us with his performance. Overall #TheFamilyMan2 is a bang on show🔥#ManojBajpayee #SamanthaAkkineni @BajpayeeManoj pic.twitter.com/0S1KP7Fxeh— Debanshi Biswas (@BiswasDebanshi) June 4, 2021 ## We have to appreciate @Samanthaprabhu2 for her guts to accept this role👏👏 No one can do justice to this role other than Samantha ✨🙌Huge respect, Dedication matters #SamanthaAkkineni 👌🙏#FamilyManSeason2 #FamilyMan #TheFamilyMan #AmazonPrime #TheFamilyManSeason2 pic.twitter.com/LUlSX9ypmC— Siva Harsha || S/H (@VenomFate23) June 3, 2021 ## Full stop To All the voices raised against SAM & burning moment for haters 🤫.... Goosebumps guarantee in this scene 🔥..... #TheFamilyMan2 @Samanthaprabhu2 #SamanthaAkkineni pic.twitter.com/Jb4Bd3etJE— Abhi 😷 (@jackspa09980580) June 3, 2021 ## It Is Raji's show! Ruling the screen and hearts of everyone...@Samanthaprabhu2 just nailed it..👏Specially in the Action Scenes Kudos to your guts 🙏Angel of Death #TamiliansPrideSamantha #TheFamilyMan2#SamanthaAkkineni pic.twitter.com/w5ObghyKWn— SandhyaSamanthaFan™ (@SandhyaSamFan) June 4, 2021 ## Two minutes of silence for those who trended shame on SamanthaNever Judge anything too early@Samanthaprabhu2 this scene💥#SamanthaAkkineni #familymanseason2 pic.twitter.com/EpO5aEoTeV— YASH CULT SUHAS (@YashCultSuhas) June 3, 2021 ## #SamanthaAkkineni is the only versatile actress of this generation 🔥 Thank you for choosing #Raji ❤️ you are the pride of Tamil 🙏 @Samanthaprabhu2 #TheFamilyManSeason2 is awesome...it was beyond my expectations 🔥A must watch 🥳— ѕαi sяαvαη (@sravan523) June 4, 2021 ## Just Completed it after the binge watch of around 7 hrs.And really it's one of those rare webseries whose 2nd season matched the awesomeness of 1st one or was even better than the former.@PrimeVideoINU guys have nailed it...#ManojBajpayee#SamanthaAkkineni#TheFamilyMan2 pic.twitter.com/pgkWX62EcF— Aman Agrawal (@aman_dis_side) June 4, 2021 ## Stay tuned...