Hindi

Ek Thi Dayan: A modern take on witch lore

Published

13 years ago

April 19, 2013

MUMBAI: Superstition about witchcraft is a worldwide phenomenon but beliefs differ from continent to continent. In India, witches are supposed to be found only in deep jungles late at night. Hence, the areas where such jungles exist have more people believing in witches and their sightings. Balaji‘s Ek Thi Dayan binds itself with no such borders and decides to invade a Mumbai mansion. Ek Thi Daayan is about a childhood witch revisiting the protagonist, Emraan Hashmi. It seems like she gets reincarnated every 20 years. After all, why should the privilege of reincarnation be limited only to humans? According to this film, a witch need to be reincarnated too to take her beau back with her no matter how many incarnations it takes!

Producers: Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Vishal Bhardwaj, Rekha Bhardwaj.
Director: Kannan Iyer.
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Huma Qureshi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kalki Koechlin, Rojotava Dutta, Pawan Malhotra, Bhavesh Balchandani, Visshesh Tiwari, Sara Raj Arjun.

Hashmi is courting Huma Qureshi and both plan to adopt an orphan (Bhavesh Balchandani) even before they are married. They are a rare couple who, without a justification, want to adopt an orphan instead of making their own kids. Later in the film you learn that the witch story is all about sacrificing a child on 29 February every leap year that coincides with lunar eclipse for her to sustain. As a result, the couple had no time to marry and produce a child and needed one off the shelf for the script‘s sake!

Hashmi is a renowned professional magician. While he performs his tricks, Qureshi, for whatever reason, monitors his shows on close circuit. During one of his shows, things go wrong as he hears eerie voices distracting him from his act, almost costing his assistant girl her life. Hashmi feels he is being stalked. His past seems to have caught up with him. He takes the help of the psychiatrist whom he had consulted as a child. Under a spell, Hashmi is made to recall his childhood experience thus taking the story forward in a flashback.

Young Hashmi (played by Visshesh Tiwari) is reading a book on witches and occult and learns that by pressing the button 6 in the lift, 666 being the sign of devil, the lift will take him straight to hell which is supposed to be somewhere underground! He makes a trip with his sister (Sara Raj Arjun) only to have a witch chase him. It would seem that Hashmi is actually from the witch‘s world too and the witch has always loved him and hence has come to take him back.

Instead, having come in the form of Konkona Sen Sharma, she seduces his widowed father, Pawan Malhotra. It is 29 February and an eclipse and the young Hashmi is a worried lad; his book warns about this and there is murder in the air. His fears prove right; the witch manages to kill his sister as well as his father. He survives because he follows his book which says if you cut off a witch‘s hair, she loses all her power. Hashmi grows up to become a magician as predicted by the witch because a lizard had fallen on his head!

Now the witch is back and Hashmi suspects Kalki Koechlin is the one since as she has suddenly come on the scene from Canada and wishes to buy out his haunted house. Hashmi‘s doubts about Koechlin grow stronger when a balcony barricade gives way and his wife, Qureshi, falls four floors to the ground.

It is 29 February and eclipse again and Hashmi realises the only child that the witch can kill this time is his own adopted child, Balchandani. When he does not find him anywhere, he knows the only place the child could be is hell. Since he knows his way around, he enters hell to save the boy. There he is surprised by the real witch but manages to save the child and render the witch ineffective by cutting her hair until a sequel (which a viewer is threatened with at the end) needs her back.

For a supernatural/ horror genre, the film is too long at 134 minutes. The script has similarities to recent films, Aatma and Raaz2, and hence is too predictable. The first half is okay but the director loses grip as the second half goes haywire. Music is weak. The dialogue is uninspiring. As for performance, Sen Sharma is the best of the lot while Qureshi keeps making smiley faces so much she drips syrup. Koechlin is only a red herring and as such has nothing much to do. Child artistes are all good but Sara Raj Arjun is the most natural while Visshesh Tiwari and Bhavesh Balchandani also do very well.

Ek Thi Dayan has had a weak opening despite Ram Navmi holiday in many parts and with negative word of mouth its prospects are poor at the box office.

Related Topics:Balaji Ek Thi Dayan Emraan Hashmi Huma Qureshi Raaz 2

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Hindi

Boney Kapoor acquires remake rights of Tamil political satire Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil

Strong word-of-mouth turns Pongal satire into remake pick

Published

2 weeks ago

February 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: A Pongal release, a village satire and a theatre visit in Coimbatore have turned into Boney Kapoor’s latest acquisition. The producer has secured the remake rights to the Tamil political satire Thalaivar Thambi Thalaimaiyil (TTT), a film that has been enjoying a strong theatrical run powered by word-of-mouth and praise for its sharp, rooted writing.

Set in a rural milieu, the story follows a panchayat leader thrown into disarray when a wedding and a funeral land on the same day. What unfolds is a swirl of satire and humour that skewers local politics, power games, bruised egos and family tensions, all anchored in the textures of everyday village life.

Kapoor first encountered the film earlier this year while in Coimbatore for the Celebrity Cricket League. With time to spare, he caught a screening at a local theatre. That viewing proved decisive. According to sources, the narrative style, performances and the film’s balance of political commentary and comedy caught his attention.

Interest quickly turned into intent. Kapoor reached out to the producers soon after to explore a remake. Talks gathered pace over the following weeks and came to a head last Friday at the film’s success party in Chennai, where Kapoor joined the celebrations and continued negotiations with the makers.

By the end of the evening, the deal was sealed, with Kapoor formally acquiring the remake rights.

For an industry constantly mining regional cinema for the next crossover story, the move is telling. A small-town satire with local flavour has found a national backer. And if Kapoor’s instincts hold, a tale born in one village may soon echo far beyond it.

Hindi

Fans take centre stage as Zee Cine awards turns the spotlight around

Published

2 weeks ago

February 7, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: When the applause gets louder than the dialogue, you know the fans have taken over. That was the unmistakable mood as Zee formally announced the Zee Cine Awards 2026, flipping the script to celebrate not just cinema’s stars, but the people who cheer them on the loudest.

The 24th edition of the awards marks a fresh chapter in Zee’s long-standing relationship with Hindi cinema, anchored in its fan-first philosophy, Fantertainment. This year’s theme, ‘Yeh Pal Hai Fans Ka’, reinforces a simple idea: cinema’s most powerful moments are shaped as much by audiences as by actors on screen. Presented by Maruti Suzuki, the awards aim to turn fandom into the main event.

The announcement, held in Mumbai, was anything but a routine press conference. Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar, Tamannaah Bhatia, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, Aparshakti Khurana, composer Mithoon and singer Palak Muchhal joined fans to kick off the celebrations, turning the launch into a high-voltage, participative spectacle.

Staying true to the theme, fans didn’t just watch the announcement, they drove it. Akshay Kumar took the lead, pulling fellow stars on stage and energising the room, before the unveiling of a live LED Fan Meter. Powered purely by audience cheers, the rising meter culminated in the reveal of the Zee Cine Awards 2026 ground event date, announced in unison with fans, blurring the line between performer and spectator.

The momentum continued as Tamannaah Bhatia, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa and Aparshakti Khurana recreated iconic hook steps, joined by Mithoon and Palak Muchhal for music-led interactions. Games, spontaneous performances and playful banter kept the focus firmly on shared moments, underscoring the evolving bond between cinema and its audience.

Beyond the launch, the awards will roll out as a multi-platform journey across television, digital, print and fan-led experiences. The aim is sustained engagement from the first announcement to awards night cementing fandom as a cultural force rather than a footnote.

Commenting on the milestone edition Zee head of advertisement revenue, broadcast & digital Laxmi Shetty said the 24th Zee Cine Awards continue to draw strength from the network’s omni-channel ecosystem, reflecting how audiences consume content today across TV, digital and social platforms. She noted that long-standing brand associations, including Maruti Suzuki’s three-year partnership and support from brands such as Hell Energy, underline the platform’s scale, trust and cultural relevance.

As Zee Cine Awards 2026 gathers pace, one thing is clear: this year, the loudest cheers won’t just echo in the auditorium, they’ll shape the show itself.

Hindi

Prime Video to stream Don’t Be Shy, produced by Alia Bhatt

Published

4 weeks ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Prime Video has found its next feel-good original, and it comes with a healthy dose of heart, humour and youthful chaos. The streaming platform has announced Don’t Be Shy, a coming-of-age romantic comedy produced by Alia Bhatt and Shaheen Bhatt under their banner, Eternal Sunshine Productions.

Written and directed by Sreeti Mukerji, the film follows Shyamili ‘Shy’ Das, a 20-year-old who believes her life is neatly mapped out until it suddenly is not. What follows is a relatable tumble through friendship, love and the awkward art of growing up, when plans unravel and certainty gives way to self-discovery.

The project is co-produced by Grishma Shah and Vikesh Bhutani, with music composed by Ram Sampath, adding to the film’s promise of warmth and energy. Prime Video describes the story as light-hearted yet emotionally grounded, with a strong female-led narrative at its core.

Prime Video India director and head of originals Nikhil Madhok, said the platform was delighted to collaborate with Eternal Sunshine on a story that blends sincerity with humour. He noted that the film’s fresh writing, earnest characters and infectious music make it an easy, engaging watch for audiences well beyond its young adult setting.

For Alia Bhatt, Don’t Be Shy reflects the kind of storytelling Eternal Sunshine set out to champion. She said the film stood out for its honesty, its coming-of-age perspective and Mukerji’s passion, which she felt was deeply woven into the narrative. Bhatt also praised Prime Video for supporting distinctive voices and bold creative choices.

With its breezy tone and familiar emotional beats, Don’t Be Shy aims to charm viewers whether they are rom-com regulars or simply in the mood for a warm, unpretentious story about life refusing to stick to the plan.