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IFFI 2025: India pitches itself as the world’s film factory

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GOA:  India wants to be Hollywood’s back lot—and everywhere else’s too. At an ambassadors’ roundtable in Goa today, officials made their pitch: diverse locations, cheap talent, cutting-edge VFX studios, and a market poised to hit $31.6bn next year. The message to diplomats from Cuba, Nepal, Israel, Australia, Ireland and five other nations was clear: co-produce with us.

The session at the International Film Festival of India  (IFFI) explored bilateral treaties, regulatory fixes and ways to tap India’s “multilingual talent pool.” Ministry of information and broadcasting secretary Sanjay Jaju framed India as the “studio of the world, where global stories can be imagined, produced, and shared.” He pointed delegates towards Waves Film Bazaar, IFFI’s deal-making platform, where co-production partnerships take shape.

Minister of state for information and broadcasting L Murugan, who chaired the talks, called co-production “the most powerful avenue” for audiovisual cooperation. He touted India’s growing prowess in animation and VFX, and promised simpler permissions and smoother movement of talent across borders. He also flagged India’s anti-piracy push—backed by inter-ministerial muscle from the ministries of electronics, home affairs and law—as proof the country can protect content.

Shruti Rajkumar, a consultant at the National Film Development Corp, laid out India’s anti-piracy framework, detailing tech tools and policies designed to stop digital leaks before they start.

Diplomats nodded along, expressing interest in India’s tech strengths and creative workforce. The 56th edition of IFFI, running until November 28 against Goa’s coastal backdrop, is positioning itself as more than a festival—it’s a marketplace where India hopes to turn cultural exchange into hard currency.

Whether the world’s filmmakers bite remains to be seen. But India’s bet is straightforward: offer scale, savings and skill, and the cameras will follow.

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

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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.

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Tips Films reports Rs 286.87 lakh quarterly loss in Q3 FY26

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MUMBAI: Tips Films struggled to find its rhythm in the final quarter of 2025, as a spike in production costs and a new regulatory burden pushed the Mumbai-based outfit deeper into the red. According to results released on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the company posted a net loss of Rs 286.87 lakh for the quarter ended 31 December, despite a modest bump in total income to Rs 456.29 lakh.

The bottom line was hit by the introduction of India’s New Labour Codes, which forced a Rs 37.37 lakh catch-up payment for employee benefits. Production costs also proved a heavy lift, gobbling up Rs 318.48 lakh during the period. On a nine-month basis, the picture looks even bleaker; the company has racked up losses of Rs 1,237.61 lakh, a sharp reversal from the Rs 1,269.17 lakh profit it managed in the same period last year.

Investors will be looking for a script change as the company enters the final stretch of the financial year, with basic earnings per share now languishing at minus Rs 6.64. For now, Tips Films remains a single-segment player, pinning its hopes entirely on the volatile world of film production and distribution.

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Tere Ishk Mein row: Eros sues Aanand L Rai over Raanjhanaa rights

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MUMBAI: Eros International Media Ltd has moved the Bombay high court against filmmaker Aanand L Rai and his production banner Colour Yellow Media Entertainment LLP, alleging unauthorised exploitation of the intellectual property of its 2013 blockbuster Raanjhanaa in the promotion and release of the 2025 film Tere Ishk Mein.

The studio is seeking damages of Rs 84 crore, claiming losses arising from what it describes as unlawful capitalisation on Raanjhanaa’s goodwill. According to a report in The Times of India, Eros has filed a commercial intellectual property suit along with an interim application, alleging trademark infringement, copyright infringement and passing off.

Eros contends that Tere Ishk Mein was deliberately marketed as a “spiritual sequel” to Raanjhanaa without authorisation. The suit names Aanand L Rai, Colour Yellow Media Entertainment LLP and Colour Yellow Productions, along with Super Cassettes Industries (T-Series), writer Himanshu Sharma and Netflix Entertainment Services India LLP, turning the dispute into a multi-party legal battle.

In its filing, Eros asserts that it is the producer and exclusive owner of all intellectual property rights in Raanjhanaa, including copyright, registered trademark rights, character rights in Kundan Shankar and Murari, and remake, prequel and sequel rights. The company alleges these rights were exploited while promoting Tere Ishk Mein, which released theatrically on November 28, 2025.

The legal action was triggered by a teaser released online in July 2025, which Eros claims used phrases such as “From the world of Raanjhanaa” and hashtags including #WorldOfRaanjhanaa. The interim application further alleges unauthorised use of footage, background score and music from Raanjhanaa, despite Eros no longer holding the film’s music rights.

Directed by Aanand L Rai, Tere Ishk Mein stars Dhanush, Kriti Sanon, Priyanshu Painyuli, Prakash Raj and Tota Roy Chowdhury. Neither Eros nor the defendants have issued an official statement so far.

 
 
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