Hindi

31st October: Genuine effort wasted

Published

9 years ago

October 21, 2016

MUMBAI: Rather late in the day, 31stOctober is a film about the Sikh genocide of 1984 in Delhi in the aftermath of assassination of the then prime minister of India Indira Gandhi. She was killed by her security guards, who happened to be Sikh. That assassination, again, is attributed to the anger of the Sikh community following an army operation in the precincts of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. It has been 31 years since the episode and the relevance of this film and, what it wants to convey would make sense to few if any.

It is pre-October 31-1984 Delhi (mainly East Delhi as depicted in the film) where things are normal. People are going about doing their business, there is bonhomie. There never was a feeling of a divide between Hindu and Sikh, neither the issue nor a reason to think of them as different persons or of community was considered.

Vir Das is shown as a simple family-loving Sikh working for a government enterprise and has Soha Ali Khan as his wife and three children making up his family. He is a sincere worker and is much respected by his colleagues as well as friends.

It is another day at work and Vir is on his desk. But, unknown to him, things seem to have changed suddenly as even the office peon fails to respond to his calls, and there is an eerie silence around him. As he soon finds out, the whole office has gathered around a transistor radio; the news is not good. PM Indira Gandhi has been shot.

Suddenly, everybody has turned cold to Vir. He is advised to leave immediately. The offices are closed, shops down shutters and a pall of gloom and fear envelopes the air. Two lookalikes of prominent politicians are seen inciting the crowds (of Hindus) to go out and seek revenge from Sikhs.

What follows is a massacre of Sikhs all around the city reminiscent of Hindu-Muslim clashes of the Partition era. No Sikh seems to be safe, on the road or hidden at home, nor ones in the refuge of Hindu families.

Since this is not a documentary, a hint of a story and to balance things as well as to showcase a semblance of sanity among Hindus, comes in the form of Vir’s Hindu friends coming to his rescue risking their lives and braving police (which sided with the rioters) and the goons killing people indulging in arson mercilessly.

31stOctober is a sketchy, half-hearted effort to depict the genocide. As numerous Sikhs are slaughtered, an operation to save one family has little effect on the viewer. The direction is patchy; few films have succeeded in showing riot scenes convincingly in Hindi films and this film ranks at the bottom. What is bad about the film is the casting of Vir Das as the Sikh in danger. He carries his deadpan standup comedian look to this rather serious role. Add to that his characterization, which is of a Sikh who breaks down instead of standing by his family while his friends take the risk and one of them also sacrifices his life for the cause. Rest of the actors make a sincere effort.

If 31st October has an audience to cater to, it is unlikelyto be found in cinema halls.

Producers: Harry Sachdeva.

Director: Shivaji Lotan Patil.
Cast: Vir Das, Soha Ali Khan.

My Father Iqbal: No drama in Indian Muslim’s honesty

‘My Father Iqbal’ is like recreating the life of an honest man from Jammu & Kashmir. It is unlike any film as it is neither a potboiler nor cinema. There are no twists and turns, no villains nor a drama or a dramatic ending. It is the documentation of the life of a man and his circumstances. It is supposed to be a real-life account.

Iqbal Khan, played by Narendra Jha, is a family loving Muslim in Bani, a township in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, surrounded by Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and close to the Pakistan border. Jha is an engineer in the PWD and is a caring man to his wife, Komal Thacker, and his daughter and son. Jha is also sincere with his work, held in high esteem not only by his bosses and colleagues but also by people of the area for whom he always goes out of his way.

Jha, a man who is devoted to his family, lives like any normal, law-abiding and patriotic citizen despite the circumstances of terrorism and violence surrounding him and his town. He is probably traditional in the local sense because, while he dreams of sending his son to a high school in a bigger city, his daughter stays put in this small place.

Time passes by with Jha and Komal tending to the family, romancing and singing while the son on whom they hang much hope has grown up. He has decided to opt for a career in media and, much against his parents’ hopes, has decided to move to Mumbai. His concern for his family comes in the form of regular remittances of money.

Terrorism, which was lurking on the outskirts, has now invaded the town. The terrorists confer with Jha’s boss, the town police chief and the local MLA, to find a man with a clean image to store a bag full of RDX. The honest man in their sight happens to be Jha. Why do they need an honest man when the cop and the MLA are a party to the plan?

Jha’s refusal to accept the bag is countered by a threat of harm that can be done to his son in Mumbai. With his loyalty at stake, Jha asks his son to return home instantly. He wants to share his dilemma with his now grown-up son. The son is on his way and his train is running late by a couple of hours. But, Jha, who has made his decision not to betray his country, takes the ultimate step of not waiting for those two hours for his son to return.

That is about all as, if one is waiting for a traditional ending to the story, there is none. It is about a patriotic man who was a Muslim and from Jammu & Kashmir, who was neither a terrorist nor a supporter.

Besides the scenic beauty of the area of Bani and its surroundings, My Father Iqbal has some soothing music in a couple of ghazals. Performance-wise, Jha is impressive and Komal supports well.

Producer: Paresh Mehta.

Director: Suzad Iqbal Khan.

Cast: NarendraJha, Komal Thacker, Paresh Mehta, Raj Sharma, Amit Lekhwani, Sudam Iqbal Khan.

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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

5 days 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

6 days 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

2 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.