Hindi

A long, grim single track film

Published

15 years ago

September 2, 2011

Producer: Shoman Productions, Geo Films
Director: Shoaib Mansoor
Cast: Humaima Malick, Atif Aslam, Iman Ali, Mahira Khan, Shafqat
Cheema, Manzar Sehbai, Zaib Rehman, AMR Kashmiri, Sagar

MUMBAI : Shoaib Mansoor, who earlier made a much acclaimed and topical film Khuda Ke Liye, comes up with another controversial film dealing with blindly following religion, and interpreting it to one’s own circumstances combined with traditions imbibed through generations.

The result is a long, grim, single track film that few in its target audience would identify with while others would not care at all.

Manzar Sehbai is a hakeem in Lahore, a profession he inherited from his ancestors. However, he falls on bad days as his clientele migrates to qualified medical practitioners. To make things more difficult, he begets a line up of daughters in quest of a male heir. With seven daughters, he finally gets a son but soon realises that the child is a eunuch.

Manzar Sehbai attributes everything to the Almighty’s wish but this one he is not able to live with. He is full of contradictions and goes
by the written word in the holy books rather than logically apply them; hence he would rather kill the child than hand it over to the eunuch community. While his wife and daughters, confined within boundaries of the house, are terrorised by him, the eldest one, Humaima Malick, sometimes gathers the courage to stand up to him when things become too much, only to get thrashed by him. The ordeal continues as Manzar Sehbai goes on committing blunders as well as murder in his blind beliefs, to the detriment and ruination of his family.

Bol may seem to go overboard in its content and even if it paints a true picture of some section of society, the total effect is morbid. Nothing in what you see on screen is pleasant or positive except, maybe, a song or two purely as a distraction, even though most lack popular appeal. Despite a long story to be told, the director takes a slow, indulgent approach keeping things depressingly realistic. Dialogue is filled with due sarcasm, taking a dig at blind faith and its perpetuators.

A film with such a theme is all about performances: Humaima Malick, the protagonist, fully justifies her casting, having been chosen from the small screen for her film debut. Manzar Sehbai portrays the sinister character with conviction. Atif Aslam, Zaib Rehman, AMR Kashmiri and Mahira Khan are apt. In brief roles, Iman Ali and Shafqat Cheema impress.

At best, Bol can be viewed for academic interest; it can be no one’s idea of entertainment. The producers’ more powerful and universally-appreciated film Khuda Ke Liye did not touch even one crore mark at the Indian box office. Bol faces a bigger challenge: to see through the weekend.

The ups and downs in the film are tame

Producer: S Creative Steps
Director: Pammi Somal
Cast: Kirron Kher, Kanwaljeet Singh, Jackie Shroff, Divya Dutta, Anju
Mahendru, Sachin Sharma, Viraf Patel, Nimisha Goswami, Urvashi Gandhi,
Simran Vaid

MUMBAI : Mummy Punjabi is representative of upper middle class Punjabi families in a city like Chandigarh; it tells of the way of life, aims and
ambitions that are common to all such families across the communities in Punjab.

The man and the woman of the house have charted out their domain whereby the woman dominates the household decisions and the man’s lot is to provide financial security. The mindset is male-oriented as the woman has decided what kind of bahus she wants for her sons while the daughter of the house hardly figures in plan of things.

Kirron Kher is one such Punjabi housewife in Chandigarh who does everything that a modern woman is supposed to do; go for morning walks
with her two regular friends, gossip, want to be loved, respected wished by all and sundry, and act as an agony aunt on chats. Her ego and self-belief get a regular boost from Jackie Shroff, a college mate who has remained unmarried because he loved her.

Mummy Punjabi has worked out what kind of bahus she wants for her two sons, a doctor and a restaurateur. The doctor will marry an NRI girl, preferably also a doctor, while the other one will marry a traditional homely kind who will cook and run the house. The bahus are chosen accordingly till Kirron Kher realises that things – as well as bahus – are not what they seem to be. She gets more than she had bargained for as all her three children finally settle abroad, leaving her to live her life with her husband and, later, alone when he also passes away. She eventually finds purpose in living a normal life and making the
most of her remaining years.

The problem with Mummy Punjabi is that it is more like a family video than a feature film and, hence, also limits itself to very few characters. The ups and downs are few and far in between and rather tame. Music, with much Punjabi flavour, is little help. Kirron Kher and Divya Dutta do well while others are okay.

Mummy Punjabi has no prospects at box office.

Hindi

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

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

Published

3 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

3 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

1 month 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.