Hindi

Musaa: A thriller that never thrills

Published

15 years ago

October 29, 2010

Producer: Mahendra Katariya
Director: Himanshu Bhatt
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sameer Aftab, Sushant Singh, Yashpal Sharma, Akhilendra Mishra, Daya Shanker Pandey, Firoze Iran

MUMBAI: The electronic media theme seems to be in. Musaa: The Most Wanted, earlier titled Channel Ex, is one such film.

The channel, owned by Jackie Shroff, specialises in sting operations on the underworld.

The dons are upset with the channel and its owner who is now threatened by the underworld. During one such sting operation, a lady staffer of the channel is killed by the underworld don Baba Khan’s men. However, the tape she has shot contains some explosive footage on the don and chase for recovery begins. In the good old fashioned style, Shroff’s family members are kidnapped by the don. Finally, good triumphs over evil.

The problem with Musaa is it is a thriller which never thrills and characters as well as the events on the screen look make-believe. While the film has no entertainment quotient, the suspense it tries to create also falls flat. The hero, Sameer Aftab, shown to be an innocent victim of one such sting operation and his revenge drama look childish.

Jackie Shroff is okay while Aarti Puri as his wife makes her mark. Sameer Afatb’s character is ill-defined and hence fails to impress. Debutante Lijna Zariya can’t act. Sushant Singh and Yashpal Sharma are loud. Rest fill the bill.

Writer-director Himanshu Bhatt fails as the writer and hence fails as a director too. Dialogue is ordinary. The film has three music directors on its roaster but not a single hummable number. Technically the film is shoddy.

Musaa is a non-starter, a loser before it takes off.

Nakshatra: A script of convenience

Producer: Ravindra Singh
Director: Mohan Savalkar
Cast: Shubh, Sabina Sheema, Milind Soman, Anupam Kher, Anant Jog,
Gajendra Chauhan

In a week of total duds, ‘no public-no show’ week, Nakshatra leads the pack.

If the film’s title is corny, the plot takes the cake. The title, it would seem, somehow attempts to relate the film to the moon and the 27 Nakshatras!! But, who cares! If you can’t tell a simple story simply, last thing you do is to complicate it further. This week’s theme seems to be ‘Suspense Thriller Sans Suspense’ and this film is exactly that; because its suspense you can guess rightly all along.

Subh Mukherjee is an aspiring script writer who, when an opportunity to write a film script comes his way, grabs it so he could prove himself to his girlfriend, Jiya. His script is accepted and he and Jiya are engaged to be married. Enter the ‘twists and turns’ department and Subh is arrested for a robbery. Anupam Kher is a well-wisher trying to help and Milind Soman plays the cop.

The problem with the film is that it is totally a script of convenience, no logic no reasons!

Director Mohan Savalkar can do little to salvage the film. Performances are uniformly listless.

Nakshatra is a lost case from the day it was launched.

Hindi

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

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

Published

4 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

1 month 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.