Hindi

‘Super Nani’…From Nani’s era!

Published

11 years ago

October 31, 2014

MUMBAI: Indra Kumar, lately known for his crass comedies, this time tries an old fashioned family drama, a typical tear jerker about a suppressed woman who is taken for granted and generally insulted by her husband, son, daughter and daughter-in-law. The film is adapted from the Gujarati play, Baa Ae Mari Boundary (Mom Hits A Boundary).

Rekha is told by her husband, Randhir Kapoor that her place is in the kitchen. He treats her just like a servant. According to him, the only contribution by his wife Rekha in his life was that she produced three children for him. Following his example, even her daughter, son and daughter-in-law treat her the same way. She has no place in their lives except to cook and serve them meals.

Rekha is an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna and a regular at the local temple where she keeps making deals with God, like if God made sure Kapoor gets the best CEO award she would visit the temple to thank the God. Her son keeps making losses in the stock market. As a solution, she wants him to tie a sacred thread on his wrist and she also takes it upon herself to fast on his behalf, a ritual suggested by the temple priest.

Producers: Indra Kumar, Ashok Thakeria.

Director: Indra Kumar.

Cast: Rekha, Sharman Joshi, Shweta Kumar, Randhir Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Rajesh Kumar

All this religious stuff and her suggestions are totally unwelcome for all her family members. Her only sympathiser in her house is her servant who competes with Rekha in shedding tears every time she is humiliated. She prays to God to end her misery somehow. The servant’s plea is soon answered as her grandson, Sharman Josh, arrives from the US. Joshi adores Rekha and sees how badly she is treated by his nana and others in the house. He can’t tolerate his nani being treated the way she is. After all, she is educated, a Kathak exponent and though she may look washed out now, she was a pretty woman as Joshi remembers her from his childhood days spent with her.

Joshi wants to change things for Rekha and decides that she can still be made to look as pretty as she was. Always with a camera around his neck, Joshi does a photo session with her making her dance to some of the old classic numbers from Shri 420, Mughal E Azam etc. While he sends copies to an ad agency managed by Anupam Kher, he also decides to blow up the pictures to display them in the family garden to surprise the family members.

The display does not surprise the family members the way Joshi had planned. They are all livid and Kapoor asks his son, Rajesh Kumar, to burn the pictures.

Anupam Kher, on his part, is impressed with Rekha’s pictures and turns up at her house with a contract for her for modelling. Kher also turns out to be Rekha’s childhood buddy. Kapoor as well as rest of her family wants her to reject the contract but, finally, Rekha rebels. She accepts the offer and is an overnight success.

The family is handicapped without Rekha to run the household. But for Rekha, it is now time to turn her wayward family members around using her resources and the emotional connection with Joshi by her side thinking up ideas for her. Joshi is also romancing Rekha’s neighbour, Shweta Kumar (Daughter of producer- director, Indra Kumar).

The problem with Super Nani is that while as a stage play it has to cater to a limited audience in a particular language, a film has to carry universal appeal. And, to top that, the story is too old fashioned for today’s generation as well as predictable as Rekha wins her family over one by one. The film also has limited face value. Direction is passable. Musically the film has one good song to offer in Maheroo Maheroo… and using a medley of old songs for Rekha’s photo shoot makes one conscious how deficient today’s music is. Rekha looks pretty as ever but not much fun to watch shedding tears all throughout. Joshi is good as her aide. Rest of the cast is okay with limited scope.

Super Nani has had a poor opening and may find some patronage only from ladies audience.

‘Roar: Tigers Of The Sunderbans’….Visual pleasure

Producer: Abis Rizvi.

Director: Kamal Sadanah.

Cast: Abhinav Shukla, Himarsha Venkatsamy, Achint Kaur, Subrat Dutta, Nora Fatehi, Ali Quli Mirza, Aadil Chahal, Varinder Singh Ghuman, Aaran Chaudhary, Pranay Dixit, Pulkit Jawahar.

Roar is one of those rare films on wildlife India makers. Some producers in the south did venture into films involving animals but those were emotional dramas with animals acting as best friends of human master. Producer MM Chinappa Devar specialised in such films with Haathi Mere Saathi, Gaai Aur Gauri etc. There have been other such films too like K C Bokadia’s Teri Meherbaniyan. Roar follows earlier films like Kal and Forest.

Roar is about seven youngsters descending on Sunderbans, the famous Tiger Reserve in West Bengal which is known to have white tigers.

These seven include trained commandoes and they are here in Sunderbans with a mission to kill a man-eater white tiger which had killed the brother of one of them. However, being a commando is not enough to face a man eater tiger, which they realise soon. Instead of them killing the tiger, they become its target.

The film uses a lot of special effects and blends shots of Sunderbans with parts shot with trained tigers brought in from abroad. The film is directed by actor turned director, Kamal Sadanah whose direction as well as enthusiasm about the film is laudable.

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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.