ITV

Tag: Jimmy Shergill

  • Love, loss, and a thrill to remember as &pictures turns up the drama

    Love, loss, and a thrill to remember as &pictures turns up the drama

    MUMBAI: Heartbreak, redemption, and a past that refuses to let go-this 7 February, &pictures is bringing a tale that hits where it hurts and heals where it must. Mark your calendars as Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha premieres on Friday, 7 February, at 11 am, promising a cinematic rollercoaster packed with passion, suspense, and second chances.

    Featuring powerhouse performers Ajay Devgn and Tabu, alongside Shantanu Maheshwari, Saiee Manjrekar, and Jimmy Shergill, the film weaves a tale of love and loss under the masterful direction of Neeraj Pandey—the man behind Baby, Special 26, and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story.

    At the heart of the narrative is Krishna (Devgn), a man haunted by his past, and Vasudha (Tabu), the woman who holds the key to his redemption. Their intertwined destinies unfold against a backdrop of intense emotions, moral dilemmas, and a search for the truth.

    Devgn reflects on his character’s journey, saying, “This film is about resilience, emotions, and the battles life throws at us. Krishna’s story is one that will connect deeply with anyone who has faced struggles and fought to rise above them.”

    Tabu, who shares a long-standing on-screen camaraderie with Devgn, adds, “Vasudha is a woman of immense strength, but her vulnerability is what makes her unforgettable. Neeraj Pandey’s direction ensured we brought our most layered performances to life. This is a story that lingers long after the credits roll.”

    With its mix of raw emotions and edge-of-the-seat drama, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha is set to leave a lasting impact. Don’t miss its &pictures premiere—because some stories aren’t just watched, they’re felt.

  • HMD debuts in India with its first campaign

    HMD debuts in India with its first campaign

    Mumbai: HMD which stands for human mobile devices launched their first-ever brand campaign in collaboration with AndAnd Brand Partners in India, featuring Sanya Malhotra and Jimmy Shergill introducing their inaugural product lineup, the HMD Crest smartphone and the feature phones HMD 105 and 110, respectively. The digital and TVC campaign marks a significant step in establishing the brand in one of the world’s most competitive markets.

    “Successfully launching our first products, the HMD Crest 5G smartphones along with the feature phones HMD 105 and HMD 110, marks our intent to dig deep for the long haul in the competitive Indian market,” said HMD India CMO & online sales head Tathagat Jena. “We are a young-at-heart, style-forward, lifestyle brand, which hopes to connect with the trendy young consumers of India by breaking the mould of ‘over-the-top tech talk and let consumers enjoy our brand speak at all times.”  

    The smart devices, featuring best-in-class 50MP gesture selfies with the new HMD Crest series smartphones and equally feature-packed HMD 105 and HMD 110 models, highlight the brand’s commitment to addressing the real needs of Indian consumers through meaningful, user-friendly technology.

    The agency handling HMD’s mandate, AndAnd Brand Partners’ Rajesh Minocha added, “To bring a brand to life is way bigger than bring a script to screen. The task cut out for us was to create a great first impression for brand HMD. It comes in with its own values in an industry that is immensely cluttered. The campaigns and launches reflect how the brand enhances human capabilities through tech, without becoming overwhelming. So, it is not one campaign on a specific product line, what we have put together is an entire eco-system of creative assets for a new brand.”

    Sanya Malhotra has recently been appointed as the brand ambassador with HMD India for its entire smartphone range, starting with the HMD Crest series, which elevates and humanises the selfie experience with AI-enabled gesture control technology. The video campaign features Sanya taking selfies while showing off her breezy dance steps with easy gestures on the HMD Crest, highlighting one of the core features that allow users to capture hands-free selfies, enhancing their usability and creativity.  

    In a parallel world, Jimmy Shergill plays Jimmy Bhaiya to his butler Manohar in a humorous campaign bringing to life the easy-to-use feature phones, which include essential and user-friendly innovations like the “Phone Talker” feature and ever-increasing-use-case, digital payments enabled by UPI both by SMS and scan & pay. These designs enhance daily interactions and financial transactions, making the phones incredibly user-friendly and relevant to India’s evolving digital-first audience.

  • JK Maxx Paints launches #SingleBrandSharmaJi campaign

    JK Maxx Paints launches #SingleBrandSharmaJi campaign

    Mumbai: JK Maxx Paints proudly unveils its latest brand campaign, #SingleBrandSharmaJi, aimed at solidifying its position as a premium home beautification solutions provider.

    Rooted in a legacy of trust and excellence spanning two decades, JK Maxx Paints builds upon the success of JK WallMaxX Wall Putty as the undisputed leader and custodian of beautiful walls and homes. Recognized for its strong distribution & market presence, brand leadership, commitment to quality & innovation, JK WallMaxX Wall Putty enjoys the unwavering trust of consumers nationwide. Understanding customers’ evolving needs, JK Maxx expands its portfolio to now offering a complete range of decorative paints and finishes.

    The campaign resonates deeply with JK WallMaxX customers who prioritize trust and consistency in their choices. Featuring renowned actor Jimmy Shergill as Sharma ji, a discerning homeowner who values quality & fervent brand loyalty, the campaign underscores the reliability of JK Maxx Paints as the preferred choice for home beautification needs.

    JK Maxx Paints (JK Cement Ltd) Dy. business head Nitish Chopra, expressed excitement about the campaign, stating, “we are delighted to introduce our latest campaign, #SingleBrandSharmaJi, which encapsulates the essence of JK Maxx Paints and our unwavering commitment to trust, excellence and quality. With over two decades of leadership and innovation in enhancing wall aesthetics, exemplified by our flagship product JK WallMaxX Wall Putty, we are poised to elevate the standard of home beautification with JK Maxx Paints.”

    In addition to television, the campaign will leverage various digital platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to reach a wider audience.

    JK Maxx Paints offers a diverse range of wall, wood, and metal paints, as well as textures and designer finishes, combining aesthetics with durability and protection. Grounded in core values of quality and customer satisfaction, the products offer superior performance, longevity, and visual appeal.

  • ZEE5 announces season 2 of flagship franchise Rangbaaz

    ZEE5 announces season 2 of flagship franchise Rangbaaz

    MUMBAI: After the phenomenal success of the first season of its marquee gangster drama, ZEE5, India’s fastest growing OTT platform, announces Rangbaaz Season 2 starring Jimmy Shergill and Gul Panag in lead roles. Written by Siddharth Mishra (who also wrote Season 1), directed by Sachin Pathak and produced by JAR Productions, Rangbaaz Season 2, is back with another story of a gangster.

    The nine-episode series is an unusual tale of a dream gone wrong. It is a fast-paced, crime thriller which encompasses caste supremacy and political rivalry of a gangster who was also referred to as ‘Robinhood’ by many. The series further brings to the forefront the fateful encounter that ended his life. This season will also see actors Zeeshan Ayyub and Sushant Singh in key roles.

    Speaking on Rangbaaz Season 2, Jimmy Shergill said, “The script of Rangbaaz Season 2 is gritty, and action-packed. It is a challenging role inspired from a true story. We started shooting early this month. Season 1 created a lot of noise and fan following. Our attempt with Season 2 is the same. It will soon premiere on ZEE5. Watch out.”

    Writer Siddharth Mishra said, “Rangbaaz Season 1 was special as it was a story I had been wanting to write since ’98. For a writer, it is an overwhelming experience when the whole project comes together with a stellar cast, director, producer and a platform like ZEE5. Moreover, the audience and critics loved Season 1 and have been waiting eagerly for Season 2. This time, the story is inspired by true events of another feared gangster, in a completely different landscape and one that will stick with the viewers like it did in the first season. Watch this space for more.”

    Director Sachin Pathak shares, “The first season of Rangbaaz received rave reviews and massive applause from audiences. I am humbled and thrilled to have the opportunity to direct Rangbaaz Season 2. It is always a challenge to bring to life true stories. The entire team along with ZEE5, the cast and JAR Productions is heavily invested in this and we look forward to celebrating another successful season.”

    Aparna Acharekar, Programming Head, ZEE5 India said, “Rangbaaz continues to do very well on our platform with loyal followers and now Season 2 going is going to be bolder, sharper and more entertaining. Jimmy Shergill is a fine actor and we are delighted to have him onboard for this show along with Gul Panag and the other cast who will be announced soon. The story is inspired from true incidents and we are looking forward to launching Season 2 of our most loved franchise.”

    Rangbaaz Season 1 was a huge success and starred actors Saqib Saleem, Ranvir Shorey, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ravi Kishan, Aahana Kumra amongst others. It was set against the rustic background of the Gorakhpur of the 90’s with hues of crime, blood, lust and dirty politics. The series was appreciated by audiences across and encouraged the makers to continue the lineage by launching season 2.

    With over 3500 films, 500+ TV shows, 4000+ music videos, 35+ theatre plays and 80+ LIVE TV Channels across 12 languages, ZEE5 truly presents a blend of unrivalled content offering for its viewers across the nation and worldwide.

  • Banjo…Out of sync

    Banjo…Out of sync

    MUMBAI: Banjo is a musical love story of a young man with a mastery over the stringed instrument. The banjo is said to have its origin in Africa. The instrument is seen to be more popular during festivals in India.

    Riteish Deshmukh is shown in the movie to be excelling in playing banjo and leads a group of friends who play music as a hobby as well as to make some extra money besides their regular jobs. He has three partners, each specializing in playing an instrument. Riteish works for a local corporator collecting haftas (extortion) for him.

    The demand for the musical group is seasonal, but there are a number of such banjo groups. The competition is stiff. However, the rivalry between two such groups is severe, which often leads to fist fights. On one such Ganesh festival, Riteish and his band come up with a number which becomes instantly popular with the local folk.

    Sitting far away in New York, Nargis Fakhri hears the number which catches her attention. Nargis is preparing to participate in a music show and has been scouting for talent. She thinks she found the group she has been looking for. She arrives in India and lands up right near his house.

    Banjo playing is not considered a glorious art and, though appointed as a guide to show her around the settlement and help her search, he does not disclose his identity to Nargis. While he helps her, he also falls in love with her.

    Nargis goes on auditioning group after group, only to be disappointed. She is finally ready to give up and decides to go back. Riteish is heartbroken. He wants to drown his sadness in music, and asks his friends to play though they have just returned from a gig and are tired. Nargis catches the sound from afar and realizes who he was. So close yet so far. Nargis is still sent back in disappointment, for, the group members have parted ways. Riteish has been framed in the murder of the corporator and sent to jail. The happy ending is certain but not so soon.

    Banjo moves on predictable lines of an underdog whose dreams are in the process of being realized as well as the usual underdog falling in love with the first girl showing concern. While the story or scripting don’t inspire much, the main drawback is the lack of good music that is mandatory for a musical. While the songs are good for gully dances due to the heavy beats played to Maharashtrian taste, the Bappa song being the mainstay, the only sober number worth humming is Rahemokaram.

    The cinematography is good. Riteish performs well and Nargis tries. The supporting actors make sincere efforts.

    Banjo could have been made for Marathi audience where the industry is thriving presently. Going for pan-India market has not helped as the opening is poor and so are the prospects.

    Producers: Krishika Lulla

    Director: Ravi Jadhav

    Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Nargis Fakri, Mohan Kapoor.

    Dil Sala Sanki…God save your soul!

    Another film about UP bahubalis and their love story! Dil Sala Sanki is a love triangle based in the city of Jhansi.  

    Jimmy Shergill is playing the local don in Jhansi. He has inherited the reign from his foster father who wished for Jimmy to share it with his adopted son. But, Jimmy would have nothing of that sort. He kills both, the other heir as well as his father. He wishes to rule alone.

    While the rest of the city is scared of Jimmy and his goons, he has a fan in Yogesh Kumar, the son of a local barber, Avtar Gill, who wants to follow in the footsteps of Jimmy. Yogesh goes around beating up people and expects to be feared for his acts.

    Yogesh takes up small assignments like settling disputes. On one such case, he is asked to get vacated a house occupied by goons as the landlord’s new tenant, Shakti Kapoor, a school teacher, has rented it out. True to the tradition of goon stories, Yogesh falls in love with Shakti’s daughter, played by Madalsa Sharma. He starts with the usual routine followed by all filmy lovelorn goons: stalk.

    It is raining and Manalsa is shown as going berserk dancing on a lonely road. Jimmy happens to pass by, sees her, and falls in love too although he has a loving wife at home, played by Harshita Bhatt. Being a bahubali who is not answerable to anybody, he simply kills Harshita.

    Jimmy soon realizes that his protégée, Yogesh, also loves Madlasa. The fight to finish begins.

    Dil Sala Sanki is a routine, humdrum love story lacking imagination or the grammar of filmmaking. The casting is curious as the hero, Yogesh Kumar, has zero acting skills or screen presence. Jimmy has a limited role. Madalsa is okay. Rest of the aspects merit no mention.

    Dil Sala Sanki has no prospects despite its limited exploitation at few screens in single show a day.

    Producer: SK Pictures P Ltd.

    Director: Sushi Kailash.

    Cast: Yogesh Kumar, Madalsa Sharma, Jimmy Shergill, Shakti Kapoor, Avtar Gill.

  • Banjo…Out of sync

    Banjo…Out of sync

    MUMBAI: Banjo is a musical love story of a young man with a mastery over the stringed instrument. The banjo is said to have its origin in Africa. The instrument is seen to be more popular during festivals in India.

    Riteish Deshmukh is shown in the movie to be excelling in playing banjo and leads a group of friends who play music as a hobby as well as to make some extra money besides their regular jobs. He has three partners, each specializing in playing an instrument. Riteish works for a local corporator collecting haftas (extortion) for him.

    The demand for the musical group is seasonal, but there are a number of such banjo groups. The competition is stiff. However, the rivalry between two such groups is severe, which often leads to fist fights. On one such Ganesh festival, Riteish and his band come up with a number which becomes instantly popular with the local folk.

    Sitting far away in New York, Nargis Fakhri hears the number which catches her attention. Nargis is preparing to participate in a music show and has been scouting for talent. She thinks she found the group she has been looking for. She arrives in India and lands up right near his house.

    Banjo playing is not considered a glorious art and, though appointed as a guide to show her around the settlement and help her search, he does not disclose his identity to Nargis. While he helps her, he also falls in love with her.

    Nargis goes on auditioning group after group, only to be disappointed. She is finally ready to give up and decides to go back. Riteish is heartbroken. He wants to drown his sadness in music, and asks his friends to play though they have just returned from a gig and are tired. Nargis catches the sound from afar and realizes who he was. So close yet so far. Nargis is still sent back in disappointment, for, the group members have parted ways. Riteish has been framed in the murder of the corporator and sent to jail. The happy ending is certain but not so soon.

    Banjo moves on predictable lines of an underdog whose dreams are in the process of being realized as well as the usual underdog falling in love with the first girl showing concern. While the story or scripting don’t inspire much, the main drawback is the lack of good music that is mandatory for a musical. While the songs are good for gully dances due to the heavy beats played to Maharashtrian taste, the Bappa song being the mainstay, the only sober number worth humming is Rahemokaram.

    The cinematography is good. Riteish performs well and Nargis tries. The supporting actors make sincere efforts.

    Banjo could have been made for Marathi audience where the industry is thriving presently. Going for pan-India market has not helped as the opening is poor and so are the prospects.

    Producers: Krishika Lulla

    Director: Ravi Jadhav

    Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Nargis Fakri, Mohan Kapoor.

    Dil Sala Sanki…God save your soul!

    Another film about UP bahubalis and their love story! Dil Sala Sanki is a love triangle based in the city of Jhansi.  

    Jimmy Shergill is playing the local don in Jhansi. He has inherited the reign from his foster father who wished for Jimmy to share it with his adopted son. But, Jimmy would have nothing of that sort. He kills both, the other heir as well as his father. He wishes to rule alone.

    While the rest of the city is scared of Jimmy and his goons, he has a fan in Yogesh Kumar, the son of a local barber, Avtar Gill, who wants to follow in the footsteps of Jimmy. Yogesh goes around beating up people and expects to be feared for his acts.

    Yogesh takes up small assignments like settling disputes. On one such case, he is asked to get vacated a house occupied by goons as the landlord’s new tenant, Shakti Kapoor, a school teacher, has rented it out. True to the tradition of goon stories, Yogesh falls in love with Shakti’s daughter, played by Madalsa Sharma. He starts with the usual routine followed by all filmy lovelorn goons: stalk.

    It is raining and Manalsa is shown as going berserk dancing on a lonely road. Jimmy happens to pass by, sees her, and falls in love too although he has a loving wife at home, played by Harshita Bhatt. Being a bahubali who is not answerable to anybody, he simply kills Harshita.

    Jimmy soon realizes that his protégée, Yogesh, also loves Madlasa. The fight to finish begins.

    Dil Sala Sanki is a routine, humdrum love story lacking imagination or the grammar of filmmaking. The casting is curious as the hero, Yogesh Kumar, has zero acting skills or screen presence. Jimmy has a limited role. Madalsa is okay. Rest of the aspects merit no mention.

    Dil Sala Sanki has no prospects despite its limited exploitation at few screens in single show a day.

    Producer: SK Pictures P Ltd.

    Director: Sushi Kailash.

    Cast: Yogesh Kumar, Madalsa Sharma, Jimmy Shergill, Shakti Kapoor, Avtar Gill.

  • Contiloe forays into animated genre with ‘Mahayoddha Rama’

    Contiloe forays into animated genre with ‘Mahayoddha Rama’

    MUMBAI: Abhimanyu Singh’s Contiloe Pictures, after a hiatus of eight years, is all set to launch its first 3D animated movie, Mahayoddha Rama. The film is slated for a mid-October release.

    Contiloe so far has been producing shows for Indian television. Some of the remarkable ones have been — Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman, Adaalat and Agent Raghav.

    Produced and presented by Abhimanyu and Roopali Singh, directed by Rohit Vaid, the film was earlier scheduled to be launched in 2008. The teaser was released in March of that year, but, the film never got to the screens due to some circumstances. Earlier, the CG production for the Mahayoddha Rama (3D, 108 Minutes) was being handled by then one of India‘s leading studios Pixion. However, now the major part of the film has been done by Illusions Studio. The production house is yet to engage distributors for the film.

    Mahayoddha Rama has next-gen actors to veteran actors playing various characters. It stars Kunal Kapoor, Sameera Reddy, Jimmy Shergill and Gulshan Grover.

    The music of the film is the last stint of the music director late Aadesh Shrivastava, Lyrics have been penned by Javed Akhtar, and the screenwriter is Ashok Banker. The creative direction was by Deepak S.V.

    Zee is the official music partner of the film whereas Viacom 18 is the broadcast partner, informs Singh. “Zee has come on board as the music partner. Also, they will be helping us with the marketing as well. Apart from that, we have NucleusNow as the PR partner. We have already sold our broadcasting rights to Viacom 18, hence it will be available on Viacom 18’s platforms, both TV and OTT after the theatrical release.”

    Viacom 18’s Motu Patlu: King of Kings is set to release on 14 October. Singh refused to comment on the release date.

  • Contiloe forays into animated genre with ‘Mahayoddha Rama’

    Contiloe forays into animated genre with ‘Mahayoddha Rama’

    MUMBAI: Abhimanyu Singh’s Contiloe Pictures, after a hiatus of eight years, is all set to launch its first 3D animated movie, Mahayoddha Rama. The film is slated for a mid-October release.

    Contiloe so far has been producing shows for Indian television. Some of the remarkable ones have been — Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman, Adaalat and Agent Raghav.

    Produced and presented by Abhimanyu and Roopali Singh, directed by Rohit Vaid, the film was earlier scheduled to be launched in 2008. The teaser was released in March of that year, but, the film never got to the screens due to some circumstances. Earlier, the CG production for the Mahayoddha Rama (3D, 108 Minutes) was being handled by then one of India‘s leading studios Pixion. However, now the major part of the film has been done by Illusions Studio. The production house is yet to engage distributors for the film.

    Mahayoddha Rama has next-gen actors to veteran actors playing various characters. It stars Kunal Kapoor, Sameera Reddy, Jimmy Shergill and Gulshan Grover.

    The music of the film is the last stint of the music director late Aadesh Shrivastava, Lyrics have been penned by Javed Akhtar, and the screenwriter is Ashok Banker. The creative direction was by Deepak S.V.

    Zee is the official music partner of the film whereas Viacom 18 is the broadcast partner, informs Singh. “Zee has come on board as the music partner. Also, they will be helping us with the marketing as well. Apart from that, we have NucleusNow as the PR partner. We have already sold our broadcasting rights to Viacom 18, hence it will be available on Viacom 18’s platforms, both TV and OTT after the theatrical release.”

    Viacom 18’s Motu Patlu: King of Kings is set to release on 14 October. Singh refused to comment on the release date.

  • Happy Bhag Jayegi, Unindian: blending of different cultures dominate cinemas this week

    Happy Bhag Jayegi, Unindian: blending of different cultures dominate cinemas this week

    MUMBAI: There are quite a few films around stories of India-Pakistan cross connections and some seem to benefit both Hindi as well as Pakistani industries as the trans-border themes find more acceptance because of commonality in cultures and could help create a common market.

    Happy Bhag Jayegi takes the two countries one story film even closer in cultures. The story in this film moves within 50 kilometers on two sides Punjab: Amritsar in India and Lahore in Pakistan. As expected, the film has an extensive use of Punjabi dialogue.

    In age-old tradition, Happy aka Diana Penty’s marriage is fixed to an aspiring local politician Jimmy Shergill by her father Kanwaljit Singh. But, Diana is deeply and truly in love with Ali Fazal, a wannabe musician. The wedding ceremony is about to take place when, as planned, Happy jumps in to an open truck parked under her window to make her escape to meet Ali.

    Not wanting to be found, Diana hides herself in a huge carton. But, there has been a mistake. Diana has jumped into a wrong truck and this truck is headed to Lahore in Pakistan via Wagah check post to deliver some stuff there. The carton lands at its destination at the house of Abhay Deol, son of the Punjab province ex-governor Javaid Sheikh.

    Abhay is engaged to his childhood friend Momal Sheikh. This is when Diana makes her presence felt, jumping out of the carton. This spells trouble for Abhay as Momal suspects some hanky-panky between Diana and Abhay. It takes a while for Abhay to clear all doubts as both, Momal and Abhay decide to help Diana unite with Ali.

    Abhay decides to make a trip to India to find Ali and bring him to Pakistan to bring the two lovers together. In India, he has to contend with Jimmy and his goons who are holding Ali in captivity. While Abhay is away in India, Jimmy’s contacts in Pakistan have kidnapped Diana who is now under their custody.

    Javaid sees in Abhay a worthy heir to his political ambitions. His catch phrase in anything to do with Pakistan is: Will change the history of Pakistan. And he feels Abhay can do it too. As a political ploy, Abhay convinces Javaid that they should arrange a community marriage of 100 needy suitors which would help them gain political mileage. Actually, his plan is to also get Ali and Diana tie the knot in the crowd of 100 couples, now that he has brought Ali from India and also got Diana freed.

    The marriage jamboree is about to begin when Jimmy who followed Abhay to Pakistan plans to take Ali’s place in the wedding ceremony. Kanwaljit has also reached the venue and a free for all follows making for a funny climax.

    Happy Bhag Jayegi is a fairly funny movie with no real negative shades as villains also have comic shades. The film is well scripted as its first half passes smoothly. It sags in the second half, making up to some extent in the climax. There is a problem as the film uses too much of Punjabi – in typical local twang. Direction is able. India Pakistan locales are mixed well. Thankfully, the film has few songs and all are peppy blending well with the theme. Cinematography is good.

    Performances are generally good. Abhay Deol is restrained. Jimmy Shergill is impressive as ever, this time in a comic role. Diana Penty impresses in the role of a typical tomboyish Punjabi girl. Ali Fazal carries his deadpan expression through as needed for his character. Momal Sheikh is fair. Special mention must be made of Piyush Mishra who excels.

    The film, as expected, has had a poor opening and some improvement over the weekend will be limited mainly to Delhi-Punjab areas due to use of Punjabi flavour and language in the film.

    Producers: Anand L Rai, Krishika Lulla.
    Director: Mudassar Aziz.
    Cast: Abhay Deol, Diana Penty, Ali Fazal, Jimmy Shergill, Javaid Sheikh, Momal Sheikh, Kanwaljit Singh, Piyush Mishra.

    UnIndian

    UnIndian is a crossover romance drama and this time, the action moves from our traditional base of such romances – UK or US – to down under in Australia. With a self-made but divorcee woman and traditional parents, a cultural clash becomes the mainstay of this film. While usually such films are loaded with loud Punjabi characters; this one is not.

    Tannishtha Chatterjee is a divorcee living in Australia. She has a daughter and parents, Supriya Pathak and Akash Khurana, who retain their Indian values and traditions. Supriya and Akash, like all well-meaning Indian parents, want their daughter to find a doctor or some such of an Indian background, well settled in life to begin her life anew.

    Bret Lee is an Australian who teaches English as it is used in Australia at the university. The plan is for the settlers from all over to learn the language making it easier for them to blend in society. The tables turn on Lee when he sees and instantly falls in love with Tannishtha. Now he needs to learn things that are Indian.

    Lee has help at hand in Arka Das, his Indian roommate who is a TV anchor of a food show. Arka knows only as much about India as Lee does but guides him all the same. This helps create some funny situations and laughter.

    The love story deals with some side issues while also promoting some tourism for Australia as the love story braves the cultural divide.

    UnIndian is a mildly funny film about meeting of two cultures through the easiest route: a love story. The script is plain with some loose ends but there is just about as much you can do in such a story where distractions cannot be crammed in as in action or song and dance. Direction is fair and the second half of the film goes a bit awry while dealing with unnecessary mush Indian style. Dialogue is simple and witty. Cinematography is competent.

    Tannishtha Chatterjee is natural and sails through the film easily. Bret Lee is better than expected. Arka Das is very good. Supriya Pathak is natural. Akash Khurana and the rest are okay in support.

    UnIndian will find very limited patronage at a few metro multiplexes.

    Producer: Krian Pictures.
    Direction: Anupam Sharma.
    Cast: Brett Lee, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Supriya Pathak, Akash Khurana, Arka Das, Gulshan Grover, Pallavi Sharda.

  • Happy Bhag Jayegi, Unindian: blending of different cultures dominate cinemas this week

    Happy Bhag Jayegi, Unindian: blending of different cultures dominate cinemas this week

    MUMBAI: There are quite a few films around stories of India-Pakistan cross connections and some seem to benefit both Hindi as well as Pakistani industries as the trans-border themes find more acceptance because of commonality in cultures and could help create a common market.

    Happy Bhag Jayegi takes the two countries one story film even closer in cultures. The story in this film moves within 50 kilometers on two sides Punjab: Amritsar in India and Lahore in Pakistan. As expected, the film has an extensive use of Punjabi dialogue.

    In age-old tradition, Happy aka Diana Penty’s marriage is fixed to an aspiring local politician Jimmy Shergill by her father Kanwaljit Singh. But, Diana is deeply and truly in love with Ali Fazal, a wannabe musician. The wedding ceremony is about to take place when, as planned, Happy jumps in to an open truck parked under her window to make her escape to meet Ali.

    Not wanting to be found, Diana hides herself in a huge carton. But, there has been a mistake. Diana has jumped into a wrong truck and this truck is headed to Lahore in Pakistan via Wagah check post to deliver some stuff there. The carton lands at its destination at the house of Abhay Deol, son of the Punjab province ex-governor Javaid Sheikh.

    Abhay is engaged to his childhood friend Momal Sheikh. This is when Diana makes her presence felt, jumping out of the carton. This spells trouble for Abhay as Momal suspects some hanky-panky between Diana and Abhay. It takes a while for Abhay to clear all doubts as both, Momal and Abhay decide to help Diana unite with Ali.

    Abhay decides to make a trip to India to find Ali and bring him to Pakistan to bring the two lovers together. In India, he has to contend with Jimmy and his goons who are holding Ali in captivity. While Abhay is away in India, Jimmy’s contacts in Pakistan have kidnapped Diana who is now under their custody.

    Javaid sees in Abhay a worthy heir to his political ambitions. His catch phrase in anything to do with Pakistan is: Will change the history of Pakistan. And he feels Abhay can do it too. As a political ploy, Abhay convinces Javaid that they should arrange a community marriage of 100 needy suitors which would help them gain political mileage. Actually, his plan is to also get Ali and Diana tie the knot in the crowd of 100 couples, now that he has brought Ali from India and also got Diana freed.

    The marriage jamboree is about to begin when Jimmy who followed Abhay to Pakistan plans to take Ali’s place in the wedding ceremony. Kanwaljit has also reached the venue and a free for all follows making for a funny climax.

    Happy Bhag Jayegi is a fairly funny movie with no real negative shades as villains also have comic shades. The film is well scripted as its first half passes smoothly. It sags in the second half, making up to some extent in the climax. There is a problem as the film uses too much of Punjabi – in typical local twang. Direction is able. India Pakistan locales are mixed well. Thankfully, the film has few songs and all are peppy blending well with the theme. Cinematography is good.

    Performances are generally good. Abhay Deol is restrained. Jimmy Shergill is impressive as ever, this time in a comic role. Diana Penty impresses in the role of a typical tomboyish Punjabi girl. Ali Fazal carries his deadpan expression through as needed for his character. Momal Sheikh is fair. Special mention must be made of Piyush Mishra who excels.

    The film, as expected, has had a poor opening and some improvement over the weekend will be limited mainly to Delhi-Punjab areas due to use of Punjabi flavour and language in the film.

    Producers: Anand L Rai, Krishika Lulla.
    Director: Mudassar Aziz.
    Cast: Abhay Deol, Diana Penty, Ali Fazal, Jimmy Shergill, Javaid Sheikh, Momal Sheikh, Kanwaljit Singh, Piyush Mishra.

    UnIndian

    UnIndian is a crossover romance drama and this time, the action moves from our traditional base of such romances – UK or US – to down under in Australia. With a self-made but divorcee woman and traditional parents, a cultural clash becomes the mainstay of this film. While usually such films are loaded with loud Punjabi characters; this one is not.

    Tannishtha Chatterjee is a divorcee living in Australia. She has a daughter and parents, Supriya Pathak and Akash Khurana, who retain their Indian values and traditions. Supriya and Akash, like all well-meaning Indian parents, want their daughter to find a doctor or some such of an Indian background, well settled in life to begin her life anew.

    Bret Lee is an Australian who teaches English as it is used in Australia at the university. The plan is for the settlers from all over to learn the language making it easier for them to blend in society. The tables turn on Lee when he sees and instantly falls in love with Tannishtha. Now he needs to learn things that are Indian.

    Lee has help at hand in Arka Das, his Indian roommate who is a TV anchor of a food show. Arka knows only as much about India as Lee does but guides him all the same. This helps create some funny situations and laughter.

    The love story deals with some side issues while also promoting some tourism for Australia as the love story braves the cultural divide.

    UnIndian is a mildly funny film about meeting of two cultures through the easiest route: a love story. The script is plain with some loose ends but there is just about as much you can do in such a story where distractions cannot be crammed in as in action or song and dance. Direction is fair and the second half of the film goes a bit awry while dealing with unnecessary mush Indian style. Dialogue is simple and witty. Cinematography is competent.

    Tannishtha Chatterjee is natural and sails through the film easily. Bret Lee is better than expected. Arka Das is very good. Supriya Pathak is natural. Akash Khurana and the rest are okay in support.

    UnIndian will find very limited patronage at a few metro multiplexes.

    Producer: Krian Pictures.
    Direction: Anupam Sharma.
    Cast: Brett Lee, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Supriya Pathak, Akash Khurana, Arka Das, Gulshan Grover, Pallavi Sharda.