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Tag: Shweta Tripathi

  • Filmfare OTT Awards fourth edition nominees unveiled: Celebrating the best in the OTT world!

    Filmfare OTT Awards fourth edition nominees unveiled: Celebrating the best in the OTT world!

    Mumbai: Brace yourself for the return of the ultimate recognition in the world of OTT as Filmfare – an entertainment media brand returns with its fouth edition of the Filmfare OTT Awards. After the successful three seasons of its highly acclaimed property, the brand continues to celebrate the geniuses behind the characters that touched hearts, the stories that left a mark. This year, the awards set a new record with 38 categories and over 450 entries, showcasing excellence as the focal point for the finest in the industry.

    While Gajraj Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, Jim Sarbh, Vijay Varma, Aparshakti Khurrana and others have been nominated for their gripping performances in the OTT world; talented actresses such as Radhika Apte, Shweta Tripathi, Tripti Dimri, Shriya Pilgaonkar are nominated for their highly acclaimed performance for their respective show/film. Hindi Cinema’s stellar actors Anil Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur are nominated for their brilliant screen time in The Night Manager, and Bloody Daddy respectively. Veteran actresses Ratna Pathak Shah and Dimple Kapadia and other distinguished actresses Kajol, Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Sonakshi Sinha amongst others have been nominated for their captivating performance across categories for their series/film.  Jubilee, TVF Pitchers Season 2, and Darlings have swept the nominations in their respective genres as Best Series (Drama), Best Series (Comedy), and Best Film (Web Original). With these celebrated names, get ready for the ultimate celebration of India’s OTT sensations with the Filmfare OTT Awards 2023!

    Reliving the magic of the most coveted celebration, where every nomination deserves a standing ovation, this year, the awards expanded the ceremony by introducing technical categories for the OTT films section. These categories acknowledge the behind-the-scenes brilliance that enhances the storytelling experience.

    The coveted awards will be held on 26 November 2023 at the prestigious Taj Lands End, Mumbai. The hosts of the evening are Kubbra Sait and Sharib Hashmi, who are all set to entertain the audience with their wit and charm.

    Filmfare OTT Awards 2023 is co-powered by Hyundai Motor India, AJIO, and Film Bandhu – Government of Uttar Pradesh, in association with Fura Gems. The coveted will honour creative excellence across Hindi web original shows and films released between  1 August 2022, to 31 July 2023. Fans can watch the show on Filmfare.com and on its social media touchpoints.

    Here is the complete nomination list –

    Best Series:

    Asur 2
    Dahaad
    Farzi
    Jubilee
    Kohrra
    Rocket Boys Season 2
    School of Lies
    Scoop
    The Night Manager
    Trial by Fire

    Best Director, Series:

    Abhay Pannu (Rocket Boys Season 2)
    Avinash Arun Dhaware (School of Lies)
    Hansal Mehta (Scoop)
    Prashant Nair, Randeep Jha (Trial by Fire)
    Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K (Farzi)
    Randeep Jha (Kohrra)
    Reema Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi (Dahaad)
    Tanuj Chopra (Delhi Crime Season 2)
    Vikramaditya Motwane (Jubilee)

    Best Actor, Series (Male): Drama

    Aamir Bashir (School of Lies)
    Abhay Deol (Trial by Fire)
    Aditya Roy Kapur (The Night Manager)
    Anil Kapoor (The Night Manager)
    Aparshakti Khurana (Jubilee)
    Jim Sarbh (Rocket Boys Season 2)
    Pankaj Tripathi (Criminal Justice- Adhura Sach)
    Shahid Kapoor (Farzi)
    Sidhant Gupta (Jubilee)
    Suvinder Vicky (Kohrra)
    Vijay Varma (Dahaad)

    Best Actor, Series (Female): Drama

    Dimple Kapadia (Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo)
    Kajol (The Trial)
    Karishma Tanna (Scoop)
    Rajshri Deshpande (Trial by Fire)
    Shefali Shah (Delhi Crime Season 2)
    Sonakshi Sinha (Dahaad)
    Wamiqa Gabbi (Jubilee)

    Best Supporting Actor, Series (Male): Drama

    Barun Sobti (Kohrra)
    Bhuvan Arora (Farzi)
    Gulshan Devaiah (Dahaad)
    Harman Baweja (Scoop)
    Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub (Scoop)
    Prathamesh Parab (Taaza Khabar)
    Prosenjit Chatterjee (Jubilee)
    Saswata Chatterjee (The Night Manager)

    Best Supporting Actor, Series (Female): Drama

    Harleen Sethi (Kohrra)
    Nimrat Kaur (School of Lies)
    Radhika Madan (Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo)
    Rasika Dugal (Delhi Crime Season 2)
    Shweta Tripathi (Kaalkoot)
    Tillotama Shome (Delhi Crime Season 2)
    Tillotama Shome (The Night Manager)

    Best Actor, Series (Male): Comedy

    Abhishek Banerjee (The Great Weddings of Munnes)
    Amol Parashar (TVF Tripling S3)
    Atul Kulkarni (Happy Family *Conditions Apply)
    Bhuvan Bam (Rafta Rafta)
    Johnny Lever (Pop Kaun?)
    Kunal Kemmu (Pop Kaun?)

    Best Actor, Series (Female): Comedy

    Aadhya Anand (Crushed Season 2)
    Juhi Parmar (Yeh Meri Family S2)
    Maanvi Gagroo (TVF Tripling)
    Ratna Pathak Shah (Happy Family *Conditions Apply)
    Srishti Ganguli (Rafta Rafta)

    Best Supporting Actor, Series (Male): Comedy

    Arunabh Kumar (TVF Pitchers S2)
    Kumud Mishra (TVF Tripling S3)
    Kunaal Roy Kapur (TVF Tripling S3)
    Naman Jain (Crushed Season 2)
    Purav Jha (Ishq Next Door)

    Best Supporting Actor, Series (Female): Comedy

    Ahsaas Channa (Hostel Daze S3)
    Shernaz Patel (TVF Tripling S3)
    Shilpa Shukla (Taaza Khabar)
    Sunita Rajwar (The Great Weddings of Munnes)
    Swati Das (Happy Family *Conditions Apply)

    Best Comedy (Series/Specials)

    Crushed
    Farzi Mushaira
    Half Pants Full Pants
    Happy Family *Conditions Apply
    Hostel Daze S3
    TVF Pitchers S2
    TVF Tripling S3

    Best Non-Fiction Original, Series/Special

    Cinema Marte Dum Tak
    Dancing on the Grave
    Mumbai Mafia: Police vs Underworld
    Playground 2
    The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives- Season 2
    The Romantics

    Best Film, Web Original

    Babli Bouncer
    Darlings
    Gulmohar
    Kathal
    Lost
    Monica, O My Darling
    Qala
    Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai

    Best Director, Web Original Film

    Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury (Lost)
    Apoorv Singh Kuki (Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai)
    Jasmeet K Reen (Darlings)
    Konkona Sen Sharma (Lust Stories 2)
    Rahul V. Chittella (Gulmohar)
    Vasan Bala (Monica, O My Darling)

    Best Actor, Web Original Film (Male)

    Diljit Dosanjh (Jogi)
    Manoj Bajpayee (Gulmohar)
    Manoj Bajpayee (Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai)
    Rajkummar Rao (Monica O My Darling)
    Shahid Kapoor (Bloody Daddy)
    Varun Dhawan (Bawaal)
    Vijay Varma (Darlings)

    Best Actor, Web Original Film (Female)

    Alia Bhatt (Darlings)

    Huma Qureshi (Monica O My Darling)

    Janhvi Kapoor (Bawaal)

    Sanya Malhotra (Kathal)

    Sharmila Tagore (Gulmohar)

    Tamannaah Bhatia (Babli Bouncer)

    Tripti Dimri (Qala)

    Yami Gautam (Lost)

    Best Supporting Actor, Web Original Film (Male)

    Ayush Mehra (Kacchey Limbu)
    Gajraj Rao (Maja Ma)
    Pankaj Kapur (Lost)
    Rajat Barmecha (Kacchey Limbu)
    Sharib Hashmi (Tarla)
    Suraj Sharma (Gulmohar)

    Best Supporting Actor, Web Original Film (Female)

    Amruta Subhash (Lust Stories 2)
    Radhika Apte (Monica O My Darling)
    Shefali Shah (Darlings)
    Shriya Pilgaonkar (Ishq-E-Nadaan

  • Mother’s Recipe and actress Shweta Tripathi collaborate to spread Fun and Festivity this Diwali

    Mother’s Recipe and actress Shweta Tripathi collaborate to spread Fun and Festivity this Diwali

    Mumbai:  Diwali represents a time of joyous celebration, heartfelt togetherness and the creation of cherished memories with loved ones. Recognising the pivotal role of women in fostering the spirit of togetherness during Diwali, Mother’s Recipe, a renowned brand known for its delectable and traditional flavors, is thrilled to announce its collaboration with actress Shweta Tripathi for a unique #TyohaarApneAndaazMein campaign. As the name of the campaign suggests – it is about how each one is celebrating their Diwali in their own unique style and how Mother’s Recipe is adding to the festive fervor.

    The collaboration between Mother’s Recipe and Shweta Tripathi seeks to encapsulate the essence of Diwali from a woman’s perspective, highlighting the significance of the festival as a time for nurturing familial bonds, spreading joy, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with laughter and love and of course lots of good food. As families come together to revel in the warmth of the festive season, the ‘Diwali Shayaris’ campaign aims to capture the heartwarming moments shared during this special time.

    The Instagram reel for #TyohaarApneAndaazMein is based on Ms. Shweta celebrating her Diwali with a twist of taste, celebrating Diwali in her own style. The campaign, inspired by the spirit of togetherness and the vibrancy of the festival, brings forth a series of ‘Diwali Shayaris’ that infuse a playful and quirky twist to the traditional celebrations, resonating with the joyful essence of both the brand and the esteemed actress. The video features a wide range of Mother’s Recipe products like Chutneys, Papad, Pickles and Ready to Cook spice mixes, which are a true celebration of Indian cuisine and home cooked food.

    Commenting on the campaign, Ms. Sanjana Desai, Executive Director of Mother’s Recipe, “Diwali holds a special place in the hearts of every Indian, especially for women, as we celebrate it with food, family & festivity. Through our collaboration with the talented Shweta Tripathi, we aim to capture the essence of Diwali in a way that resonates with the heart and soul of our consumers.”

  • Jio MAMI: ‘The Lady of the Lake’, Konkona Sen awarded

    Jio MAMI: ‘The Lady of the Lake’, Konkona Sen awarded

    NEW DELHI: David Chou’s Diamond Island and Haobam Paban Kumar’s The Lady of the Lake won the top Golden Gateway Awards in the International and National categories respectively in the MAMI International Film Festival.

    Mastercard gave Konkona Sen Sharma the Best Female filmmaker. Mastercard recently partnered with the Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star as a sponsor for the Best Female Filmmaker Award for the Festival held in Mumbai from 20 to 27 October.

    The festival showcased some of the latest cutting-edge, independent cinema and art house fare alongside genre movies from Bollywood, Hollywood and cult international movies. Mastercard South Asia Country Corporate Officer, India and Division President Porush Singh handed over the award to Konkona for the film ‘A Death in the Gunj’.

    Porush said, “MAMI has been a brilliant platform bringing the best of world and Indian cinema to Indian audiences. We at Mastercard are delighted to associate with MAMI and feel privileged to recognize the MAMI Best Female Filmmaker for the year 2016. This award is a validation of our commitment to empower and enable women across all walks of life.”

    The Festival screened over 180 films from 70 countries. The finale ceremony, hosted by Vickey Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi of Masaan, was attended by directors like Vishal Bhardwaj, Rajkumar Hirani, Kabir Khan, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, actresses Sonam Kapoor and Richa Chadha besides several others.

    Undoubtedly, the stars of the night were Anupama Chopra, Kiran Rao, and Smriti Kiran, the three women who painstakingly put the festival together, sourcing films from across the globe, arranging carefully planned masterclasses, besides hosting a number of other sessions, and one very memorable reunion of the cast and crew of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.

    Festival Director Jio MAMI with Star Anupama Chopra added, “MAMI is and has always been at the forefront of promoting excellence in cinema, be it unique, cutting edge parallel cinema or mainstream Bollywood cinema. The award for the Best Female Film-maker, presented by Mastercard was a tough choice for the jury as we sifted through many pieces of creative work. We hope to see more women come forward to directing or being a part of the creative process of cinema and thus contributing to the heritage of the Indian film fraternity.”

    INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
    Silver Gateway Award – Ralitza Petrova’s Godless.
    The Jury Grand Prize Natalia Almada’s Everything Else.
    Special Mention for Political Commitment of the Film – When Two Worlds Collide.
    The Special Mention – Macarena Arias’s Alba.

    INDIA GOLD
    Silver Gateway Award – Satish Babusenan and Santosh Babusenan’s The Narrow Path.
    Jury Grand Prize – Aicheng Jai Dohutia’s The Hidden Corner.
    Special Mention – Deepak Sampath’s Autohead
    Special Mention – Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya’s Cinema Travellers.

    DIMENSIONS MUMBAI
    Golden Gateway Award – Santosh Ganpat Kamble for Mumbai’s Mahuwa.
    Silver Gateway Award – Tabu Kaariya’s Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh.
    Special Mention (Dimensions Mumbai) Award – Yashwardhan Goswami’s Bombai.

    HALF TICKET
    Golden Gateway Award (Feature) – Laha Mebow’s Hang in There, Kids!
    The Silver Gateway Award (Feature) – Evi Goldbrunner and Joachim Dollhopf’s At Eye Level.
    Special mention (Feature) – Mrinmoy Mondal, Shupratim Bhol’s Colours of Innocence.
    The Golden Gateway Award (Short) – Vincent Patar and Stephane Aubier’s A Town Called Panic: Back to School.’
    The Silver Gateway Award (Short) – Nina Sabnani’s We Make Images.
    Special Mention (Short) – Pedro Paulo De Andrade’s The Best Sound in the World.

    Oxfam awarded Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under my Burkha for Best Film on Gender Equality while the Audience Choice Award went to The Salesman by Asghar Farhadi.
    The Young Critics Choice Award was won by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya’s Cinema Travellers.

    The Special Mention for Excellence in Writing on Cinema (Hindi) went to Naye Daur Ka Naya Cinema by Priyadarshan, whle the Special Mention for Excellence in Writing on Cinema (English) went to Kanan Devi: The First Superstar of Indian Cinema by Mekhala Sengupta.

    Excellence in Writing on Cinema Award (Hindi) – Bhartiye Cinema Ka Itihas by Anil Bhargava.

    Excellence in writing on Cinema Award (English) – The World of Hrishikesh Mukherjee by Jai Arun Singh.

  • Jio MAMI: ‘The Lady of the Lake’, Konkona Sen awarded

    Jio MAMI: ‘The Lady of the Lake’, Konkona Sen awarded

    NEW DELHI: David Chou’s Diamond Island and Haobam Paban Kumar’s The Lady of the Lake won the top Golden Gateway Awards in the International and National categories respectively in the MAMI International Film Festival.

    Mastercard gave Konkona Sen Sharma the Best Female filmmaker. Mastercard recently partnered with the Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star as a sponsor for the Best Female Filmmaker Award for the Festival held in Mumbai from 20 to 27 October.

    The festival showcased some of the latest cutting-edge, independent cinema and art house fare alongside genre movies from Bollywood, Hollywood and cult international movies. Mastercard South Asia Country Corporate Officer, India and Division President Porush Singh handed over the award to Konkona for the film ‘A Death in the Gunj’.

    Porush said, “MAMI has been a brilliant platform bringing the best of world and Indian cinema to Indian audiences. We at Mastercard are delighted to associate with MAMI and feel privileged to recognize the MAMI Best Female Filmmaker for the year 2016. This award is a validation of our commitment to empower and enable women across all walks of life.”

    The Festival screened over 180 films from 70 countries. The finale ceremony, hosted by Vickey Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi of Masaan, was attended by directors like Vishal Bhardwaj, Rajkumar Hirani, Kabir Khan, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, actresses Sonam Kapoor and Richa Chadha besides several others.

    Undoubtedly, the stars of the night were Anupama Chopra, Kiran Rao, and Smriti Kiran, the three women who painstakingly put the festival together, sourcing films from across the globe, arranging carefully planned masterclasses, besides hosting a number of other sessions, and one very memorable reunion of the cast and crew of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.

    Festival Director Jio MAMI with Star Anupama Chopra added, “MAMI is and has always been at the forefront of promoting excellence in cinema, be it unique, cutting edge parallel cinema or mainstream Bollywood cinema. The award for the Best Female Film-maker, presented by Mastercard was a tough choice for the jury as we sifted through many pieces of creative work. We hope to see more women come forward to directing or being a part of the creative process of cinema and thus contributing to the heritage of the Indian film fraternity.”

    INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
    Silver Gateway Award – Ralitza Petrova’s Godless.
    The Jury Grand Prize Natalia Almada’s Everything Else.
    Special Mention for Political Commitment of the Film – When Two Worlds Collide.
    The Special Mention – Macarena Arias’s Alba.

    INDIA GOLD
    Silver Gateway Award – Satish Babusenan and Santosh Babusenan’s The Narrow Path.
    Jury Grand Prize – Aicheng Jai Dohutia’s The Hidden Corner.
    Special Mention – Deepak Sampath’s Autohead
    Special Mention – Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya’s Cinema Travellers.

    DIMENSIONS MUMBAI
    Golden Gateway Award – Santosh Ganpat Kamble for Mumbai’s Mahuwa.
    Silver Gateway Award – Tabu Kaariya’s Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh.
    Special Mention (Dimensions Mumbai) Award – Yashwardhan Goswami’s Bombai.

    HALF TICKET
    Golden Gateway Award (Feature) – Laha Mebow’s Hang in There, Kids!
    The Silver Gateway Award (Feature) – Evi Goldbrunner and Joachim Dollhopf’s At Eye Level.
    Special mention (Feature) – Mrinmoy Mondal, Shupratim Bhol’s Colours of Innocence.
    The Golden Gateway Award (Short) – Vincent Patar and Stephane Aubier’s A Town Called Panic: Back to School.’
    The Silver Gateway Award (Short) – Nina Sabnani’s We Make Images.
    Special Mention (Short) – Pedro Paulo De Andrade’s The Best Sound in the World.

    Oxfam awarded Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under my Burkha for Best Film on Gender Equality while the Audience Choice Award went to The Salesman by Asghar Farhadi.
    The Young Critics Choice Award was won by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya’s Cinema Travellers.

    The Special Mention for Excellence in Writing on Cinema (Hindi) went to Naye Daur Ka Naya Cinema by Priyadarshan, whle the Special Mention for Excellence in Writing on Cinema (English) went to Kanan Devi: The First Superstar of Indian Cinema by Mekhala Sengupta.

    Excellence in Writing on Cinema Award (Hindi) – Bhartiye Cinema Ka Itihas by Anil Bhargava.

    Excellence in writing on Cinema Award (English) – The World of Hrishikesh Mukherjee by Jai Arun Singh.

  • Sanjoy Nag casts Revathy & Rituparna Sengupta in ‘Good Morning Sunshine’

    Sanjoy Nag casts Revathy & Rituparna Sengupta in ‘Good Morning Sunshine’

    MUMBAI: National Award winning director Sanjoy Nag (Memories of March) has pulled a coup of sorts by casting two National Award winning actresses Revathy and Rituparna Sengupta in his next directorial venture titled Good Morning Sunshine.

     

    The film also features Tejaswani Kolhapuri and Shweta Tripathi (Masaan). The film will be shot in Mumbai, Benaras, Lucknow and Mirzapur.  The unit recently completed a two days schedule in Mumbai. 

     

    The film revolves around Rai (Rituparna Sengupta), an aspiring director, pulls off a casting coup of sorts when yesteryear diva Radha (Revathy) finally gives her consent to play the lead in her debut feature film. Rai in her earlier avatar as a film critic of a TV channel, had trashed Radha’s latest at the box office, resulting in an unpleasant manifestation of Radha’s ego, creating a vitiated atmosphere not to mention the frayed tempers. 

     

    Lack of access to hygienic sanitation and toilet facilities, especially for women in India, cutting across the socio-economic strata forms the thread, which ties the story of ‘Sunshine’, the film being conceived. The film delves into the lives of diverse and interesting characters such as Leelavati (Shweta Tripathi), a young runaway bride; Jamini (Tejaswini Kolhapure) battling amnesia post her alleged rape; Anjali losing her only daughter Sonali while defecating in the open, and others around them who form a silent majority in India. 

     

    Thereafter, the film is an exploration of how Radha’s life intertwines with that of Rai, Leelavati, Jamini and Anjali as they set about completing their film, till an accident throws the film out of gear.

  • ‘Masaan:’ Limited appeal

    ‘Masaan:’ Limited appeal

    MUMBAI: Now this one is a film truly reflecting the real India. The Manikarnika Ghat at the Banaras is said to be so sacrosanct for the cremation of a deceased Hindu that it is said to guarantee eternal Nirvana, a short cut to heaven notwithstanding how one lived the life or the sins committed!

    The characters, at least the main male protagonist’s life revolves around this holy crematorium site and hence the title. Otherwise, the film is about two love stories, one nipped in the bud and the other one just when it has ripened. The stories of two star-crossed lovers traverse parallel on the banks of River Ganges in Banaras also to find their culmination on the banks of Ganges, but in another town, Allahabad on this river flowing over 2500 km plus across India and Bangladesh.

    Richa Chadda is at an age when she is easily attracted to a fellow student at her academy, grows fond of him and agrees to give herself to him. They check into a shady lodge to give vent to their pent up sexual urges when the cops barge in. There is no bar on consensual sex between two adults but not knowing the basic law, carries a high price. Also, there is the fear of losing face. The couple is caught in the act. The boy in this case fears shame and family reprisal, locks himself in the washroom and kills himself. The cop on the spot threatens Richa with abetment to suicide case despite the cause of suicide being the police.

    On Richa’s part, it was a natural calling of a girl in her upper teens but the top cop takes to blackmailing her father, Sanjai Mishra: the price tag is Rs 3 lakh. Manikarnika Ghat is known for its Hindu last rites as cremation here sets the soul free of the deceased. Mishra makes a living out of selling accessories needed for the ritual, making about Rs 10,000 a month. The income of the household shrinks further as Richa is forced to leave her job thanks to taunts and jibes from her fellow workers about her deed. Another job and still the same problem. Her reputation precedes her. The whole world runs her down and her father, Mishra, leads the bunch.

    Then there is Vicky Kaushal. He belongs to a family, which makes a living out of burning dead bodies on the ghat. It is a family business. Vicky is studying engineering but in his spare time, also helps his folk cremate dead bodies. The work is rather gory and heartless as the ritual says a burning body’s skull needs to be hit hard seven times with a pole to crack it so that the dead person’s soul attains heaven.

    Then Kaushal falls in love. The girl, Shweta Tripathi, is an upper cast Gupta, from the Agrawal trader’s family. The love blossoms notwithstanding social taboos despite both sides knowing the barriers. But, finally, before social taboos can interfere, fate does. Kaushal and Shweta are parted.

    Richa has accepted an ad hoc job with the railways and soon as her father’s Rs 3 lakh obligation is over, decides to move to Allahabad where she doesn’t expect her taint to follow. Meanwhile, Kaushal gets a job with the railways on probation. He too gets a posting at Allahabad. With empty hearts and heavy minds, both end up, symbolically, at the Allahabad Sangam, accept the mallha’s (boatman) pitch to take a boat ride and get talking. Two of a kind, sort of.

    The film has dark sides as well as some bright moments with a satisfactory end. The story is interesting and very earthy depicting a side of India, which is as ancient as it always has been and not likely to change soon so what if they are well versed with laptops and cell phones.

    First time director, Neeraj Ghaywan, who is also the writer with Varun Grover, makes sure everything about the scenario is realistic. The musical score is thematic and blends well with the proceedings. Cinematography is excellent.

    Such a film needs able performers and, to that end, the casting is perfect. Richa is totally in to her character. Mishra, as usual, lives up to his reputation given a good role. Shweta is perfect playing the pampered girl in love for the first time. Kaushal is a natural. The young boy, playing the help to Mishra, Nikhil Sahni, is promising. Rest are equally good.

    Masaan, having made its mark at the Cannes Film Festival with two awards: International Jury of Film Critics prize and Promising Future prize in the Un-Certain Regard section, will appeal to connoisseurs of cinema and its box office prospects will be limited to a few multiplexes and, to some extent, in UP.

    Producers: Vikas Bahl, Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga, Vikramaditya Motwane, Shaan Vyas, Manish Mundra, Marie-Jeanne Pascal, Mélita Toscan du Plantier

    Director: Neeraj Ghaywan

    Cast: Richa Chaddha, Vicky Kaushal, Shweta Tripathi, Sanjai Mishra, Nikhil Sahni

  • IFFLA: ‘Chauranga’ wins Best film award, ‘Kaaka Muttai’ bags audience choice

    IFFLA: ‘Chauranga’ wins Best film award, ‘Kaaka Muttai’ bags audience choice

    NEW DELHI: Filmmaker Bikas Ranjan Mishra’s Chauranga won the Best Feature (Grand Jury) award at the 13th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA).

     

    M. Manikandan’s Kaaka Muttai won the Best Feature award (Audience Choice) at the festival, which was held from 8 to 12 April at the ArcLight Hollywood.

     

    Actresses Kalki Koechlin and Shweta Tripathi were in a tie as winners of the Best Actress award for Margarita with a Straw and Haraamkhor respectively. 

     

    Chauranga, co-produced by Sanjay Suri and Onir, stars Suri and Tannishtha Chatterjee. It is a fictional account of six days in a dark corner of India, telling a story of violence of class oppression that still exists in rural India.

     

    Onir tweeted, “Super Proud that our film #CHAURANGA won the BEST FEATURE – GRAND JURY prize at #IFFLA :). (sic)”.

     

    “Thrilled ! #CHAURANGA wins Best Feature (GRAND JURY) prize at #IFFLA2015 @bikas @IamOnir @TannishthaC @ArpitaCP,” Suri tweeted.

     

    The Best Short Film (Audience Choice) award was given to Safar by Pratyusha Gupta, while the Grand Jury prize in the same segment went to Dandekar Makes A Sandwich by Leena Pendharkar.

     

    A total of around 25 films including sixteen features – among them the opening filmHaraamkhor by Shlok Sharma and several shorts including Jai Ho on A R Rahman by Delhi-based filmmaker Umesh Aggarwal – were screened at the Festival.

     

    Starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Haraamkhor has been produced by Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga.

     

    The closing film was Dhanak, a coming-of-age film directed by Nagesh Kukunoor. The centerpiece film was the British comedy One Crazy Thing directed by Amit Gupta. The movie stars Ray Panthaki and Daisy Bevan and centers on a man struggling to overcome the notoriety from his sex tape. 

     

    Actor-producer Abhay Deol was a member of the jury and the other narrative jury members were filmmaker Sean Baker, HFPA member and frequent board director Yoram Kahana, Warner Bros EVP – physical production Ravi Mehta and author and film curator Berenice Reynaud.

     

    The shorts jury include actor Danny Pudi, Outfest director of programming Lucy Mukerjee-Brown, Sundance shorts programmer Lisa Ogdie and Heather Morris Washington, manager of the Emerging Writers Fellowship at Universal.

     

    The festival saw four world premieres, seven North American bows, two American and 10 Los Angeles premieres from not just India, but also the US, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Cuba, in 10 languages including English, Spanish and German.