Notizie

by Rita Dutta

The Bengal Renaissance depicts a tale of a bygone era—a period that symbolizes Bengal’s encounter with a cultural revolution that redefined the course of history. Known as the cultural capital of India, Bengal cemented this status during this transformative time. Highlighting its engagement with liberalism and modernity, this intellectual and nationalist movement gave rise to a cultural elite that shaped the social and political landscape of Bengal and Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).

Within the Bengal Renaissance, one of the most significant phenomena was the emergence of bhadramahilas (educated women of the middle class). While striving to establish the supremacy of the bhadralok (educated male gentry), these women also created space for their own emancipation, both within the household and in the public sphere. Modern working women in the city draw inspiration from these pioneers. Among contemporary cultural icons, Aparna Sen stands as a living legend who...

Indian cinema icon Sharmila Tagore embraces a challenging role in Suman Ghosh’s “The Ancient” (Puratawn), which has its India premiere at the Mami Mumbai Film Festival. The veteran actor portrays a woman grappling with memory loss in director Suman Ghosh’s Bengali-language drama.

In “The Ancient,” Ritika (Rituparna Sengupta) and her husband Rajeev (Indraneil Sengupta) return to her ancestral home in West Bengal to celebrate her mother’s (Tagore) 80th birthday. Upon arrival, Ritika discovers her mother’s cognitive decline, forcing her to confront a new reality. As Ritika grapples with this revelation, she embarks on a journey of acceptance, coming to terms with her mother’s irreversible condition.

Ghosh is a festival veteran with 2011’s “Nobel Thief,” 2012’s “Uncle Shyamal Turns off the Lights,” 2015’s “Peace Haven,” 2016’s “Mi Amor,” 2019’s “Aadhaar” and 2023’s “Scavenger of Dreams” all premiering at Busan and 2024 documentary “Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen” at Rotterdam.

Indian actor Prosenjit Chatterjee is a veteran of more than 250 films, but his most recent endeavor “Shesh Pata” is one of the special ones.

Chatterjee is a superstar in the eastern Indian Bengali-language film industry and a sought-after actor in the Hindi-language Bollywood industry as well. He scored global hits in 2023 with his pivotal roles in Prime Video series “Jubilee” and Netflix series “Scoop.” The same year, he starred in Bengali blockbuster “Dasham Avatar.”

For “Shesh Pata,” Chatterjee reunited with director Atanu Ghosh, with whom he’d done successful films “Mayurakshi” (2017) and “Robibaar” (2019). In “Shesh Pata,” Chatterjee plays Balmiki, an arrogant non-conformist fiction writer whose best days are behind him. A publisher commissions him to write a book about his murdered actress wife, but Balmiki, who is sunk in a morass of tobacco and alcohol, does not deliver. The publisher engages a debt recovery agent to get the writing out of Balmiki.

Actress Rituparna Sengupta, known for her roles in Bengali and Hindi films like ‘Main, Meri Patni Aur Wo’, ‘Aakrosh’, ‘Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji’, among others, revealed that her daughter, Rishona Niya Chakrabarty, is visiting India from Singapore to celebrate Holi during her academic break.

Speaking about her Holi plans, she shared, “Holi is a very special occasion for all of us. During childhood, we used to eagerly await Holi, enjoying the festivities, playing with colors using pichkaari, soaking ourselves in colorful water, playing with balloons, and receiving blessings from elders with abir.”

The actress emphasized that despite her busy schedule, Holi is a festival she eagerly anticipates as it brings a sense of peace and allows her to be with loved ones.

She expressed, “Even now, amidst the work pressures, Holi holds a special place. This time, I have friends joining me for Satyanarayan pooja at my home. With...

Mumbai, Feb 21 (Ians) The upcoming film ‘Political War’, helmed by Mukesh Modi, has been creating a huge buzz as the film’s trailer has gone viral, clocking 15 lakh views and numerous likes, comments and shares and impressions within a short span of time.

The trailer of the film promises a gripping story that will appeal to the audience across the board.

Earlier, the Censor Board of Film Certification in India (Cbfc) had refused to grant a certificate to the film.

Mukesh Modi said: “I am very positive that once again we will appeal to the censor after editing the film, and it will be passed, so that everyone in India can watch it in theatres. Due to the rejection by the censor in India , the film is releasing overseas on February 23.”

The director thanked everyone for the overwhelming response to the teaser, songs, and now the trailer of his film.

Prolific filmmaker Suman Ghosh has unveiled the first look for his new film “Puratawn” (“Ancient”), starring veteran Indian actor Sharmila Tagore.

Tagore takes on the role of a matriarch grappling with the challenges of aging. As her 80th birthday is celebrated by her daughter and son-in-law at the ancestral house, the unfolding events over the next week become the focal point of the narrative, delving into the complexities that shape their collective journey.

Rituparna Sengupta’s Bhavna Aaj O Kal (“Datta”) is producing the film, which is seeking a sales agent at the Berlin Film Festival’s European Film Market.

Ghosh is a festival veteran with 2011’s “Nobel Thief,” 2012’s “Uncle Shyamal Turns off the Lights,” 2015’s “Peace Haven,” 2016’s “Mi Amor,” 2019’s “Aadhaar” and 2023’s “Scavenger of Dreams” all premiering at Busan and 2024 documentary “Parama: A Journey with Aparna Sen” at Rotterdam. He scored a major commercial hit with “Kabuliwala,...

Mumbai, Jan 15 (Ians) Filmmaker Mukesh Modi, who has helmed the movie ‘Political War’, has paid tribute to Ram Mandir with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ song as the enthusiasm for the consecration of Lord Ram at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on January 22 reaches new heights.

Mukesh Modi shared that the song conveys a positive message to society

Talking about the same, Mukesh said: “We dedicate a song, ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ from our film ‘Political War’ to the Ram Mandir. This song and our film conveys a positive message to society.”

It is worth mentioning that Mukesh Modi’s film ‘Political War’ has been in the spotlight recently as the censor board refused to approve its release. Despite this setback, the film is scheduled for an overseas release on February 16, 2024, and will subsequently be available on Ott platforms.

The film was shot in Mumbai, Varanasi, Lucknow, and the United States. It stars Seema Biswas,...

After 2011’s “Nobel Thief,” 2012’s “Uncle Shyamal Turns off the Lights,” 2015’s “Peace Haven,” 2016’s “Mi Amor” and 2019’s “Aadhaar,” Indian filmmaker Suman Ghosh returns again to the Busan International Film Festival.

“The Scavenger of Dreams” has its world premiere in the ‘A Window On Asian Cinema’ strand. A treatise on social inequality, the film follows Birju and Shona, trash collectors who live in a Kolkata slum with their young daughter. They scour the city’s affluent areas by day for garbage and their experiences become the grist of stories for their daughter by night.

Like “Aadhaar,” “The Scavenger of Dreams,” then called “The Waste Collector,” was also at Busan’s Asian Project Market, where it gained significant exposure. The germ of the film was from a New York Times article about waste collectors that Ghosh read years ago that stayed with him.

“The reason I wanted to make the...

Actress Rituparna Sengupta has started working on a new film, which she tags as a tribute to the late music director Bappi Lahiri. Two schedules of the film have already been completed with the final leg of shoot set to take place in a week for which Rituparna is in Mumbai currently.

The yet-to-be-titled film is a dark comedy, directed by Rajan Lallan Puri, and also stars Govind Namdev, Rajpal Yadav, Prem Chopra, Anup Jalota and debutant Anjuman.

On being asked about her new project, Rituparna said, “This film has a very strong yet interesting subject line which we don’t generally get to watch in the dark comedy genre.”

“I had been approached by the late Bappi Lahiri for this film which is also his last film where he has given music, so I couldn’t think of not doing this film. This film is also my way of...

Actors Rituparna Sengupta, Arbaaz Khan, Mahesh Manjrekar and Aditya Srivastava have teamed up for the web film ‘Kal Trighori’, directed by Nitin Vaidya. On recalling some behind the camera moments, Rituparna shares: “My experience is very nice, our director Nitin Vaidya has written a very interesting and intelligent horror with a strong thrill element with […]...

Kolkata, March 16 (Ians) Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta was tested positive for Covid-19. She shared the news on social media.

"I have tested positive for Covid-19 but I want to inform you all that I am feeling fine. I am asymptomatic and following all the required protocols and precautions advised by my doctor and authorities," she tweeted.

Sengupta said that she is currently in Singapore and had quarantined herself at recovery centre.

Sengupta won the national award in 1997 for Dahan.

--Ians

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Bengali star Rituparna Sengupta rues the fact that her bucket list wish of working with Yash Chopra will never be fulfilled, but she sure hopes to get a chance to work with Rajkumar Hirani and Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

"Like everyone else, I have grown up watching those wonderful love stories and iconic films of Yash Chopra. So when I became an actress, it was on my bucket list to work with Yash ji. Unfortunately, that will not happen because he is no more, but it would be great if I get a chance to work in his brand of cinema. I would also love to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rajkumar Hirani and Gulzar saab," Rituparna told Ians.

Being an actress in the Bengali film industry for over 30 years, she says her achievements have given her the confidence to take up new challenges.

"I think my success has given me...

Actor Chandan Roy Sanyal turned a year older on Saturday, and is spending his birthday with family in Goa.

"The most I expect from a birthday is quality time with my parents. I'm grateful to have had a fulfilling year and to have the love of the viewers despite the challenges of the year. My goal is to kick off the year with all the positivity and love I have received so far," Chandan said.

The actor, who has featured in Bollywood films such as Kaminey, Jazbaa and Chef, has captured audience imagination lately playing the vile Bhopa Swamy over two seasons of Prakash Jha's crime drama series Aashram. He will soon be seen in Sanak and Salt.

In Salt, Chandan is cast opposite Bengali star Rituparna Sengupta. The film revolves around Shankar, an introvert architect who falls for Maya, the girlfriend of his boss. Maya is an extrovert...

Exclusive: Leading Indian Ott platform Eros Now has set its 2021 content slate with 46 new titles including 33 film premieres and 13 original series. Owned by ErosSTX Global Corporation, Eros Now is offering what the companies say is the Indian industry’s biggest content slate for next year.

The slate, promoted with Bollywood stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aaryan under the hashtag #KahaaniHarRangKi (loosley translated as “story of every color”), is intended to deepen Eros Now’s engagement with its existing global audience and serve increasing consumer demand for online content. India is a significant digital growth market with Eros Now seeing 6.9M paying subscribers joining in the six-month period that ended September 30, 2020. As of that date, the service had 211.5 million registered users and 36.2 million paying subscribers. In total, Eros Now has rights to over 12,000 films across Hindi and regional languages.

The new slate was derived from Eros Now’s proprietary user data,...

Eros Now, a streaming entertainment service owned by Eros STX Global Corporation, a Global Entertainment Company, today announced a robust slate of 46 compelling stories - 33 film premieres and 13 originals in 8 plus languages. The incredible slate was unveiled by none other than Bollywood's popular personalities Kartik Aaryan and Ayushmann Khurrana.

Defining their diverse slate as #KahaaniHarRangKi, Eros Now has announced these engaging stories that span across numerous genres, languages, and narratives. Versatile actors Kartik Aaryan and Ayushmann Khurrana were seen introducing the diverse slate of #KahaaniHarRangKi in a unique way. Ayushmann made his Bollywood debut 'Vicky Donor' with Eros, Ayushmann Khurrana who is best known for portraying numerous distinctive characters in unique films and stories, was the perfect choice to reveal the diverse Eros Now slate.

On the other hand, popular star Kartik Aaryan had his own unique way of announcing the slate. Not only did he showcase the...

Ranjan Ghosh is no stranger to wading into uncharted waters. His most recent film — “Ahaa Re” (2019) — spins a daring love story between a Muslim top chef and Hindu home caterer, describing a cross-cultural and cross-class love for food. Ghosh’s tendency to break boundaries is not new, however. In “Colours of Money” (2017), his second feature, Ghosh curates an anthology of four shorts about India’s poor. Released in the midst the demonetization crisis in 2016 (and subsequently attracted attention for it), Ghosh’s earlier work captures a refreshingly intimate outlook of society’s margins.

The shorts are themed, paralleling the different colors of the Indian rupee. In the first story, “Red – Love,” a poor tribal couple seeking a divorce — and surprisingly, remarriage — from a profiteering clerk (Kharaj Mukherjee). Arunima Ghosh stars again in “Blue – Separation,” only this time clad in fine jewelry and luxurious fabrics. After hearing the news of her wealthy,...

Indrasis Acharya is an Indian filmmaker and screenwriter who is best known for his work in the Bengali film industry. After directing nationally and internationally acclaimed short films like Living Beyond the Line, Ektu Antorikota Jonno and Un-fair-y, he made his feature film debut as a writer-director with the 2017 drama Bilu Rakkhosh, which won accolades at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Nyiff and Asia Film Festival. Indrasis’ debut short film, Living Beyond the Line, has also won the Best Film Award at the National Festival for Short and Documentary Films. The writer-director is currently working on his second feature film Pupa, which he also wrote. His two latest films are “Pupa” and “The Parcel”

We speak with him about the comments in his films and Bengali society, tradition and its power, Rituparna Sengupta, Bengali cinema, and other topics.

In “Pupa”, you decided to deal with the concept of euthanasia. Why...

Sometimes love is silent, but it blooms with time and spreads its aura with expression. Director Ranjan Ghosh portrays a poetic love story in “Ahaa Re” where simple love blooms like a beautiful dish of Bengali cuisine.

Farhaz Chowdhury or Raja (Arifin Shuvoo), a popular chef of Bangladesh starts a new job in Kolkata after a heart break. Farhaz is in a relationship with Shahida (Amrita Chattopadhyay), but it does not click as somehow the spices required to create a perfect cuisine are missing from both. Farhaz joins his friend’s hotel in Kolkata and eventually comes across Basundhara (Rituparna Sengupta). Basundhara runs a family catering service and she is older than Farhaz. But Farhaz smells the perfect spice in Basundhara and in his strive to find the long-awaited love in her, develops a closeness with her family members. He finds himself in the good book of Basundhara’s father...

One of the biggest Indian Film Festivals outside of India, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne has just announced its nominations for its annual awards ceremony. The festival is presented by the Victorian Government, is an annual festival that takes place in the cultural melting pot, Melbourne. This year's theme of the festival is Courage with over 58 films selected and to be screened in 21 languages.?

Apart from an exciting line up of some of the best Indian film talent set to visit the city to attend the celebrations at the festival, the annual award night will be held on 8th August the Palais Theatre, which is an iconic landmark of the city. ?

Each year the festival has had the privilege of some of the biggest Australian film talent on the jury panel. After a successful past few years, this year the jury comprises of some of the most renowned and...

Love is sometimes an imaginative reality which evolves through the eventuality of life. Director Ranjan Ghosh is back with his new Bengali movie “Ahaa Re” where food and cuisine hold the thread of love in a crossover love story.

The trailer depicts a parallel narrative where one protagonist ( Arifin Shuvoo) is a Muslim chef from Dhaka, Bangladesh and other is a middle class Hindu lady ( Rituparna Sengupta) from Kolkata, India. The trailer is aesthetically poised and beautifully paced. Director Ranjan Ghosh has portrayed human emotions and relations in a distinctive style in his earlier outings – “ Hrid Majharey” and “ Rong Beronger Korhi” and the trailer of “Ahaa Re” creates an aura of freshness.

The film also stars Dipankar De, Shakuntala Barua, Amrita Chattopadhyay and Paran Bandopadhyay and edited by Rabiranjan Maitra.

The trailer starts with a narration by Anjan Dutt that defines the reality of life comparing it with the algorithm of a winter’s day. A tune of violin flows along the trailer depicting the rhythm of life in an uncanny manner. The movement of camera blends perfectly with the song which portrays the truth of love in this materialistic world. Life has been captured inside the walls of a hotel where co-exist love, pain and betrayal and all define the certitudes of life like ever-existing pole star. Its one of the classiest trailers released in recent times, creating an aura of avidity aesthetically.

National award winning Indian director Srijit Mukherji is back in this winter with his new Bengali movie – “Shah Jahan Regency” – based on famous Bengali novel “Chowringhee” penned by Mani Shankar Mukherjee. The movie stars Abir Chatterjee, Parambrata Chatterjee, Anjan Dutt, Rituparna Sengupta, Swastika Mukherjee and others.

There is no doubt that this is the era of women-oriented films. Bollywood is no more just a reflection of the male-dominated society or patriarchy, it has grown to be more wiser and bolder enough to give its audiences a peek into women's life, their struggles and how powerful they can be at times when compared to their male counterparts. And after watching Srijit Mukherjee's hard-hitting Begum Jaan trailer, we can only think of one word right now, that is, outstanding. Vidya Balan as Begum Jaan Vidya Balan, who has established herself as the shero of Bollywood, is back with yet another herculean role in Begum Jaan which will surely take her graph to another level altogether. She has totally nailed her bold and fierce avatar of a foul-mouthed and iron-fisted madam of a brothel Begum Jaan who gives zero fucks when it comes to her existence. Watch the...

After Kahani 2, the ‘hero’ of her own films, Vidya Balan marks her comeback with yet another intriguing tale ‘Begum Jaan’. A look at Vidya and you could see, how fierce she looks in her new avatar! The movie Originally a hit Bengali movie ‘Rajkahini’, Vidya Balan’s ‘Begum Jaan’ is a creative adaptation of the hit flick. The critically acclaimed director of 'Rajkahini', Srijit Mukherji debuts in Bollywood with his directorial venture, ‘Begum Jaan’. ‘Rajkahini’ was among the most loved movies of 2015 and brought many accolades internationally. Vidya Balan's role was portrayed by Rituparna Sengupta in the Bengali version. Vidya Balan Vidya palys the role of a brothel owner in the era of partition. The poster of the movie amazed the audiences with the transformation of Vidya as a homely girl in ‘Parineeta’ to a brutal brothel owner. Vidya Balan is one versatile actress that we have in Bollywood.

Actress Richa Chadha has had an amazing year thus far. With her attending the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for the third time, to her shooting for the Indo-American Project Love Sonia she has been busy with back-to-back projects. Richa who has never shied away from voicing her opinions on issues that matter, has been chosen to deliver a master class about Indian cinema at the upcoming Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.

An excited and overwhelmed Richa expressed her feelings on being selected to give her inputs at the session, “It feels awesome to be invited to speak on behalf of Indian cinema. There’s a huge expat population in Australia and I am excited to meet them. Looking forward to discussing cinema at such a platform.”

Richa will throw light on the subject of ‘Women in Bollywood’ at the event. This prestigious festival is endorsed by another talented actress, Vidya Balan.

With Rituparna Sengupta leading the pack, Bengali film Rajkahini also had several other actresses playing prostitutes in the brothel that becomes a victim of partition. And now following the footsteps will be the Hindi remake of this critically acclaimed women-centric Bengali film, Begum Jaan too will have several other female characters.

Besides Vidya Balan as the protagonist, we hear that Gauhar Khan, who has acted in films like Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year and will play one of the girls staying in the brothel along with Hawaizaada actresses Pallavi Sharda and Priyanka Setia. Besides them model turned actresses Flora Saini and Poonam Rajput along with popular TV actress Ridhima Tiwari and Ravija Chauhan too will be seen in the role of prostitutes. Singer Ila Arun who is known for her roles in films like Jodhaa Akbar and Kaanchi fame Mishti will join the prostitutes in the brothel household to...

After the recently released Rajkahini, the Bhatt camp is all set for the remake of yet another Bengali film titled Praktan. This Prosenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta starrer, however, is slated to release on May 27 but Mukesh Bhatt decided to go ahead and buy the rights of the same, even before its release. Not worried about the way the film will perform in theatres, Mukesh revealed that he bought the rights solely because he liked the subject. The film, that is a romance drama about past relationships and its intricacies, is directed by Shiboprasad Mukopadhyay and Nandita Roy, who will also be directing the Hindi remake. Further revealing about the same, Shiboprasad added that Mukesh Bhatt had shown interest in working with them ever since the release of the film Bela Seshe in 2015. In order to seal the deal, Shibo also showed the film Praktan to Mukesh and he decided...

The New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) announced the full lineup last night for their 16th year of celebrating independent, art house, alternate, and diaspora films from/about/connected to the Indian subcontinent (May 7 – May 14). Dedicated to bringing these films to a New York audience, the festival will feature 40 screenings (35 narrative, 5 documentary) –all seen for the first time in New York City. In addition, the festival will also feature five programs of short films.

The festival highlights various cinemas of India’s different regions. All the films are subtitled in English and some of the languages this year include Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Telegu, Assamese, Haryanavi and Urdu. This year’s festival will feature a couple of sidebars –Nfdc restored first films of filmmakers and a three-generations sidebar, films of Bimal Roy, Basu Bhattacharya and Aditya Bhattacharya.

The festival’s film lineup includes 2016 National Award winners A Far Afternoon,...

Srijit Mukherjee's Bangla epic Rajkahini which swept the box office and all the critical acclaim last year, is going to Punjab. And Vidya Balan is taking it there. Mukherjee who wrote and directed Rajkahini is now all set to remake the film in Hindi for producers Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt. The film would be made with an entirely new cast, with Vidya Balan replacing Rituparno Ghosh in the central part of brothel's Madame. All the other 11 sex workers would also be played by actresses who do not feature in the Bangla version. And there is a very good reason for this. Explains Srijit Mukherjee, "We are re-locating the plot of Rajkahini, titled Begum Jaan in Hindi, to the Punjab border. Rajkahini was located at the Bengal border where the after-effects of Partition where felt much less strongly than in Punjab. We're taking the story to a new level, and...

Earlier it was reported that Vidya Balan would soon be seen in a Mahesh Bhatt film. Well now we hear that the film in question which is an adaptation of Srijit Mukherji's Bengali film, Rajkahini, will be titled Begum Jaan after the main protagonist, the madam of the brothel. Further we also hear that the central protagonist of the film that was played by Rituparna Sengupta in the original, will be essayed by none other than Vidya Balan. Set to roll in June, Begum Jaan follows the after effects of the Partition in Bengal in 1947, delving into the lives of 11 women living in a brothel that finds itself divided by the newly-chalked Loc, with half of the house now in India and the other half in Pakistan. Though more details of the film are unavailable, we hear that the makers will be casting eight other actresses for the film...

Eros International Media Ltd (Eros International), a leading global film company in the Indian film entertainment industry has announced its grand line up for 2016. The company will release an unparalleled 65 plus films across multiple languages again this year, making it the biggest slate by any Indian studio.

Following 2015’s critically acclaimed and commercial successes like NH10, Badlapur, Tanu Weds Manu Returns and the top grosser of the year, Bajrangi Bhaijaan along with Telugu and Bengali super hits Srimanthudu and Bela Seshe respectively, Eros is all set to announce another impressive pipeline of releases. The company ended a highly successful year with the maximum hits by a studio with the release of one of its most ambitious projects, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani that opened in cinemas globally to fabulous reviews and collections. The film still continues to run successfully in cinemas worldwide and Eros plans to release it in...

The veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is all set to adorn the role of a co-writer and creative director for the Hindi adaptation of his latest protege- filmmaker Srijit Mukherjee's Bengali film Rajkahini.

Speaking about the film, Mahesh Bhatt, who was all praises for Srijit Mukherjee, said that just like Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil's films and also his daughter Alia Bhatt's role in Highway, Rajkahini too has one of the greatest performances by a woman (Rituparna Sengupta as Begum Jaan). He added that the soul stirring premise of Rajkahini moved him totally.

When asked about the film's heroine, Mahesh Bhatt wished that he would like Rituparna to act in the Hindi remake too. He also mentioned that, looking at her performance in the film brought tears in his eyes. That's when he immediately told her that he wanted to cast her in his film (the Hindi adaptation).

Watch this space for developments.

Slated to release on 11th September, Bengali film ‘Teenkahon’ has been receiving immense support from the Bollywood industry as well, for its intriguing story and promising performances. Impressed with director Bauddhayan Mukherji’s work, Imtiaz Ali who has associated himself with the film, hosted a screening last evening for his friends from the industry. Present at the soiree were director Vikramaditya Motwane, Zoya Akhtar, Dia Mirza, Isha Koppikar, Sunidhi Chauhan, Dinesh Vijan, Tillotama Shome, Irshad Kamil, Anup Singh among others.

Speaking about the film Imtiaz Ali said, “Unique film, yet connected. It’s been made with a lot of love, inspiration. Great detailing, clear cut characters. High class cinema!” Guests from the industry enjoyed and appreciated the film as well.

Isha Koppikar said, “I am speechless right now. I still have a hangover of the movie.” When asked for reasons why she liked the movie she added, “Unique, different, well shot,...

A still from Teenkahon

Bengali feature film Teenkahon (Three Obsessions) won the Best Screenplay award and Special Mention of the Jury for Cinematography at the Bridge Film Fest at Mitrovica, Kosovo. The maiden edition of the festival, in the partially-recognized state of Kosovo in South-eastern Europe, screened ten feature films from across the globe.

Teenkahon marks the directorial debut of advertising filmmaker Bauddhayan Mukherji and is independently produced by his Mumbai-based production company, Little Lamb films.

The film will have its Indian premiere at the Mumbai Film Festival (Mami) on October 16 in “New Faces in Indian cinema” section.

A triptych, Teenkahon features Dhritiman Chaterji, Rituparna Sengupta, Ashish Vidyarthi and Sabyasachi Chakraborty, among others.

Spread over a hundred years, the three stories are structured in the manner of the classical Three Act Play with each story exploring one facet of an obsessive relationship outside the purview of marriage. Each story is...

Wift (Women in Film and Television) India Rising hosted an evening honoring women from the film industry who have contributed to the growth and development of films, TV and media industry. Wift India took the initiative of bringing this year’s women National Award winners together to felicitate them and support women whose films have been selected for Cannes Film Festival.

The women who were felicitated were Geetanjali Thapa, Shabnam Sukhdev, Anjali Patil, Amruta Subhash, Sumitra Bhave, Shweta Ghosh, Bela Shende, Aarti Shrivastava, Akanksha Sood Singh, Gauri Gadgil, Sanjana Rai, Charu Shree Roy, Alaka Sahani, Kavita Bahl and Padma Shri recipient Sooni Taraporewala who is also advisory board member with Wift India was also honoured.

Wift India is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to provide a dynamic platform to facilitate the exchange of ideas, accelerate the professional development and recognize the achievement of women in film, television and other screen based...

Suchitra Sen

What:

Suchitra Sen Film Festival- a tribute.

Screening of acclaimed films of Suchitra Sen like Harano Sur, Bombai Ka Babu, Aatmiyo Swajan, Aandhi, Guerrilla and Lal Tip.

The festival is being organised by the Entertainment Society of Goa.

When:

11-16 April.

Entry:

Free and open to all.

Venue:

Auditorium 1

Maquinez Palace

Panaji, Goa.

About the event:

List of films

Harano Sur (11 April)

Director: Ajay Kar

(1957, 162min, B/W)

Cast: Suchitra Sen, Uttam Kumar, Pahari Sanyal, Utpal Dutta.

Aloke Mukherjee (Uttam Kumar), mentally imbalanced, following a train accident, is rescued on escaping from the asylum by Doctor Roma Banerjee (Suchitra Sen). There, while treating him at her home they fall in love, and marry. But a second accident makes Aloke recall his past life as a rich businessman in Calcutta and forget Roma. Could Aloke ultimately remember the days he spent with wife Roma?

Bombai Ka Babu (12 April)

Director: Raj Khosla

Cast: Suchitra Sen,...

Film: "Alik Sukh"; Cast: Deb Shankar Haldar, Rituparna Sengupta, Sohini Sengupta, Biswanath Basu, Kharaj Mukherjee; Directors: Shiboprasad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy; Rating: *** 1/2

"Alik Sukha" is a "tale of fleeting happiness" jointly directed by Shiboprasad Mukhopadhyay and Nandita Roy. The film sensitively captures the lives of a successful gynecologist, Kingshuk Ghosh (Deb Shankar Haldar), his wife and the relatives of his dead patient.

The film begins in a very non-linear fashion, capturing the relevance of the motive.

In the film, Jan 22 happens to be the wedding anniversary of Kingshuk. After helping Kobita (Sohini Sengupta) deliver by a caesarean section, he decides to go and book a new flat for.

This week will yet again witness multiple releases in the form of Shilpa Shukla’s B.A. Pass, the Deepak Dobriyal and Priya Bhatija starrer Chor Chor Super Chor, Rituparna Sengupta’s Calapor and the Arshad - Riya venture Rabba Main Kya Karoon. With Rohit Shetty’s Shahrukh Khan starrer Chennai Express releasing next week, the new releases of this week will face a tough challenge. Read More...

The late Joy Mukherjee jostles with 20-something year old debutant Akash Chopra in the theatres this week. It looks like a chaos of releases again.

It's the pre-Eid week when Ramzan is at its peak and a sizeable chunk of the audience stays away from movie theatres. Yet we have a very strange spectrum of releases lined up for Friday.

Joy Mukherjee who passed away last year resurfaces in Love In Bombay, a 42-year old project directed by Joy (his second directorial effort after Humsaaya) that has the distinction of every actor and technician being dead except the lovely Waheeda Rehman...God grant her a long life.

The late prolific filmmaker Ramanand Sagar's grandson Akash Chopra makes his screen debut in the wedding comedy Rabba Main Kya Karoon directed by Amrit Sagar who gave us that excellent war film 1971. The film has an interesting lineup of comic actors Arshad Warsi,...

Panaji, August 1: Makers of upcoming Bollywood film "Calapor" will heed super cop Kiran Bedi's advice and speak to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in an effort to get the film declared tax-free.

"Calapor" is arguably one of the most expensive films made by a Goan producer-director duo and stars Rituparna Sengupta, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Raghubir Yadav and Harsh Chhaya.

Shot in a real-setting in two Goa prisons, the film releases Friday.

Speaking to reporters in Panaji Thursday, the film's director Dinesh Bhonsle said: "We have sought time from the chief minister. We are going to request him to make the film tax-free."

On.

This week will yet again witness multiple releases in the form of Shilpa Shukla's B.A. Pass, the Deepak Dobriyal and Priya Bhatija starrer Chor Chor Super Chor, Rituparna Sengupta's Calapor and the Arshad - Riya venture Rabba Main Kya Karoon. With Rohit Shetty's Shahrukh Khan starrer Chennai Express releasing next week, the new releases of this week will face a tough challenge. Last Friday saw quite a predictable outcome with the Ranvir, Tusshar, Vishakha and Ravi Kissen starre...

Mumbai, August 1: Actress Rituparna Sengupta, who features in upcoming Hindi film "Calapor", which is being heartily supported by Kiran Bedi, hopes the former Ips officer's encouragement boosts the movie's prospects.

Marathi director Dinesh Bhonsle's Hindi film "Calapor" is based on jail reformation. At a recent screening of the movie, Kiran Bedi applauded it and even said that she would personally urge the authorities in Goa to declare it tax free.

Rituparna Sengupta is happy with the support.

"Kiran jee got very excited after watching the film and I feel as a personality, who changed jails into reformation homes.

Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta was detained at the Toronto airport due to her visa validity. Despite possessing a B1 visa granted to her in 2010 and valid till 2015, the National award winning actress had to face harassment at he airport. She was questioned for five long hours. She was flying to Toronto to attend the premiere of her Bengali film, ‘Mukti’. Rituparna said today that despite carrying a valid visa, she was detained at the airport. "I went through a big trauma as the Toronto airport authorities were denying me entry yesterday. I had come here for the premiere of 'Mukti'," Sengupta told Pti from Toronto. Sengupta had mis...

Kolkata, July 6: Leading Bengali film actress Rituparna Sengupta was harassed for hours at the Toronto Pearson International Airport despite having a valid visa and other travel documents, the celebrated artist alleged Saturday.

Sengupta, now in Canada to attend a Banga Sammelan, broke down during her ordeal Thursday as she was kept waiting for five and a half hours as the authorities even asked the actress to leave the country.

Sengutpa said she reached the airport Thursday evening along with a wheelchair-bound aunt.

"The immigration officials started quizzing me. They wanted to know why I was visiting Toronto.

Versatile actress Rituparna Sengupta who is an established Bengali actress and has done several Bollywood films like Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji, Bumm Bumm Bole, Main Meri Patni Aur Woh will soon be seen in Prasad Creations Calapor. Rituparna is quite a popular actress in Bengali Cinema and already had 2 films in her kitty when she signed on Calapor. The film deals with the subject of reformation in jail & provokes thoughts about the nature of human being while infusing hope that th...

Kolkata, May 24: As the Indian Premier League (Ipl) spot fixing scam gets messier with links to film personalities becoming public, West Bengal's celluloid celebs Friday expressed disgust at the scandal, calling it a "big crime" and "not acceptable at all." But there were also calls for legalising betting.

Music director Jeet Ganguly of "Aashiqui 2" fame said, "spot fixing is a big crime. It is like hurting the cricket fans who really love cricket and watch Ipl."

Actress Rituparna Sengupta felt disgusted at the association of the sports platform with the betting catastrophe.

"Spot fixing scandals associated.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been making waves in the film industry ever since his stellar performance in Kahaani and Gangs Of Wasseypur. The maverick actor who has been recently on a film signing spree will now be seen sporting a new look for his role in Sanjay Sharma's Black Currency. The film which seeks to expose the business of counterfeit notes features Nawaz playing a shrewd, manipulative tycoon.

However, unlike the conventional filmi tycoons that are portrayed as the suave, slick and stylish jetsetters, Nawaz will be seen as a petite yet sharp individual. The film which is scripted by Sharma draws inspiration from his own life when he was handed back a fake Rs. 500 note that was being deposited in a bank. Taking a cue from the incident and also integrating other cases of fake notes, Sharma had woven a script that has been three years in the making.

Mumbai, Jan 8: Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala, undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer in New York, was pleasantly surprised when fellow actor and friend Rituparna Sengupta visited her.

"They both spoke for a long time. Manisha was extremely happy to see one of her close friends in New York," Subroto Ghosh, Manisha's manager, told Ians.

"Whenever Manisha used to go to (Kolkata), she used to meet Rituparna. They share a cordial relationship."

Rituparna was in New York with her family for some personal work.

Known for her roles in "Saudagar", "Bombay" and "Lajja", Manisha, 42, has been diagnosed with cancer..

Kolkata, Aug 26: He was a hardened criminal who had resisted all attempts at rehabilitation - till a renowned dancer visited the Presidency Jail here and began a therapy session. Today, he has even appeared opposite award-winning actress Rituparna Sengupta in "Muktodhara", a film loosely based on his life and transformation.

Nigel Akkara, 34, was initially reluctant, but dancer Alokananda Ray and then Inspector General (Prisons) B.D. Sharma convinced him.

One of the interesting upcoming projects is the Rituparna Sengupta, Pitobash Tripathy and Amit Purohit starrer, Aalaap. With Indi-Pop rock band, Agnee, looking after the music department, and one track "Ek Nayi Roshni", already quite popular, it is but obvious that rock music constitutes the backbone of Aalaap! When we asked the lead actor of the film, Pitobash, about the same he told us, "Yes, the film is rock based, and it is quite unique (from the run of the mill...

The City of Joy- Kolkata erupted with joy this morning as its team Kolkata Knight Riders (Kkr) returned home as Champions of Ipl 2012. Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee had special plans lined up for King Khan and his Knights to felicitate them for their stupendous victory. The players from Kkr took an open bus ride from South Kolkata's Hazra area all the way to Eden Gardens with nearly 50000 people on the streets cheering them throughout the 6 km distance. However some fans of Shah Rukh Khan were disappointed that the actor didn't join the team bus for the parade. The team first stopped at Writer's Building where Kkr team owner Shah Rukh Khan was present and along with captain Gautam Gambhir presented the Ipl trophy to Mamata didi. The next stop was the Eden Gardens stadium where nearly 1 lakh screaming fans were eagerly awaiting their heroes. Thousands of...