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Director Anshul Chauhan has officially commenced production on his highly anticipated film, “Tiger“, an LGBT drama inspired by real-life stories he has meticulously gathered over the past three years. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Tokyo and its surrounding areas, the film is being brought to life by Kowatanda Films and Tower5 Entertainment. Known for his compelling and realistic storytelling, Chauhan’s latest endeavor promises a poignant and authentic exploration of the LGBT community’s experiences in Tokyo, marking a significant addition to his distinguished filmography.

The film features a remarkable ensemble cast, headlined by Takashi Kawaguchi (Bad Poetry Tokyo), a regular collaborator of Chauhan and the lead actor in “Tiger”. Joining him is Maho Nonami, celebrated for her role in the cult classic “2Ldk” (2002) and making a highly anticipated return to the screen. Nonami, a prominent figure in Japanese television industry, is expected to bring a fresh and powerful presence to the film.

Pill, the new TV series streaming on Jio Cinema, shows us the dark side of the medical world. This show reveals the harsh reality of corruption in healthcare, where hospitals meant to heal people sometimes become centers of crime. In Pill, we see doctors, nurses, and medical reps getting involved in shady business. They conduct fake drug trials and allow dangerous medicines to be launched on the market, all for the sake of money. Rich pharmaceutical companies bribe them with huge sums of money and expensive gifts to buy their silence. It’s shocking to see how some people prioritize their personal gain over the well-being of patients, which leads to side effects and even death for those who trust them. But Pill also showcases the courageous people who choose integrity and morality over money. These characters remind us that not everyone is corrupt, and there are still people fighting for what’s right.

The series Pill on Jio Cinema dives deep into the dark side of the medical world. It shows how, in the pursuit of profit, many doctors, industry leaders, and politicians turn to corruption and ignore the well-being of ordinary people. This corruption leads to dangerous drugs being sold in the market. These drugs, backed by powerful authorities and often approved after fake clinical trials, end up causing severe harm. People suffer from the side effects or even die, while the companies behind these drugs face no consequences. Instead, they blame the patients’ pre-existing conditions and claim the drugs had no negative impact. Forever Cure Pharma is the fictional company at the center of this similar scandal in Pill. The series raises the question: Will this corrupt company ever be exposed, or will the rich continue to get richer while the poor suffer? Riteish Deshmukh plays Prakash, a Deputy Medicine Controller in India,...

Courtroom drama films, they are a dime a dozen. The why of it is no mystery: they allow for the telling of excellent stories, twists can be inserted aplenty, and the upcoming verdict carries an automatically incorporated suspense. And for actors? Depending on the crime involved, you can portray a rollercoaster of empathy, fear, anger and loathing. All of this means that if you don't mess up as a director, there is a good chance your courtroom drama will be at least decent, though you run the risk of it being derivative. With December, Anshul Chauhan does better than "not mess up". He delivers a compelling drama with a pretty unique viewpoint, and casually decides to chuck away the verdict suspense. Instead, without getting into...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

After focusing on Taiwanese projects for its first three years, the pitching section of Taiwan Creative Content Fest (Tccf) opened its doors to international projects for the first time this year.

The move attracted 539 projects from 20 regions including Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Iran, France and the U.S. After a selection process overseen by four separate juries, the applications were whittled down to 43 across four sections: Project to Screen, divided further into Feature Films and Series; Animation Features & Series; and Documentary Features & Series.

The feature film section includes projects from leading filmmakers such as Japanese director Koji Fukada, Indonesia’s Edwin, the Philippines’ Sheron Deyoc (Women Of The Weeping River) and Japan-based, Indian-origin filmmaker Anshul Chauhan (December).

Tccf pitching also includes an additional ten Taiwanese IPs that have strong potential for adaptations. These include books, webtoons and...

Tejas

From the makers of the much-lauded war film Uri comes this patriotic potboiler, and I do mean potboiler in a positive way.

For two braveheart female airforce pilots to plunder their way into enemy territory to rescue an Indian hostage, is a wonderful and welcome whoosh of wishful thinking, and I can’t help being impressed by writer-director’s Sarvesh Mevara’s impunity at doing a Top Gun with Kangana.

Ranaut has a whole harvest of heroic moments to herself. She is an ideal soldier and a wonderful daughter. There is a flashback where she brings her boyfriend (Varun Mitra who always looks like he forgot to check the gas in the kitchen before leaving home) to meet her parents.

Tejas’ father sings a beautiful Punjabi love song (although ironically is his future son-in-law who is a singer). So much better than frowning and smirking at the daughter’s boyfriend.

Ians

Film: Tejas (Playing in theatres) Duration: 118 minutes

Director: Sarvesh Mewara Produced by: RSVP / Ronnie Screwvala

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Varun Mitra, Anshul Chauhan and Ashish Vidhyarthi.

Ians Rating: ***1/2

Mumbai, Oct 27 (Ians) Kangana Ranaut-starrer ‘Tejas’ is finally on the big screens and it has everything that you want to see in a full-fledged patriotic film.

‘Tejas’ presents Kangana as a fierce and strong fighter jet pilot, Tejas Gill. Watching her flying and delivering inspiring dialogues with her strong aura is something that will leave the audience falling for the actress. Kangana shines throughout the film with her strong performance.

It is India’s first aerial action film. Yet another adrenaline-rush film after ‘Uri’ from the house of RSVP Movies.

The heroic act of bravery keeps the film engaging throughout. It leaves an indelible mark on the audience. The production values are absolutely grand and visually appealing. Right from the start the Bgm,...

Ians

Film: Tejas (Playing in theatres) Duration: 118 minutes

Director: Sarvesh Mewara Produced by: RSVP / Ronnie Screwvala

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Varun Mitra, Anshul Chauhan and Ashish Vidhyarthi.

Ians Rating: ***1/2

Mumbai, Oct 27 (Ians) Kangana Ranaut-starrer ‘Tejas’ is finally on the big screens and it has everything that you want to see in a full-fledged patriotic film.

‘Tejas’ presents Kangana as a fierce and strong fighter jet pilot, Tejas Gill. Watching her flying and delivering inspiring dialogues with her strong aura is something that will leave the audience falling for the actress. Kangana shines throughout the film with her strong performance.

It is India’s first aerial action film. Yet another adrenaline-rush film after ‘Uri’ from the house of RSVP Movies.

The heroic act of bravery keeps the film engaging throughout. It leaves an indelible mark on the audience. The production values are absolutely grand and visually appealing. Right from the start the Bgm,...

With over 50+ films, Camera Japan Festival is proud to announce its full and diverse programme, combining films ranging from de newest and best Japanese arthouse, animation, documentaries, short films and classic cinema.

The 18th edition of the festival will be opened at Rotterdam based LantarenVenster on September 21st with a festive screening of Takahashi Masaya's European premiere of The Dry Spell. One day prior, the festival unofficially kicks off at Worm with a very special screening of Spaghetti Ramen. From 28 September – 1 October, the festival moves to Amsterdam's LAB111.

With three international and ten European premieres, the festival consists of a very special and exclusive film programme. Films such as Tsugaru Lacquer Girl, Firing the Lighter Gun and The Rest of Our Lives, will have their first screenings outside of Japan, here, at Camera Japan Festival.

As if the international premieres were not special enough, the festival is honored to welcome...

Third feature by Anshul Chauhan, “December” is easy to say that is his most accomplished work yet.

“December” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival

Seven years ago, a high school student was killed by a classmate, with the perpetrator, Kana, ending up in prison after a trial that convicted her as an adult and not as a juvenile, despite her age. The parents of the deceased were devastated, ending up divorcing, with the husband, Katsu, abandoning his work as an author and becoming an alcoholic, and the wife, Sumiko, eventually ending up marrying a man she met in a support group about people who have lost their children. As the story begins, an ambitious lawyer who is even planning on suing the state for the unfairness of the trial, convinces Kana to appeal for a reduced sentence. An aggravated Katsu revisits Sumiko after years, and convinces her to attend the trial,...

Italy’s Far East Film Festival unveiled a power-packed lineup Wednesday for its 25th anniversary edition. The largest cinema event in Europe specializing in popular moviemaking from Asia, Feff will open April 21 with an inspired double bill, He Shuming’s hit Korea-Singapore co-production Ajoomma followed by first-time Taiwanese director Kai Ko’s black comedy Bad Education. And on April 29, the curtain will come down on the festival with the Italy premiere of legendary Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s latest blockbuster, Full River Red. Between those dates, the festival will screen 78 Asian films from 14 countries, including nine world premieres.

The organizers of Feff, founded in 1999 in the picturesque northern Italian city of Udine by festival pioneers Sabrina Baracetti and Thomas Bertacche, say the 2023 selection “aims to showcase the immense complexity of Asia more than ever before.” The lineup indeed presents a compelling snapshot of a wildly diverse content’s commercial cinema in flux.

Udine Far East Film Festival is back with a record line-up to celebrate its 25th edition. 78 films, 14 countries, 9 world premieres – Golden Mulberry for Lifetime Achievement to Baisho Chieko – On the red carpet also Johnnie To, Watanabe Hirobumi and Jang Sun-woo.

If there are 78 films (record number!) and they come from 14 countries, it should certainly be emphasized that the line-up includes 15 women directors and 12 newcomers. In brief, the 2023 selection aims to restore great complexity more than ever of Asia. A selection that combines the recent past with today, seamlessly, among different communities, different expectations and choices of life, languages and dialects, politics, religions, habits, inclinations, beliefs, myths and legends and, last but not least, different gender identities. A selection that tells in real time how the cinematography of East and Southeast Asia have re-emerged from the sad period of the pandemic, not all in the same way, and not all with the same results.

The Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine will open with a double bill of He Shuming’s “Ajoomma” and Kai Ko’s “Bad Education.” It will close with Zhang Yimou’s blockbuster period epic “Full River Red.”

In between, the festival will showcase a stunning 78-title array of commercial and art-house films from across East Asia. Operating according to a motto of diversity –implying cultural asymmetries and artistic multiplicities – the 25th edition of the festival will run April 21-29.

Organizers say that their selection “shows in real time how the cinemas of East and Southeast Asia have re-emerged from the gruelling period of the pandemic, not all in the same way and not all with the same results.”

They point to the impact of Covid, politics and emigration from Hong Kong, and the recent resurgence of Cantonese-language cinema.

Similarly, Udine’s organizers note the recent box office struggles of South Korean cinema,...

Event Outline

The Osaka Asian Film Festival aims to facilitate human resources development and exchange, to invigorate the Osaka economy, and to increase the city’s appeal, through providing opportunities to watch excellent Asian films, supporting filmmaking in Osaka and attracting filmmakers from Asian countries and regions to Osaka. Promoting Osaka worldwide as a gateway city for Asian films, and engaging with many people from the fields of culture, art, education, tourism and business, from Osaka and all of Asia, Oaff works as an open platform to contribute to the development of Osaka and cinema.

Marking its 18th edition this year, Oaff, under programming director Teruoka Sozo, will again select high-quality Asian films. The Competition section, which receives increased recognition every year, will again select films previously unreleased in Japan. The regular sections, Special Screenings and Indie Forum, and other special programs will also feature a wide variety of excellent Asian films.

The Osaka Asian Film Festival will return in March for its 18th edition with a lineup of current Asian feature and short films and a spotlight on works from Hong Kong.

The competition section, which selects from films that are currently unreleased in Japan, numbers 13 titles. These include: Kai Ko’s “Bad Education,” “December” from Japan-based Indian director Anshul Chauhan, and two Indian-made films Rima Das’ “Tora’s Husband” and Padmakumar Narasimhamurthy’s “Max, Min and Meowzaki.”

The indie section comprises a mix of Japanese feature and short films from challenging or emerging talents, with a winner set to receive the separate Japan Cuts prize.

A Spotlight section of other independent films by up-and-coming directors includes: Martika Ramirez Escobar’s “Leonor Will Never Die,” Mejbaur Rahman Sumon’s Bangladesh-France production “Hawa,” Thitipong Kerdtongtawee’s “Omg! Oh My Girl” and documentary “Jiseok.”

The Hong Kong spotlight, consisting of five titles, cuts...

Xpressing one step closer to the release, the filming of the much awaited ‘Chakda ‘Xpress’, starring Anushka Sharma, has wrapped and we can’t wait to see her on screen take up this challenging role of the renowned cricketer.

The film is inspired by the incredible story of one of the fastest female pacers in the history of world cricket, Jhulan Goswami as she moves up the ladder, despite the countless hindrances, to fulfil her only dream: to play cricket.

Jhulan Goswami became the highest wicket taker in the history of women’s cricket and an inspiration to an entire generation of sportswomen.

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Stay tuned for more updates on ‘Chakda ‘Xpress’

Produced by Anushka’s brother Karnesh Ssharma and directed by Prosit Roy ‘Chakda ‘Xpress’ features Anushka Sharma, Renuka Shahane, Anshul Chauhan, Koushik Sen, Mahesh Thakur amongst others.

Third feature by Anshul Chauhan, “December” is easy to say that is his most accomplished work yet.

December is screening at Busan International Film Festival

Seven years ago, a high school student was killed by a classmate, with the perpetrator, Kana, ending up in prison after a trial that convicted her as an adult and not as a juvenile, despite her age. The parents of the deceased were devastated, ending up divorcing, with the husband, Katsu, abandoning his work as an author and becoming an alcoholic, and the wife, Sumiko, eventually ending up marrying a man she met in a support group about people who have lost their children. As the story begins, an ambitious lawyer who is even planning on suing the state for the unfairness of the trial, convinces Kana to appeal for a reduced sentence. An aggravated Katsu revisits Sumiko after years, and convinces her to attend the trial,...

Adventure comedy received a summer release in Thailand.

UK sales outfit Sc Films International has snapped up English-language remake rights to Thai monster film Leio: The Terrible Giant and will introduce the project to buyers at Busan’s Acfm.

The company has acquired the remake rights from Thailand’s Neramitnung Film and will be speaking with potential producing partners at the Asian Contents and Film Market later this week as well as the American Film Market (AFM) in November.

The adventure comedy follows a once-famous singer who returns to his hometown to take part in a water field drilling contest,...

Anshul Chauhan is back with ”December”, his third feature, which will have its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival this year.

Synopsis

Seven years ago, a high school student was killed by a friend. The parents of the dead girl are now divorced, and the father drowns his anger and sorrow in alcohol. Then one day, the daughter’s murderer files a suit to have her sentence reduced. The father convinces his ex-wife that their daughter’s murderer should not be freed, and the two confront the murderer in court. “December” is a story about a family that falls apart after the death of a daughter, and then, in times of crisis, comes back together. As the parents confront the murderer and hear her out, the film shows us these same characters moving toward forgiveness and redemption.

“December” stars Shogen, Megumi, Ryo Matsuura, Shingo Fujimori, Toru Kizu, Takuzo Shimizu,...

Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (October 5-14) has announced its full line-up, including opening film Scent Of Wind, directed by Iran’s Hadi Mohaghegh, while Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai will be honoured as Asian Filmmaker Of The Year.

Leung has credits including Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love and Happy Together, as well as the Infernal Affairs trilogy, and more recently, Disney’s Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings.

Japanese filmmaker Kei Ishikawa’s A Man, which premiered in Venice, has been set as Busan’s closing film. Opening film, Scent Of Wind, revolves around a disabled man living with his handicapped son in a remote Iranian village. Mohaghegh previously won Busan’s New Currents Award in 2015 for Immortal.

The festival will screen 354 films including 89 world premieres and 13 international premieres, with 100 seating capacity in cinemas, a full program of parties, events and...

Two new sections will showcase a total of 10 world and international premieres.

The Busan International Film Festival is to launch a new competitive section titled Jiseok and has unveiled eight films in the running for its awards.

The festival previously selected 10 films from the A Window on Asian Cinema section to compete for the Kim Jiseok Award, named after the programme director who died in 2017 and had devoted his career to introducing and supporting Asian cinema.

The new Jiseok strand will sort these nominees into a section of their own and comprise films from Asian directors with more than three...

Two new sections will showcase a total of 10 world and international premieres.

The Busan International Film Festival is to launch a new competitive section titled Jiseok and has unveiled eight films in the running for its awards.

The festival previously selected 10 films from the A Window on Asian Cinema section to compete for the Kim Jiseok Award, named after the programme director who died in 2017 and had devoted his career to introducing and supporting Asian cinema.

The new Jiseok strand will sort these nominees into a section of their own and comprise films from Asian directors with more than three...

The Busan International Film Festival will further honor its co-founder and former programmer Kim Jiseok, who died suddenly in 2017, by expanding the existing prize in his name into a fully-fledged competitive section.

Previously, the Kim Jiseok Award was given to one of ten films selected from the ‘A Window on Asian Cinema’ sidebar which introduces new films from significant Asian directors, defined as those who have each made more than three films.

“Starting this year, the Kim Jiseok Award nominees have been sorted into a section of their own, namely the ‘Jiseok’ section. Also, Korean films will be included in the ‘Jiseok’ section,” Busan organizers said. “This program section aims to both reinforce the spirit and determination of [Kim], who devoted himself to the growth and support of Asian films, and direct attention to the nominated works.”

The section comes with two cash prizes of 10,000 each. “Thus, the Jiseok section is...

London-based sales agent Sc Films International has boarded “December,” a Japanese courtroom thriller from India’s Anshul Chauhan whose cast is led by Shogen, star of Brillante Mendoza’s “Gensan Punch.”

Sc Films International will handle international sales outside of Japan on “December,” Chauhan’s follow-up to notable family drama drama “Kontora” which scooped the Grand Prix Prize at the Tallin Black Nights Film Festival. The sales agent plans to launch “December” at May’s Cannes Marché du Film before submitting it to fall festivals, said Sc Films co-founder Simon Crowe.

The sales pact was clinched by Sc Films’ Fumie Suzuki Lancaster and “December” producer Yamashita Takahiro, also behind “Gensan Punch.” It builds on the companies’ partnership on “Gensan Punch” which sold to HBO for the world and scored the top Asian plaudit, the Kim Jiseok Award, at 2021’s Busan Intl. Film Festival.

“Kontora” proved a singular coming of age...

After having more than 30 credits to her name as actress, it was time for Shuna Iijima to sit in the director’s chair. And judging by the 16-minute short, “Natsuko”, she definitely did the right thing.

Bagmati River is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival

The story focuses on Natsuko, a middle-aged woman living with her husband in the countryside. As the film begins, we watch her returning to her house, where she proceeds on cooking and cleaning. Despite the fact that her endeavors are of the every day kind, there is an evident tension in her movements, excellently communicated by both her and the way the sound is implemented. A bit later, we see her interacting with a neighbor, played by Iijima, who sells various utensils, and we learn of the source of her tension. Her husband, a few times a year, goes away for a couple of days...

Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022 announces the members of the competition jury.

Competition Jury Members

Iijima Shuna (飯島珠奈) | Japan | Actress

Iijima is a bilingual Japanese actress. She is known for her leading role in Anshul Chauhan’s film “Bad Poetry Tokyo” (東京不穏詩/OAFF2018) for which she received Best Actress Award in international film festivals including Osaka Asian Film Festival. Her directorial debut, the short film “Natsuko”, will be screened at Oaff 2022 in the Indie Forum section.

Takei Miyuki (武井みゆき) | Japan | Representative of the film company Moviola

Takei founded the film company Moviola in 2000. They have distributed films directed by Wang Bing, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Yasmin Ahmad, Frederick Wiseman and others. Their next film set for distribution is “Petrov’s Flu”, directed by Kirill Serebrennikov.

Esther Yeung | Hong Kong | COO, We Pictures

Yeung has extensive experience in the field of international film sales, including serving as director of Asian acquisitions at Fortissimo Films, where...

Other winners included German drama ‘Other Cannibals’ and Lithuania’s ‘Runner’.

Andreas Kleinert’s German drama Dear Thomas has been awarded the Grand Prix at the 2021 Black Nights Film Festival, held in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.

The black-and-white historical biopic follows the struggles of East German author and filmmaker Thomas Brasch, played by Albrecht Schuch who was also named best actor at Black Nights’ closing ceremony on Saturday evening (November 27).

Scroll down for full list of winners

It marks the latest feature of prolific Germany filmmaker Kleinert, known for titles such as Leb Whol, Joseph; Lost Landscape; and Head Under Water,...

As mentioned many times before, the pandemic forced (or even inspired one could say) a number of filmmakers to shoot quarantine films, productions that had to implement all the restrictions government laws dictated. Anshul Chauhan returns to Japan Cuts after winning the inaugural Obayashi Prize, with his own quarantine short, which is definitely a level higher than the plethora of similar titles in terms of production values.

“Leo’s Return” is screening at Japan Cuts

The short begins in a car, where Nobu is passing some pills to Akane, which are soon revealed to be for her to undergo an abortion, since she is actually living with her boyfriend, Leo, an actor who is just returning to Japan following the cancellation of his film. As Akane is leaving, she makes sure of stating that she is not yet sure regarding the abortion. A bit later, a frustrated Leo arrives to their house,...

Films shot in Japan by foreigners have given us a number of notable features during the recent years, with the works of Anshul Chauhan and Ian Thomas Ash being the first that come to mind. Philippe McKie, a Canadian who has been living and working in Japan for the past ten years in the fashion industry, as a DJ in Tokyo clubs, and as a filmmaker, has also come up with his own feature, focusing on the underground dance scene that seems to be rather vibrant nowadays in the country, in a film that managed to find distribution in Japan, even amidst the pandemic.

“Dreams on Fire” is screening at Fantasia International Film Festival

After watching a dance performance in the theater as a teenager, Yume has only one dream, to become a professional dancer in Tokyo. Against her father’s wishes (played in a rather ironic fashion by legendary...

Canada’S Largest Showcase Of Contemporary Japanese Cinema

Streams Across Canada

Saturday, June 5 – Sunday, June 27, 2021

Monday, May 10, 2021 – The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre’s 10th annual Toronto Japanese Film Festival (Tjff) will be presented across Canada from Saturday, June 5 to Sunday, 27, 2021. During this period, Tjff screenings will be held online, using the Cinesend festival platform, with select onsite screenings at the Jccc’s Kobayashi Hall planned for October, public health protocols permitting. The festival is one of the largest film events of its kind in the world and is recognized by the Japanese film industry as a vital conduit for bringing Japanese film to international audiences.

“When we held the first Toronto Japanese Film Festival, we never dreamed we’d be celebrating our 10th anniversary during a pandemic, said Tjff Director James Heron. “We also never dreamed the festival would be so well attended, loved by Toronto audiences and embraced by...

The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre’s 10th annual Toronto Japanese Film Festival (Tjff) will be presented across Canada from Saturday, June 5 to Sunday, 27, 2021. During this period, Tjff screenings will be held online, using the Cinesend festival platform, with select onsite screenings at the Jccc’s Kobayashi Hall planned for October, public health protocols permitting. The festival is one of the largest film events of its kind in the world and is recognized by the Japanese film industry as a vital conduit for bringing Japanese film to international audiences.

“When we held the first Toronto Japanese Film Festival, we never dreamed we’d be celebrating our 10th anniversary during a pandemic, said Tjff Director James Heron. “We also never dreamed the festival would be so well attended, loved by Toronto audiences and embraced by Japanese directors and actors as the place to introduce their films to North American audiences. On this...

Exclusive: The largest genre film festival in South America, Fantaspoa, has unveiled the first half of its program for its seventeenth edition, running April 9-18. Scroll down for the full list.

Like last year, the fest has been forced to run online due to the ongoing pandemic. It will be held completely free of charge with films available to stream in Brazil via a renewed partnership with Brazilian horror streaming service Darkflix. Last year’s event attracted more than 67,000 viewers. While the films are geo-locked, and limited to 3,000 viewers per screening, Q&As and workshops will be available to view anywhere in the world.

There are 25 feature films confirmed to date, including three world premieres, five international premieres, and 10 Latin American premieres. Titles arrive from previous fests including San Sebastian, Rotterdam and Toronto.

This year’s fest has been supported by a special grant from the Brazilian government, which is...

The Ott platform is back again with another ZEE5 original series titled "Bicchoo Ka Khel". The crime thriller features Divyenndu in the lead role. Bicchoo Ka Khel releases today at 7pm on ALTBalaji and Zee 5.

The crime-thriller seems to be another addition to the ever-growing list of Indian web shows exploring the themes of crime, revenge and politics. It stars Mirzapur fame Divyenndu Sharma in the lead role along with Anshul Chauhan, Syed Zeeshan Quadri, Mukul Chadda, Rajesh Sharma, Satyajit Sharma and Gagan Anand.

In the trailer, we meet Divyenndu’s character Akhil Shrivastav, a fan of pulp fiction novels. He is being interrogated by the police in connection with a murder case. Soon we are told he is out to avenge the death of his father in police custody. The story plays in flashback as Akhil narrates what led him to commit the crime.

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The new normal might alter the way we celebrate the festival of lights. But worry not, as ALTBalaji, along with ZEE5, is all set to launch three of its biggest web shows in November to make this Diwali Dhamakedar!!

The festive month of November starts with Masaledaar Hindi crime thrillers Mum Bhai, and Bicchoo Ka Khel, followed by the youth political thriller Dark7White. With the trailers and posters creating the right amount of noise, fans are all ready to binge-watch some of the most exciting shows this festive season!

Mum Bhai - Topping the 'Most Anticipated New Indian Movies and Shows List on IMDb with 67.6%, Mum Bhai is an upcoming crime thriller web series and is all set to release on ALTBalaji and ZEE5 apps.

The narrative revolves around the friendship between a cop and a criminal, set in the milieu of Mumbai’s underbelly from the late eighties...

It’s a show that’s got everyone talking right from the word go. If the name itself wasn’t enough to build curiosity, the recently-released trailer of ALTBalaji and ZEE5 Club’s Bicchoo Ka Khel has seen fans waiting in eager anticipation to get a feel of the fast-paced world that the show is set in.

As one looks forward to this Diwali delight in November, it’s not just viewers but even stars from the television industry who are trying their level best to figure out what this gripping murder mystery is all about. If you didn’t believe the hype, the proof is here for everyone to see as ALTBalaji recently dropped a video of the same.

Everyone seems to be in the same boat in the video as we see TV stars Sharad Malhotra, Surbhi Chandna, Pearl V Puri, Krishna Kaul, and Mughda Chapekar speculate about...

As a genre, crime thrillers have become everyone’s favourite on the webspace, in no time. Owing to its frenetic pace and plot, they've gone on to catch everyone’s attention and are today immensely popular amongst the masses.

Taking this genre to the next level with their massy and edgy content, ALTBalaji and ZEE5 Club unveiled the trailer of their upcoming crime thriller ‘Bicchoo Ka Khel’. Serving as the perfect Diwali Dhamaka for audiences, the series features a talented star cast that includes the likes of Divyenndu Sharma, Anshul Chauhan, Zeishan Quadri, Mukul Chadda, Rajesh Sharma, Satyajit Sharma, and Gagan Anand amongst others.

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Chalo ab, khel ke saare pehlu aa gaye hain ek saath, ab bas puri paltan ko hai khel shuru hone ka intezaar! #BicchooKaKhel trailer out tomorrow at 12pm, show streaming on 18th Nov on #ALTBalaji . . . @ektarkapoor @divyenndu @anshul14chauhan @mukulchadda @trisshnamukherjii...

With fans around the country anticipating the much-awaited launch of ALTBalaji and ZEE5 Club’s upcoming crime thriller Bicchoo Ka Khel, the viewers were surprised with an intriguing sneak-peek of the characters by the makers.

Being the perfect Diwali Dhamaka for audiences, the series features a talented star cast that includes the likes of Divyenndu Sharma, Anshul Chauhan, Mukul Chadda, Gagan Anand, Zeishan Quadri, Rajesh Sharma amongst others.

In the video, we see the talented Divyenndu Sharma, making an entry as a gun-yielding angry young man. As a man who is the master of his fate, we see the character take it as a matter of pride in narrating his own story instead of having someone else do it for him.

Playing the character of Akhil Arora, we see Divyenndu in a never-seen-before avatar as he is seen as the Banarasi hot blood, who knows how to get his work done.

Anshul Chauhan’s second feature film “Kontora”, has won the Best Picture in Japanese Feature category at Skip City International D-Cinema Festival 2020. An Indian Animator, CG artist, filmmaker has started his career as an animator in specialized for CG in Japan from 2011. Soon later, he made his first feature film “Bad Poetry Tokyo” (2017) while working at the animation studio. This woman-in-crisis drama won prizes at numerous festivals here and abroad. “Kontora” was another independent project for him, which he gathered the production crews and raised the full amount of the production fee by himself. Despite having no educational background for making films, he started his short films and warmed up the idea of “Kontora” for years. “Kontora” has already won the grand prix at the 23rd Black Nights Film Festival, held in the Estonian capital of Tallinn in 2019. Also, it has received the Obayashi Prize at Japan Cuts in 2020, North...

Anshul Chauhan’s Kontora won best picture in the feature film category of the Japanese Film Competition.

Maria Sodahl’s Hope received the Grand Prize in the International Competition of this year’s Skip City International D-Cinema Festival in Japan, which took place virtually and wrapped on October 4.

The Norway-Sweden co-production, which is based on the director’s own experiences, tells the story of a woman with six children waiting to receive a cancer diagnosis. “I thought the director herself is asking the question of ‘living’ by snuggling up with the protagonist,” said Japanese filmmaker Masa Sawada, who served as jury president.

If there’s one thing fans know about actor Gagan Anand, it is his consistency to deliver a power-packed performance in each of his roles.

Be it TV serials like Yeh Hai Mohabbatein and Veer Ki Ardaas Veera or popular web series like Fixerr and Boss: Baap of special services, he has proved it all.

And it's not just acting that the star seems to ace perfectly as he was also part of the direction team of ALTBalaji and ZEE5’s romantic drama Baarish.

Gagan is all set to win hearts once again in ALTBalaji and ZEE5 Club’s upcoming web series Bicchoo Ka Khel. Starring alongside the lead character of Divyenndu Sharma and Anshul Chauhan, one will see Gagan play the role of Rajveer, a 38-year-old man and a lawyer’s hitman and loyal bodyguard.

Speaking about the series, Gagan shares, “ALTBalaji is like home to me now, as...

Japan Society announces Anshul Chauhan ’s Kontora as the winner of the inaugural Obayashi Prize at Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film, currently running as an online festival through July 30. The film is selected from titles within Next Generation —the festival’s brand-new competitive section dedicated to independently produced narrative feature films from emerging filmmakers in Japan—by a diverse jury of film

industry professionals comprised of film director Momoko Ando ( 0.5mm ), programmer Julian Ross of Locarno Film Festival and International Film Festival Rotterdam, and Free Stone Productions CEO and producer ( Ten Years Japan ) Miyuki Takamatsu.

In their collective statement, they note:

“In this year when the film industry faces irreversible change, the Next Generation competition challenged us as a jury to look to the future. The film we chose explores the weight of the past and our responsibility to engage with it not alone, but together. For a film rooted in the past,...

Crying Free Sex (2017) by Tomohiro Iwasaki (15.11 minutes)

Japan has always been the foremost movie industry in the production of curios to the point of wtf movies, and “Crying Free Sex” definitely continues this legacy.

The totally absurd script revolves around two secret agents, Naomi and Cobra, who, before embarking on their mission, decide to have sex, after the instigation of the former. However, the woman does not realize that the issue with Cobra’s genitalia, that has actually given his nickname, will bring them so much trouble. Soon, they find themselves stuck (you know what I mean) and having to face scores of enemies that include agents in black suits and samurais, as they embark on a trip that brings in a number of places.

Taking the sex and shooting scene from Michael Davis’s “Shoot “Em Up” as its base (parodying it actually), Tomohiko Iwasaki directs a truly preposterous film,...

The interview was conducted in March, 2018

Shuna Iijima is a Japanese actress trained in London, UK, and based in Tokyo. She trained in various genres of theatre acting and performances in London, including Shakespeare, physical theatre, clown, puppetry and devising. She directed several theatre productions with her creative partner during her training. After graduation, Shuna has followed her passion for screen acting and is currently working for films, music videos and commercials.

We speak with her about her career, her latest film, “Bad Poetry Tokyo” and the award she received at the Osaka Asian Film Festival, her cooperation with director Anshul Chuhan, her future projects, and many other topics.

Congratulations on the award for Best Actress at the Osaka Asian Film Festival. How do you feel about this success?

Thank you. I was very surprised to receive the award. I am very thankful to the jury members at Osaka Asian Film Festival.

NetflixThe show features an ensemble cast of varying ages whose intersecting love stories play out with the background of Lucknow University and later the Taj Mahal.Saraswati DatarWhat is it about love that inspires and confounds people in equal measure? Why does it inspire sonnets and grand gestures but act like a slippery eel, trickling away from the gaps between two people who are bound by it? Is love mutually exclusive to sex, is it friendship, is it companionship or a spiritual journey where two people, any two people, become the best versions of themselves? These are some of the questions that a promising little series Taj Mahal 1989, now streaming on Netflix, asks its viewers. Co-produced by Tipping Point productions and Flying Saucer, the series is set in Lucknow and Agra in 1989 when ‘bae’ was a term of familiarity suffixed to sentences, like Da/di or machan in Tamil.

Model-actress Gauahar Khan doesn't let anyone influence her decisions, and says one doesnt need to be apologetic about one's choices.

"My decisions have always been mine whether it's my career or personal choices. It is but obvious for society to have judgments or form opinions but that's never deterred me to be on the path that I am on. That's what every girl of today should do," Gauahar said in a statement.?

As a model, she has walked for various designers, including Manish Malhotra. She has shown her acting skills in films like Rocket Singh: Salesman Of The Year, Ishaqzaade and Begum Jaan.?

Gauahar will also be launching the trailer of Mx Original Series "Aafat" in Lucknow on Tuesday. The series is about five girls with five unusual eccentricities and one common problem - being stereotyped.?

"Your mistakes or success is your own and one doesn't need to be apologetic...