Hollywood
‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ to be released on 8 August
NEW DELHI: The Hundred-Foot Journey directed by Lasse Halstrom, a film about the adventures across the world of a young Muslim who flees Mumbai along with his family after a riot, is set for release in Hollywood on 8 August.
Co-produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey is based on the 2010 book of the same name authored by Richard C. Morais. The film has Manish Dayal in his debut role as a lead actor. The film also stars Helen Mirren, Om Puri and Juhi Chawla.
Dayal plays Hassan Haji, whose family ends up in southern France after a stint in England. Haji is a chef cooking at his family-run, Indian eatery ‘Maison Mumbai,’ an establishment his father, played by Puri, opens a hundred feet away and across from a Michelin-starred French restaurant helmed by the snooty Madame Mallory, played by Mirren.
A grand culinary battle ensues until Haji’s young cooking ingénue shows her the possibilities for weaving their two culinary traditions together. Haji, a gifted cook who’s fascinated with French culinary tradition, falls for Marguerite, played by Charlotte Le Bon, Madame’s sous chef.
Dayal was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, as Manish Sudhir Patel. He attended George Washington University and after graduation, studied acting at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts (formerly The School for Film and Television) in New York City.
The 31-year-old actor now shuttles between New York and Los Angeles.
Speaking to the United Kingdom’s The Gaurdian, Dayal who has a southern accent said he had to first deliver his lines for the film in an Indian accent, transitioning to an Indian learning to speak French, and finally to that of a long-time French resident.
He also took French cooking lessons to prepare for his role. But the actor is no stranger to cooking, as he says it was an important part of growing up in his Gujarati family.
“I think that more movies about South Asian diaspora are going to result from this partnership,” he told the paper. Dayal says he was not a huge fan of Bollywood while growing up, but is open to Indian cinema minus the song and dance. He is best-known for playing the role of Raj Kher in the hit television series 90210, and also appeared in films like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010), Walkaway (2010) and Breaking the Girls (2013).
Prior to actual filming, Dayal and Le Bon also spent a considerable amount of time going to restaurants and observing and learning in kitchens. To sign off on the food featured in the film, producer Juliet Blake consulted an Indian-born chef Floyd Cardoz who has made a name for himself in the culinary world with fusion cuisine.
The film produced by DreamWorks in which India’s Reliance Entertainment is an investor, is the latest among Hollywood films in recent years that have told Indian stories including ‘The Namesake’, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, ‘Life of Pi’, ‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ and the latest ‘Million Dollar Arm.’
Variety magazine, in its review of the film says “The Hundred-Foot Journey is a “genteel, overlong adaptation of Richard C. Morais’ 2010 novel about two rival restaurants operating in a sleepy French village,” accentuated by “a high-energy score by A.R. Rahman, exquisite gastro-porn shot by Linus Sandgren, the winningly barbed chemistry of Mirren and Puri.
“With the formidable backing of producers Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey, the DreamWorks concoction should cater to a broad array of art-house appetites, particularly among those viewers who embraced the similar East-meets-West fusion cuisine of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” the magazine says.
Calling the film “chicken tikka masala for the soul,” The Hollywood Reporter in its review, says “The Hundred-Foot Journey” is a movie designed to comfort. “Stimulating taste buds and little else, Lasse Hallstrom’s latest film picks up where his 2000 hit ‘Chocolat’ left off, in terms of the affectionate shaming of provincial Gallic villagers,” the review says. “Top lining Helen Mirren and Om Puri as rival restaurateurs in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France, the film tracks a tension-free lesson in cultural exchange that culminates, predictably, in romance,” it adds.
“But the main course is the dance between Madame Mallory and Papa, however transparent the clash between her carefully composed plates and his bold flavors. Whether they’re filing ridiculous complaints about each other to the unflappable mayor (Michel Blanc), arguing over the proper presentation of ingredients or sharing a cafe table, Mirren and Puri bring an effortless command to their roles.”
Hollywood
David Zaslav could net up to $887m as Warner Bros Discovery sells up
Media mogul strikes gold as Paramount Skydance deal triggers massive windfall
NEW YORK: While the average office worker might hope for a nice clock and a round of applause upon leaving, David Zaslav is looking at a slightly more substantial parting gift. The chief executive officer of Warner Bros Discovery is positioned to receive a windfall of up to $887 million following the company’s blockbuster $110 billion sale to Paramount Skydance.
In a twist of corporate fate that feels scripted for the big screen, the deal marks the finale of a high-stakes bidding war. It comes after Netflix, once the frontrunner, decided to exit stage left and abandon its pursuit of the HBO Max parent company.
While most people receive a standard final paycheck, the filing released on Monday suggests Zaslav’s exit package is built a little differently. If the deal closes as expected in the third quarter of 2026, the numbers break down like this:
The cash out: A severance package of $34.2 million, covering his salary and bonuses.
The equity: $115.8 million in vested shares he already owns.
The future fortune: A massive $517.2 million in unvested share awards, essentially “future stock” that turns into real money the moment the ink dries on the merger.
Perhaps the most eye-catching figure is the $335 million earmarked for tax reimbursements. However, this particular pot of gold has an expiration date.
The company noted that these reimbursements are tied to specific tax-code rules that significantly decline as time passes. If the deal hits a snag and drags into 2027, that tax payout drops to zero. With hundreds of millions on the line, the chief executive officer likely has every incentive to ensure the closing process moves at double-speed.
