Hindi
52 Week Entertainment acquires India theatrical rights for West is West
MUMBAI: The motion picture distribution company 52 Weeks Entertainment has acquired the Indian distribution rights of Om Puri starrer English movie West is West, a sequel to East is East from the worldwide sales agent Icon Film.
West is West is slated for release in India in April this year. The movie was released in UK on 25 February and had a strong opening. It collected a little over $1.2 million (Rs 55 million ) at the weekend box office with 184 screens.
West is West producer, Leslee Udwin, who also produced East is East, said: “There were two territories in which the choice of distributor was of great importance to me. The UK and India/Pakistan; partly because I know the film will perform superbly in the territories if correctly handled, and partly because the team of actors and crew come from those countries and so I felt a big responsibility there.”
“West is West is the sequel to the internationally acclaimed film East is East, a ground-breaking film which broke cultural barriers around the world,” 52 Week Entertainment’s Suneil Wadha added. “As a strategy, in India the film is set for an April release along with the North America & Canada. The timing of the India release is in keeping with the World Cup and exams time. These kind of films grow with word of mouth for which you would require time.”
West is West is is based on and inspired by autobiographical events, and produced by the same creative team.
The sequel takes the Khan family on a journey from Salford, England to rural Pakistan. West is West is as much the coming of age of 13-year-old Sajid as of his father, 60-year-old George ‘Ghengis’ Khan. George, in a last attempt to make a good Muslim and a good son of him, decides to pack Sajid off to his first wife and family in the Punjab, whom he had abandoned 30 years earlier. In the process the tables are turned on George when he comes face to face with his own transgressions, and realises that it is he himself who has much to learn.
Written by Ayub Khan-Din (BAFTA winner), directed by Andy De Emmony (BAFTA nominated) and produced by Udwin (BAFTA winner), West is West stars Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Jimi Mistry, Emil Marwa, Ila Arun, Lesley Nicoll, Vijay Raaz and introduces Aqib Khan. The music of the film is by Shankar-Eshaan-Loy & Rob lane.
Hindi
Zee5 and Applause Entertainment team up for whodunnit ‘Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa’
Rajat Kapoor directs star-studded murder mystery streaming from 10 April.
MUMBAI: Zee5 is serving up another killer collaboration and this time, the murder mystery comes with a generous side of dark humour and family dysfunction. The streaming platform has partnered with Applause Entertainment and Mithya Talkies to bring Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a fresh, twisted whodunnit written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker and actor Rajat Kapoor. The film will stream exclusively on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
The movie reimagines the classic murder mystery genre with a contemporary, darkly comic edge. It revolves around a group of friends and family who smile, drink, and celebrate together until the silence snaps and long-buried secrets spill out. The stellar ensemble cast includes Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa, Saurabh Shukla, Chandrachoor Rai, Neil Bhoopalam, Koel Purie, Palomi Ghosh, and Rajat Kapoor himself.
This latest offering continues the successful partnership between Zee5 and Applause Entertainment, which has previously delivered diverse hits such as Mithya, Bloody Brothers, and Jab Khuli Kitaab.
&TV Business Head of hindi Zee5 and chief channel officer Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has consistently delivered distinct, high-impact storytelling. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, reinforcing our focus on genre-led content with a compelling whodunnit premise and a strong ensemble cast.”
Applause Entertainment business head for movies Sunil Chainani added, “This film adds yet another compelling layer to our slate with Rajat Kapoor’s unmistakable voice.”
Rajat Kapoor shared, “What interested me was not just the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who smile at each other, but there’s so much that is not said.”
The film promises razor-sharp writing, layered performances, and simmering tension, inviting viewers not just to solve the crime but to unravel the complex relationships at its heart.
If you love a good murder mystery served with wit and emotional depth, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa looks set to be your next addictive watch. Mark your calendars, the whodunnit drops on Hindi Zee5 from 10 April.
