Hindi
‘Angry Indian Goddesses’: It’s different
MUMBAI: Thanks to the world of media and entertainment opening up, filmmaking has been continuously expanding its dimensions. A lot of filmmakers are breaking the genre barriers and daring to project stories that would have been unimaginable until not so long ago. The era of abla Indian naari is long gone, at least, as far as the film stories go. As the title asserts, Angry Indian Goddesses is about a bunch of women who don’t conform to the stereotype.
Sarah-Jane Dias, Anushka Manchanda, Sandhya Mridul, Pavleen Gujral and Amrit Maghera are career women (except Pavleen). Sarah, a professional photographer, is asked to compromise: make a dark model look fair for a fairness cream. She is supposed to just shoot her pictures and the rest will be done on Photoshop, she is assured. But, she would not compromise on her skill and walks off.
Similarly, Sandhya, a tycoon, has a problem on hand as her mining fields are controversial and have been shut down due to a protest led by Tannishtha Chatterjee. Amrit is an aspiring actor but walks out of a film shoot when she is padded up all over to just look sexy and vulnerable instead of acting her part.
Pavleen is a merit list graduate but is married off early into a traditional family where the only expectation from her is to deliver a child, sort of, without her husband’s participation. These all are Sarah’s dear friends.
Sarah, having walked out of her photo-shoot assignment, heads straight to Goa to her ancestral home. She plans to marry and decides to invite her friends. So, Sarah, Sandhya, Anushka, Pavleen and Amrit gather under one roof in a Goa village. Also around is Sarah’s childhood companion cum maid, Rajshri Deshpande, a gutsy, street smart woman.
As one sits through the film, nothing is happening except that this bunch has what is their idea of fun. Generally, this involves pulling each other’s leg, drinking, dancing and finally opening up with their respective problems. As they open up, you feel like an eavesdropper on an all girls’ party! None of them are really happy as the others perceived. One thinks the women have been told by the director to just go along and do as they liked; their idea of a get-together of a bunch of friends.
If there is a purpose to the film, the indications come only post interval as Sandhya, the tycoon’s b?te noire, Tannishtha, walks in as another guest.
The women, all troubled by their circumstances, having time of their life and none feels like going back. On one of their outings, they confront some bike-riding bullies. The guys run away but that is not going to be the end of it. Because, the makers also plan to stress on rape and the attitude of the law and views on a woman’s dressing.
Finally, Sarah is forced to reveal who she is going to wed and that is another aspect rarely ventured on Hindi screen. It is the last half an hour or so that turns the film around and gives it a purpose. The climax is interesting.
Pan Nalin has penned and directed this film and he has handled it well considering this is a dicey theme with little substance in the footage for most part. The film has a very situational musical score. The Konkani song, rendered by Anushka, a musician herself, is a delight. The location being Goa, it is a pleasure to watch and aids the cinematography look pleasant to eyes.
Angry Indian Goddesses is an interesting watch if you are a discerning film lover with patience. Eventually, it makes up for your patience and money spent.
Producers: Pan Nalin, Gaurav Dhingra
Director: Pan Nalin
Cast: Sarah-Jane Dias, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Anushka Manchanda, Sandhya Mridul, Amrit
Maghera, Rajshri Deshpande, Pavleen Gujra, Arjun Mathur, Adil Hussain.
‘Hate Story 3’: Rides on brand equity
The Hate Story franchise has been a moderate success twice before, albeit, in a limited range. Not blockbusters but profitmaking all the same. And so the story continues. You have a title and you have the basic theme of skin show. Rest would be easy.
However, while rules at the censor board are still the same, the implementation has changed. So, liberties can’t be taken. ForHate Story 3, the germ is borrowed from the Hollywood movie, Indecent Proposal (1993).
Sharman Joshi is a successful entrepreneur with an ever growing business empire. He has a loving wife by his side in Zarine Khan. But, there is a sinister man around who has a glad eye for Zarine. That is Karan Singh Grover. He invites Sharman and Zarine for a business launch. He offers to help Sharman to grow his empire even further because, he says, he likes self-made men! However, for his help Sharman would have to send Zarine to Karan to spend a night with him. Now, why should Karan even imagine Sharman, a self-made man rich man would want to do that? You may borrow an idea from a foreign film but how about logic?
Rejected, Karan becomes vengeful and plans to destroy Sharman and his business. He starts with contaminating the soft drinks in Sharman’s factory. Sharman is wary. He deputes his secretary, Daisy Shah, to lure Karan and find out what he is up to. But, it is not all that easy as Daisy is killed and her body is found in the bushes.
Hate Story 3 has a weak base and far short of content compared to the earlier two versions. The direction is okay but not good enough to stretch the limited content to over two hours. The songs, usually the strength of a T-Series home production, have limited appeal. Two song, Tumhe apna bana…and Wajah… sound pleasant. Editing needed to be slicker.
Performance wise, Sharman looks a bit ill at ease. Karan is okay. Zarine is good. Daisy is passable.
Hate Story 3 has taken a good opening thanks to its brand equity. Made within a controlled budget, it has a two week open window without opposition and will make the most of it.
Producer: Bhushan Kumar, Vikram Bhatt Director: Vishal Pandya
Cast: Sharman Joshi, Zarine Khan, Daisy Shah, Karan Singh Grover
Hindi
Kridhan Infra enters film production with AI-led feature film
Infra firm debuts AI-powered film marking RSS centenary
MUMBAI: Kridhan Infra Limited is swapping hard hats for headsets. The infrastructure company has announced its entry into film production and media technology through its subsidiary, Kridhan Mediatech Private Limited, with the nationwide theatrical release of Shatak: Sangh Ke 100 Varsh, an AI-led feature film.
With Shatak, the company is not just stepping into cinema but staking a claim in what it describes as one of the world’s early full-length AI-driven feature films. Artificial Intelligence has been embedded across the creative and production process, from script visualisation and environment creation to modelling and production design.
The film commemorates 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, tracing defining moments, personalities and historical phases that shaped its journey. By combining archival storytelling with algorithm-powered creativity, the project attempts to blend heritage with high technology.
For Kridhan Mediatech, this is only the opening scene. The subsidiary’s broader ambition spans AI, CGI, virtual production systems and scalable content models for both theatres and digital platforms. The move signals a strategic diversification for Kridhan Infra, traditionally rooted in engineering and construction.
The timing aligns with India’s growing push to become a global AI powerhouse. At the 2026 AI Impact Summit, prime minister Narendra Modi urged innovators to design in India and deliver to the world. Kridhan Mediatech’s initiative positions itself squarely within that narrative, aiming to export technology-enabled storytelling beyond domestic audiences.
India’s media and entertainment industry, valued at over Rs 2.5 lakh crore, alongside a rapidly expanding AI economy projected to cross Rs 1.4 lakh crore in the coming years, offers fertile ground at the intersection of cinema and code.
“With Shatak, we proudly present one of the world’s first AI-led full-length feature films while marking our strategic entry into film production and media technology through our subsidiary,” the company said in a statement. “Our vision is to combine India’s rich narrative heritage with forward-looking innovation. This is just the beginning of building globally competitive, technology-enabled cinematic experiences.”
From infrastructure to imagination, Kridhan’s latest venture suggests that in today’s India, even storytelling can be engineered.
