Hindi
Bhutan seeks Indian expertise to set up film studio
MUMBAI: In a bid to turn its fragile filmmaking industry into a viable socio-cultural sector, Bhutan has approached the Indian film industry and also sought the help of the government of India to set up a film studio in its capital city of Thimpu.
In this connection, South Asia Foundation (SAC) chairman Rahul Barua will be visiting Bhutan on 2 May to hold detailed discussions with Bhutanese filmmakers and government officials. “I have been invited by the Bhutan government to attend the national film awards function. I will take this opportunity to have detailed discussions with the filmmakers and officials of that country regarding the proposal to set up a film studio in Thimphu,” Barua details.
He said the Foundation has been asked to prepare a master plan to set up the infrastructure for Bhutan‘s film industry for which the Bhutan government has already written to the Indian government seeking help to set up the studio. On its part, the government has asked South Asia Foundation to look into the matter.
The idea of a film studio was first put forward to Barua by a delegation of Bhutanese filmmakers, including that country‘s first woman director Karma Deki, and officials during the South Asian Film Festival in Panaji last November.
The SAC chairman said that he has already spoken to Indian filmmakers Subhash Ghai, Shyam Benegal, Madhur Bhandarkar, Sudhir Mishra, Mahesh Bhatt and Sharmila Tagore, all of whom have agreed to visit Bhutan and help develop its film industry.
Hindi
Rashmika Mandanna, Shanaya Kapoor and Naila Grrewal climb IMDb’s Indian celebrity rankings
Upcoming films and returning shows are driving fan interest across Bollywood and streaming
MUMBAI: Bollywood’s popularity contest has a new weekly scorecard, and the numbers are telling. IMDb’s Popular Indian Celebrities list for this week places Shanaya Kapoor at number six, buoyed by buzz around her film Tu Yaa Main. Naila Grrewal slots in at seven on the back of the returning comedy series Maamla Legal Hai, while Rashmika Mandanna climbs to eighth, riding mounting anticipation for Cocktail 2.
The list, available exclusively on the IMDb app for Android and iOS, tracks trending Indian entertainers and filmmakers each week, drawing on data from more than 200m monthly visits to the platform worldwide.
Further down the rankings, Raaka is keeping two of its biggest names in the spotlight. Deepika Padukone holds 11th position, with Allu Arjun close behind at 13th, as the film continues to find traction with audiences.
The list offers fans a weekly pulse on who is breaking through, who is holding steady, and who is fading. It is a barometer as unsparing as the box office itself.
