Hindi
Life Express is intolerable, draining
MUMBAI: Life Express deals with the theme of career women, their priorities and the issue of surrogate motherhood. The film describes the latter as a burning issue!
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Producer: Sanjay Kalate |
Surrogate motherhood may be making news from time to time but usually it is not for the reason the film bases its story on.
Rituparna Sengupta is a rising bank executive while her husband, Kiran Janjani, is also some sort of a high flying corporate honcho. Her bank is more generous in meeting out promotions to her than passing loans it would seem!
Kiran Janjani is so busy punching computer keys, he has time to neither listen to his wife person to person nor on cell phone nor even read her email! How does he find time and inclination to sire a child in such a situation?
Well, somehow he does. In between some day dreaming of parenthood, Rituparna is waved the promise of another promotion, a vice president, no less within a year if she continued to work with the same zeal!
Since promotions can’t be put on hold, the mother-to-be decides to put her pregnancy aside for future date. Her efforts to discuss the issue with her husband fail on all counts, talk, call, email and she makes the decision on her own.
Turmoil follows in the relationship but both soon come to terms with what has happened. Among various suggestions to have a child sans pregnancy, that of finding a surrogate mother convinces the duo. And, as if watching the process of leading the theme to surrogacy so far was not enough, the second half takes a turn for the worse. At display here is poverty, exploitation and hopelessness of rural folk as if the village was located in some famine hit African country! But, this is done in a way to justify women offering their womb for hire!
As it goes on unwinding, Life Express becomes more and more intolerable, draining one‘s mind and energy. It is a product of one‘s enthusiasm to tackle a social issue but losing way as soon as it starts. Nothing much to say about performances or other aspects; photography (Anil Chandel) and background score (Raja Narayan Deb) is praiseworthy to an extent.
While Rituparna tries to contact her husband Kiran Janjani on his cell phone or through email but fails, wish she had chosen to SMS him instead!! An ordeal could have been saved to the makers as well as prospective viewers!
Hindi
YRF Entertainment appoints Saugata Mukherjee as head of content
Former SonyLIV content head to steer films and series at streaming arm
MUMBAI: YRF Entertainment, the streaming arm of Yash Raj Films, has appointed Saugata Mukherjee as head of content, signalling a strong push to scale its original films and series slate.
Mukherjee joins the company following a successful three-and-a-half-year stint at SonyLIV, where he served as executive vice president and head of content. In his new role, he will report to CEO Akshaye Widhani and lead the creative direction and commissioning strategy for YRF Entertainment’s growing slate.
The appointment comes on the back of YRF Entertainment’s recent global success with titles such as The Romantics, The Railway Men and Mandala Murders, which have helped position the studio as a serious player in the streaming space.
At SonyLIV, Mukherjee played a key role in shaping the platform’s identity as a premium content destination. Under his leadership, the service delivered acclaimed originals across genres, building a reputation for storytelling depth and creative risk-taking. His exit was described as “one of the harder goodbyes”, reflecting both the impact of his tenure and the strength of the team he leaves behind.
Mukherjee brings with him a wide-ranging career that spans publishing, television and streaming. Before SonyLIV, he led content initiatives at HBO Max under Warner Bros. Discovery, where he was instrumental in shaping the platform’s India strategy. His earlier roles include senior leadership positions at Hotstar and Star TV, where he worked on building original content pipelines and collaborating with top creative talent.
With a career that began in publishing at firms like HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan, Mukherjee’s journey reflects a deep-rooted understanding of storytelling across formats and platforms.
His move to YRF Entertainment comes at a time when the battle for streaming audiences is intensifying, with studios doubling down on high-quality originals to stand out in a crowded market.
For YRF, the appointment is more than just a leadership hire. It is a clear signal that the studio is ready to scale its streaming ambitions, with Mukherjee expected to play a central role in shaping its next chapter.
