Hindi
Over 25 films awarded at Mumbai Women’s International Film Festival
NEW DELHI: Veteran actor Shabaza Azmi and senior actor-director Nandita Das along with renowned choreographer Saroj Khan were awarded Awards of Excellence at the Mumbai Women’s International Film Festival (MWIFF) in the western metropolis.
The seven-day Festival organised by Oculus Creations had screened 210 films from across 70 nations and had given women filmmakers an international platform to screen their talents.
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While ‘Aabida’ by Maaria Sayeed of India won the best short film award, the largest number of awards went to ‘Bawra Mann’ for editing by Meghna Ashchitr and screenplay by Mitu Kumar and Abhilasha Nagi. The runner-up in the short film category was Israel’s ‘Rpomancy’ by Tal Getritman, Shea E Butler from US won the director’s award for ‘The Trial of Ben Barry’, while the cinematography award went to the British Chris Moon for ‘The Other Woman’. Shazia Shrivatava and Sharifa Roy got the best story award for ‘Do Pahar’.
‘Connected’ by America’s Tiffany Shiain got the best documentary award, and the runner-up award went to India’s ‘Woman Prayed and preyed upon’ by Kankana Chakraborty.
‘Silence’ by Avani Saxena and ‘Delivering Hope’ by Niraj Upadhyaya won the best and runner-up awards respectively in the ‘Her’ films category.
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Spain’s ‘A soft scent of Cinnamon’ by Giovanna Ribes won the Best Feature film award.
The Audience Choice Awards went to three documentaries – ‘Gawah’ by Gauri Chadha, ‘Scattered Windows, Connected Doors’ by Ms Roohi Dixit and ms Ziba Bhagwagar, and America’s ‘Beyond Silence’ by Vidyut Latay – and two short films: ‘Melody’ by Hana Makki of Dubai, and ;Happy Birthday’ by Sheetal Shetty.
The jury choice award went to the documentary ‘Gun and a God’ by Sonia Nepram of India and the short ‘725’ by America’s Irawati Athalye. Five documentaries came in for special mention: ‘In Our own way’ by Italy’s Wilma Massucco, India’s ‘Shivkalin Mardani Khel’ by Sailee Chandrakant Sane, ‘A country for my daughter’ by South Africa’s ‘Lucilla Blankenberg, India’s ‘My Kashmir’ by Madhuri Mohindar and Vaishali Sinha, and Italy’s ‘Me and Marti’ by Martina Vander Veer.
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Khan said: ‘The Bollywood fraternity respects the women filmmaker, long live women power’.
Das said, ‘The percentage of women filmmakers in the industry is very less. I am very happy that women directors, women cinematographers, women editors and all the women technicians who work behind the camera are being felicitated and their work is being showcased at different places in Mumbai from the past one week and I’m also glad that my film ‘Firaaq’ was a part of it.’
Deepa Bhatia, the editor of films ‘Kai Po Che’, ‘Student of The Year’ and ‘My Name Is Khan’ after her felicitation with the Award of Excellence said that this concept will help to uplift women filmmakers.
Singer Shibani Kashyap, who was also awarded, rendered her famous song ‘Sajna Aa Bhi Jaa’.
Others felicitated included filmmakers Alankrita Shrivastava and Samruddhi Porey.
Hindi
ZEE5, Applause announce new film Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa
Rajat Kapoor’s dark comedy thriller to stream on ZEE5 from April 10
MUMBAI: ZEE5 and Applause Entertainment have announced their next direct-to-digital collaboration, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a darkly comic whodunnit set to stream from April 10.
Produced in association with Mithya Talkies and written and directed by Rajat Kapoor, the film marks the latest addition to a growing slate of genre-diverse titles from the two partners. Their previous collaborations include dramas, psychological thrillers and dark comedies, with this outing leaning into a layered murder mystery.
The film features an ensemble cast including Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa and Saurabh Shukla, among others. The narrative promises a mix of satire, strained relationships and hidden tensions, inviting viewers to look beyond the crime to the dynamics that lead up to it.
ZEE5 business head hindi and chief channel officer Andtv Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has been instrumental in building a strong slate with titles such as Bloody Brothers, Mithya and Jab Khuli Kitaab. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, aligning with our focus on genre-led content that resonates with audiences.”
Applause Entertainment business head movies Sunil Chainani said, “This collaboration with ZEE5 continues to stand out for its diversity of genres and narrative styles. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa adds a sharp, darkly comic whodunnit to that mix, driven by Rajat Kapoor’s distinct voice.”
Sharing his creative approach, Rajat Kapoor said he was drawn to the emotional layers behind the genre. “I was interested not just in the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who appear close, yet carry unspoken tensions that eventually surface.”
The partnership between ZEE5 and Applause continues to build on a shared focus on distinctive storytelling, with each project exploring a different tone and genre.
With its mix of humour, tension and ensemble storytelling, the film aims to offer more than just a mystery. It promises a closer look at the secrets people keep, and the consequences when they finally come to light.
