Hindi
Peepli Live ends the Oscar race
MUMBAI: Peepli Live, India‘s official entry to the Oscars for Best Foreign Film, has been left out of the nine films shortlisted by the Academy.
The list will be further scanned before the five final nominees would be announced on 25 January. It may be recalled that Peepli Live had edged out other critically acclaimed films from India like Udaan and Raajneeti to claim the top spot.
Now the films that are still in the Oscar race are Mexican film Biutiful, Algeria‘s Hors la Loi, Canada‘s Incendies, Denmark‘s In a Better World, Greece‘s Dogtooth, Japan‘s Confessions, South Africa‘s Life, above All, Spain‘s Tambien la Lluvia and Sweden‘s Simple Simon.
Previous Indian nominations for Best Foreign Film have been few and far between. Mother India became the first Indian film to make the cut in 1958. Three decades later, Mira Nair‘s Salaam Bombay! became the second film to make it to the final five in 1988. Another 14 years later in 2002, we saw the third Indian film Lagaan being sent to the Oscars. The golden man eluded all three films, as it did Ashvin Kumar‘s Little Terrorist, nominated for Best Live Action Short Film in 2004. And now Peeepli Live.
Though Indian films may have not won an Oscar, the country’s film personalities have had better luck with individual Oscars. In 1982, Bhanu Athaiya won Best Costume Design for Gandhi. A decade later, Bengali filmmaker Satyajit Ray was given the Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1992. And 2009‘s Slumdog Millionaire sweep included an Oscar for sound mixing for Resul Pookutty and two Oscars (Best Score and Best Song) for music maestro A R Rahman.
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.
