Hindi
Pix launches film-based reality show with Whistling Woods
MUMBAI: After months of preparation, English movie channel PIX is all set to kick off its film-based reality show Gateway. The show goes on air next month.
For this, the channel has tied up with filmmaker Subhash Ghai’s film training institute Whistling Woods International. The show will give the winner a chance to direct a Hollywood film with Ashok Amritraj as producer.
The 12-episode show is being shot at the Whistling Woods campus from today. It will make use of the infrastructure and technology that the institute offers. The channel claims to have chosen 18 contestants from among 1,000 aspirants. The chosen ones will be put through a variety of tasks. Besides Amritraj, the judges include filmmakers Anurag Basu (Gangster, Life in a Metro) and Rajat Kapoor (director of Bheja Fry and Mixed Doubles). Milind Soman’s production company Face Entertainment is producing the show for PIX.
The winner of the show will receive an eight-week internship in Los Angeles with Ashok Amritraj‘s company Hyde Park Entertainment. In Hollywood, he will learn about film making as well as the business practices and challenges involved, whereupon he will start making a film.
“I am confident that the winner of the show will make an impact abroad. After all, young filmmakers are increasingly getting exposed to international culture and international films. They can tell the difference between, for example, a French film and a Spanish film. I hope that Ashok and I can take this partnership forward where maybe our students can get involved,” says Ghai.
Amritraj notes that the facilities available at Whistling Woods compare with what is offered abroad in places like UCLA. He says that the tasks that participants will perform on the show will give viewers an idea of how the process works in Hollywood.
“I am looking for a director with heart and passion. He must be a contemporary filmmaker capable of producing cutting-edge work. This work must be able to survive in a digital world as that is where the entertainment industry is heading towards,” adds Amritraj.
Vodafone, Westside, Sony Handycam and Swift have partnered with PIX for the show. The channel‘s business head Sunder Aaron notes that the show is in line with the channel‘s aim to celebrate the craft of filmmaking.
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.
