Hindi
A Critic is not a Judge, but a person who loves cinema: Samir Farid
New Delhi: Renowned Egyptian film critic Samir Farid says “I don‘t like people who consider a critic as a judge. I hate to consider myself a judge. I consider myself a man of cinema.”
Farid, who has been awarded the Aruna Vasudev Lifetime Achievement award at the 12th Osian‘s Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema, said “everyone has a right to like or dislike any work of art or film. A critic is a professional. It is his home profession to see a film or to read or to listen to music or any kind of art. Professional critic means he has a method.”
In a lecture at the OCFF, he said he studied literature and theatre and not cinema. “Each art has its own language.”
One of the challenges is for a critic to know how to define a success or a failure. The film critic has no choice. He must be a reader by profession, Farid said, stressing that a film critic should be a reader of other works of arts so that he can differentiate cinema from the other arts.
He said “There are two big branches of art. The first one belongs to the popular heritage in music and literature or anything. The second being films or works of art that suppresses the individual or the work of an individual.” He added: “When I write an article, I‘m looking for my reader. There has to be a harmony between the content, style and substance of a piece of art.
When asked how he was first exposed to foreign cinema as it is not widely available in Egypt, Farid said: “My first trip outside of Egypt was to the Cannes Film Festival in 1967. This was the 20th edition of the film festival. I was very fortunate to see films like Blow-Up by Antonioni at the Festival.”
“Egypt produces around 40 films a year. It was about 120 in the 1990s. The industry is still alive and popular. Egyptian films have more than 70% of the market share and 30% is from American films. Hindi films are limited to 5 films a year as they are scared of the Indian film market. There is only Egyptian or American films, no third kind of culture existed for the last 20 years,” he said.
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.
