Hindi
Asian films to dominate Venice Filmfest this year
NEW DELHI: Asian films including one from India will dominate the 71st Venice International Film Festival next month.
The Festival is being held from 27 August to 6 September.
The competition section includes two Asian films: Tsukamoto Shinya’s Nobi and Wang Xiaoshua’s thriller Red Amnesia.
The former is the story of a soldier struggling for survival in the Filipino jungle during the Pacific War. Ooka Shohei’s novel was previously adapted by Ichikawa Kon as Fires on the Plain (1959). In addition to directing, writing, editing, producing and serving as cinematographer, Tsukamoto also stars opposite Lily Franky and Nakamura Tatsuya.
A thriller about a retired widow whose life is changed after receiving anonymous calls from a mysterious stranger, Red Amnesia is Wang’s first film in three years since his autobiographical drama 11 Flowers (2011).
The Orizzonti competition section includes two Asian feature films: Hong Sang-soo’s Hill of Freedom and Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court. The former stars Kase Ryo as a Japanese man who falls for an older woman in Seoul. The latter chronicles a controversial court case about a folk singer accused of performing an inflammatory song that drove a man to commit suicide.
Ann Hui, director of the festival closing film The Golden Era, is serving as the director of the Orizzonti competition jury.
The section also includes 13-minute China short Great Heat and 17-minute Indonesia short Maryam.
The festival is also hosting the world premieres of Peter Chan’s Dearest and IM Kwon-taek’s Make Up as out of competition screening.
Organisers of the Venice Days sidebar said in addition to Kim Ki-duk’s One on One as opening film, the programme includes Bengali-language recession-set drama Asha jaoar majhe (aka Labour of Love) by Aditya Vikram Sengupta.
Independently organised by the SNCCI (Sindacato Nazionale Critici Cinematografici Italiani), the International Critics’ Week includes Vietnam’s Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere, and China’s The Coffin in the Mountain.
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.
