Film Production
“Bun Tikki” to premiere at Palm Springs 2025, celebrating family & resilience
Mumbai: Jio Studios and Manish Malhotra’s Stage5 Production proudly announced the world premiere of “Bun Tikki” at the prestigious 36th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) on 5 January 2025. Directed by debutant feature filmmaker Faraz Arif Ansari, the poignant coming-of-age drama stars Shabana Azmi, Zeenat Aman, Abhay Deol, Nushrratt Bharuccha, and Rohaan Singh.
Set against the backdrop of societal challenges, “Bun Tikki” explores the tender relationship between seven-year-old Shanu and his single father, Sidhant. The narrative beautifully captures their journey through self-discovery, grief, and resilience. This emotional tale of love and identity promises to resonate with audiences globally, bringing universal themes of parenthood and empathy to the forefront.
Speaking about the premiere, Ansari shared, “It’s an absolute dream to have “Bun Tikki” debut at Palm Springs. This film is my love letter to the world—to every child, every parent, and everyone who believes in the transformative power of love, empathy, and kindness. I hope it sparks conversations that break barriers and bridge differences. My heartfelt thanks to Jio Studios and Manish Malhotra for believing in me and giving this story the platform it deserves.”
Produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Dinesh Malhotra, Marijke deSouza, and Manish Malhotra, “Bun Tikki” marks the second international outing for the Jio Studios-Stage5 Production collaboration, following the success of Saali Mohabbat at IFFI 2024. Reflecting their commitment to creating impactful cinema, the partnership continues to push boundaries with authentic storytelling that resonates across borders.
Stage5 Production founder, Manish Malhotra expressed his pride: “Seeing “Bun Tikki” premiere at Palm Springs is a truly special moment. This film challenges conventions and connects on a universal scale. I am incredibly proud of Faraz for bringing this vision to life and eagerly anticipate the world’s response to this heartfelt story.”
Reliance Industries president of media and entertainment, Jyoti Deshpande added, “ “Bun Tikki” is a testament to the power of storytelling to foster empathy and understanding. Supporting this film reflects our commitment to amplifying diverse voices and sharing narratives that challenge and inspire.”
The film stars legendary actors Shabana Azmi and Zeenat Aman, alongside Abhay Deol, Nushrratt Bharuccha, and Rohaan Singh. Ansari, known for their award-winning films Sisak and Sheer Qorma, brings their distinctive voice to this feature directorial debut. “Bun Tikki” continues their legacy of inclusive storytelling, offering a heartfelt portrayal of familial love and resilience.
Film Production
Arka Mediaworks onboards 88 Pictures as animation studio partner on ‘The Eternal War – Part 1’
Arka Mediaworks announces that 88 Pictures, the acclaimed animation and visual storytelling studio known for its cutting-edge CGI and cinematic artistry, is on board as the animation partner for the highly anticipated Baahubali: The Eternal War, a groundbreaking two-part 3D animated feature film set in the globally beloved Baahubali universe.
Baahubali: The Eternal War represents a bold new chapter in the Baahubali saga envisioned for national and international audiences and crafted with the ambition of delivering one of India’s most ambitious and globally benchmarked animation projects to date.
88 Pictures will execute the animation production, bringing to life the film’s richly detailed worlds, epic battle sequences, and larger-than-life characters with its signature blend of artistic vision, performance-driven animation, and advanced production pipelines. Working closely with the film’s creative leadership and technical partners, the studio aims to set new benchmarks in animation quality, cinematic storytelling, and global scalability.
This animated epic follows the successful re-release of Baahubali: The Epic (the combined theatrical version of the original live-action films) on 31 October 2025 across India and the USA. During the film’s interval, legendary creator and director S.S. Rajamouli (Baahubali 1 & 2, RRR) stunned audiences with a surprise teaser for The Eternal War – Part 1. The video immediately went viral, garnering widespread national and international acclaim across LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube for its ambitious visual style and scale.
Produced by Arka Mediaworks and led by co-founder and CEO Shobu Yarlagadda – producer of the iconic Baahubali duology, The Eternal War brings together fantastic storytelling and cutting-edge animation.. The film is directed and written by acclaimed animation filmmaker Ishan Shukla (Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust, Star Wars: Visions – “The Bandits of Golak”) and screenplay by Scott Mosier (The Grinch). Mihira Visual Labs, the studio co-founded by Yarlagadda anchors the film’s animation, visual development, and execution.
The partnership with 88 Pictures brings significant pedigree to the project; the studio is well-regarded for its work on high-profile international titles including DreamWorks’ series Trollhunters, the HBO Max original series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, Disney’s animated short An Almost Christmas Story to name a few.
Yarlagadda shared, “We are happy to onboard 88 Pictures as the animation studio partner for our prestigious and most expensive animated film from India. We believe that their expertise and capabilities will allow us to produce a first-of-its-kind, world-class animated feature film from India.”
88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind D. Shinde said, “Baahubali changed the way cinema is perceived and became a defining milestone that turned the tide for Indian live-action filmmaking. Expanding the franchise into an entirely new universe—at a never-seen, never-done scale—through an animated feature created in India for a global audience is set to redefine how the world views Indian animation. We are truly thrilled to be part of this landmark project and to bring it to life under the visionary direction of Ishan Shukla, guided by the experience and leadership of acclaimed producer Shobu Yarlagadda.”
Shukla expressed, “Eternal War requires a level of visual and emotional precision that can only come from teams who truly understand both craft and intent. Working with 88 Pictures, alongside Mihira Visual Labs, has been a deeply collaborative experience. This association brings together technical excellence and creative sensitivity, enabling us to translate an ambitious vision into a compelling cinematic reality.”
Baahubali: The Eternal War – Part 1 is scheduled for release in 2027
