Movies
Gujarati blockbuster Jhamkudi haunts Hindi screens on ShemarooMe
MUMBAI: Witching hour just struck again, this time in Hindi. After smashing box office records in Gujarati cinema, supernatural horror-comedy Jhamkudi is now ready to spook and tickle audiences across India with its Hindi world digital premiere on ShemarooMe from 18 September 2025.
The film, which stars National award-winner Manasi Parekh and viral comic sensation Viraj Ghelani, has already carved a cult following. Set in the cursed village of Raniwada, it weaves together folklore, frights and funny bones, with a vengeful witch unleashing chaos during Navratri. But unlike your average haunted tale, Jhamkudi balances scares with laugh-out-loud moments, and even a rap-style title track sung by Parekh herself.
Shot inside the 500-year-old Gondal Palace, where whispers of real ghost stories floated through the crew, the film oozes atmosphere and authenticity. directed by Umang Vyas, it boasts a stellar ensemble including Ojas Rawal, Sanjay Goradia, Jayesh More and Bhavini Jani.
Reflecting on the film’s Hindi debut, Parekh said, “We wanted to explore horror-comedy in Gujarati cinema, and the audience response has been overwhelming. Bringing Jhamkudi to a wider audience in Hindi feels like the natural next step: it’s fun, spooky and full of madness.”
Ghelani, who dubbed his own Hindi lines, added, “This film marked my debut and will always be close to my heart. Reliving the character in Hindi was such a joy, and I hope viewers everywhere connect with the humour and thrills.”
With its mix of scares, satire and superstition, Jhamkudi is now spreading Gujarati cinema’s magic beyond borders. For ShemarooMe, it’s another step in making regional blockbusters mainstream, giving India’s diverse stories the stage, and the scares, they deserve.
Movies
Green Gold Animation creates CG character for Telugu film Rākāsā
Chhota Bheem studio expands into mainstream VFX with dialogue-free digital lead.
MUMBAI: Green Gold Animation, the house that gave India Chhota Bheem, is now stepping out of the kids’ zone and into the big screen with a rather silent but powerful performer. The Hyderabad-based studio’s VFX division has delivered a fully computer-generated character for the upcoming Telugu-language comedy-fantasy thriller Rākāsā, set for theatrical release on 3 April 2026. Directed by Manasa Sharma and produced by Niharika Konidela under Pink Elephant Pictures in collaboration with Zee Studios, the film marks a notable move for Green Gold into complex, character-driven work for mainstream cinema.
What makes the project stand out is its ambitious central character, a completely digital creation that does not speak a single line. Instead, the character relies entirely on animation, movement, facial expressions and body language to convey emotion and connect with audiences. This is a relatively unexplored approach in Telugu cinema at this scale.
Green Gold’s VFX team was involved from early pre-production through to final delivery, completing over 750 CG shots with a team of more than 100 artists. The work included detailed character animation, performance design and fluid simulations, all executed within tight timelines and practical budgets through strong planning and close collaboration.
Green Gold Animation founder & CEO Rajiv Chilaka said the project pushed the team to approach character creation differently. “Building a fully digital character where every emotion had to come through performance and detailing was very meaningful,” he noted.
Green Gold VFX supervisor and VFX creative director Murali Manohar Reddy added that the emotional depth had to be communicated entirely through visual performance. “This wasn’t about reinventing technology, but about using our tools and processes with precision to serve the story,” he said.
Producer Niharika Konidela praised the collaboration, saying the Green Gold VFX team understood the vision and brought strong detail and emotion to the character while working within practical constraints.
The film blends humour, action and mythological elements, following an NRI protagonist on a chaotic and magical adventure. It stars Sangeet Shobhan, Nayan Sarika, Vennela Kishore, Brahmaji and Ashish Vidyarthi, with music by Anudeep Dev.
For a studio best known for colourful kids’ animation, delivering a silent, emotionally expressive CG lead for a mainstream theatrical release is quite the plot twist. With Rākāsā, Green Gold Animation is quietly proving it can speak volumes even without dialogue.
