Hindi
Intl children’s film fest kicks off at Hyderabad
HYDERABAD/MUMBAI: The 17th International Children‘s Film Festival (ICFF), offering a mix of movies for the tiny tots, kicked off at Hyderabad yesterday,
Organised jointly by the Children‘s Film Society of India (CFSI) and the Andhra Pradesh government, the festival was inaugurated by the state Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.
In his inaugural speech, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting CM Jatua said children are the future in a country and have to be taken care of.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister M Kiran Kumar Reddy said this was the ninth ICFF in this city of the Char Minar. He said in a country which has 54 per cent below 25 years of age and 41 per cent below 18 years of age, it is important to make cinema that appeal to the young. He said the goals should be clear since children today were competing in a global village. He said films should make children think, even as they get entertained.
Reiterating that the CFSI had been allotted ten acres of land for a children film complex and promising that it would be ready by the next festival, he said Andhra Pradesh is the only state where children’s films were tax-free and a subsidy of Rs 3 million is given for makers of children’s films. This is because children’s films needed support because of competition from television and the internet.
“The festival will have special features for short films, films made by children, age-wise screening of films, workshops and an open form to deliberate on the movies,” CFSI chairperson Nandita Das said.
She said the curators have taken painstaking efforts to select the rest of the films from around the world for screening during the festival.
The festival, which will conclude on 20 November, will see the screening of 152 children‘s films from 37 countries.
Also present were CFSI Chief Executive Officer Sushovan Banerjee, and B Venkateshan of the Andhra Pradesh State Film, Television and Theatre Development Corporation. Also present were Mr Uday Kumar Varma and Mr D P Reddy, Secretary and Joint Secretary respectively in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
The programme, which concluded with the screening of ‘Gattu’ by Rajan Khosa, also had performances by over a hundred children, the percussion legend Sivamani who was accompanied by a child prodigy, and the award-winning Prince Dance Troupe.
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.
