Hindi
Panda’s Jalpari-The Desert Mermaid screens at Cannes
MUMBAI: After the international success of his I Am Kalam that won over 20 international awards and one national award, NilaMadhab Panda‘s second feature film Jalpari – The Desert Mermaid, produced by Sushilkumar Agrawal of Ultra Distributors, started its international journey with a screening at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.
Though the story of Jalpari… is largely based on the issue of female foeticide, it has been treated as an adventure thriller and journey film.
The film‘s story revolves around the adventures and misadventures of brother-sister duo Shreya and Sam from the city, who visit their father‘s village which is bereft of water and women. The film takes an interesting turn when the children turn the dull village into a land of enchantment and mischief.
To a query as to why his film was not part of the official section, Panda observed, “My new film is ready. As the film was not complete earlier, I could not send it for official selection in Cannes, but we brought it to the market and got a fantastic response here. We have got invites from many festivals already.”
The first market screening of the film, which will have its theatrical release shortly, got a fantastic response from buyers and other participants of the festival. Both Panda and Agrawal are busy meeting prospective buyers and film festival curators at Cannes. The film will soon start its journey in the festival circuit.
Jalpari – The Desert Mermaid stars Tannishtha Chatterjee, Varun Badola, Parvin Dabas, Lehar Khan, Krishang Trivedi, Suhasini Mulay and others.
Hindi
Rashmika Mandanna, Shanaya Kapoor and Naila Grrewal climb IMDb’s Indian celebrity rankings
Upcoming films and returning shows are driving fan interest across Bollywood and streaming
MUMBAI: Bollywood’s popularity contest has a new weekly scorecard, and the numbers are telling. IMDb’s Popular Indian Celebrities list for this week places Shanaya Kapoor at number six, buoyed by buzz around her film Tu Yaa Main. Naila Grrewal slots in at seven on the back of the returning comedy series Maamla Legal Hai, while Rashmika Mandanna climbs to eighth, riding mounting anticipation for Cocktail 2.
The list, available exclusively on the IMDb app for Android and iOS, tracks trending Indian entertainers and filmmakers each week, drawing on data from more than 200m monthly visits to the platform worldwide.
Further down the rankings, Raaka is keeping two of its biggest names in the spotlight. Deepika Padukone holds 11th position, with Allu Arjun close behind at 13th, as the film continues to find traction with audiences.
The list offers fans a weekly pulse on who is breaking through, who is holding steady, and who is fading. It is a barometer as unsparing as the box office itself.
