Hindi
S Korean firm acquires global rights of Sidharth Srinivasan’s film
MUMBAI: South Korean film sales company Finecut has acquired the international rights of Sidharth Srinivasan‘s horror film The Profane, a co-production effort from India, UK and Korea.
Andy Starke and Pete Tombs of UK‘s Root Films and Finecut‘s SUH Young-Joo are the production partners.
The film is the story of a brother and sister, at odds with the world and one another, who take their elderly mother to Varanasi to fulfill her dying wish – to be cremated and have her ashes scattered in the holy river Ganges.
But, once there, the mother refuses to die. To find a way out of their dilemma, her two children are forced to resort to extreme measures. Measures that trap them in a world of strange magic and dark desires, a world ruled by the dead rather than the living.
Earlier named Samaadhi (The Penance), the film was selected for Locarno Open Doors and Hong Kong Asia Film-Financing Forum 2011.
The Profane is likely to roll early 2013.
Sidharth Srinivasan’s debut short film, The Tightrope Walker, premiered in the Competition section at Venice Film Festival in 2000 while his feature film Pairon Talle (Soul of Sand) had its World premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010.
Hindi
ZEE5, Applause announce new film Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa
Rajat Kapoor’s dark comedy thriller to stream on ZEE5 from April 10
MUMBAI: ZEE5 and Applause Entertainment have announced their next direct-to-digital collaboration, Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa, a darkly comic whodunnit set to stream from April 10.
Produced in association with Mithya Talkies and written and directed by Rajat Kapoor, the film marks the latest addition to a growing slate of genre-diverse titles from the two partners. Their previous collaborations include dramas, psychological thrillers and dark comedies, with this outing leaning into a layered murder mystery.
The film features an ensemble cast including Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Waluscha De Sousa and Saurabh Shukla, among others. The narrative promises a mix of satire, strained relationships and hidden tensions, inviting viewers to look beyond the crime to the dynamics that lead up to it.
ZEE5 business head hindi and chief channel officer Andtv Kaveri Das said, “Our collaboration with Applause Entertainment has been instrumental in building a strong slate with titles such as Bloody Brothers, Mithya and Jab Khuli Kitaab. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa is a natural progression, aligning with our focus on genre-led content that resonates with audiences.”
Applause Entertainment business head movies Sunil Chainani said, “This collaboration with ZEE5 continues to stand out for its diversity of genres and narrative styles. Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa adds a sharp, darkly comic whodunnit to that mix, driven by Rajat Kapoor’s distinct voice.”
Sharing his creative approach, Rajat Kapoor said he was drawn to the emotional layers behind the genre. “I was interested not just in the mechanics of a whodunnit, but the emotional violence that precedes physical violence. These are people who appear close, yet carry unspoken tensions that eventually surface.”
The partnership between ZEE5 and Applause continues to build on a shared focus on distinctive storytelling, with each project exploring a different tone and genre.
With its mix of humour, tension and ensemble storytelling, the film aims to offer more than just a mystery. It promises a closer look at the secrets people keep, and the consequences when they finally come to light.
