iWorld
Tisca Chopra’s Saali Mohabbat finds a home on ZEE5
MUMBAI: Tisca Chopra is ready to step behind the camera with her directorial debut feature, Saali Mohabbat, a ZEE5 Original set to premiere later this year. Featuring Radhika Apte, Divyenndu Sharma, and Anurag Kashyap in lead roles, the film is produced by Jio Studios and Manish Malhotra’s Stage5 Production, marking the celebrated designer’s first venture into digital cinema.
After an acclaimed run at film festivals including IFFI and the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, Saali Mohabbat is all set for its digital debut on ZEE5. Billed as a genre-bending ‘how-dunnit’, the story follows Smita (Radhika Apte), a small-town housewife whose seemingly ordinary life spirals into a dark maze of deceit, desire, and moral conflict. What begins as a domestic drama slowly unfolds into a chilling tale of love, betrayal, and blurred truths.
Tisca Chopra, known for her powerful on-screen performances, brings a sharp and empathetic gaze to her first feature as director. “With Saali Mohabbat, I wanted to tell a story that’s intimate yet unsettling, one that explores the invisible tensions in relationships and the ways love can morph into something darker,” she said. “Directing this film has been both terrifying and liberating, and I’m deeply grateful to my collaborators for trusting my vision.”
Producer Manish Malhotra described the project as a deeply personal one. “At Stage5, we back stories that are original in thought and strong in craft. Saali Mohabbat is layered and quietly powerful, exploring silence, choices, and consequence. Every frame reflects the team’s shared commitment to storytelling with purpose and soul,” he said.
Jio Studios president Jyoti Deshpande added, “We are proud to support bold voices like Tisca’s and to collaborate with creative forces such as Manish Malhotra. Saali Mohabbat is a perfect blend of emotional depth and cinematic finesse, a story that will resonate deeply with audiences.”
ZEE5 business head Hindi Kaveri Das said, “We’re thrilled to bring Saali Mohabbat to ZEE5 viewers. It’s not just a thriller, but a deeply human story that challenges conventions and keeps you hooked till the very end.”
With its blend of psychological intrigue, striking performances, and Tisca Chopra’s assured direction, Saali Mohabbat promises to be one of this year’s most compelling digital premieres, a love story that cuts deep and lingers long after the credits roll.
iWorld
Subedaar puts Indian original cinema on the global map with record-breaking Prime Video debut
MUMBAI: Prime Video has a runaway hit on its hands. Subedaar, the gritty action drama starring Anil Kapoor, has stormed to become the most-watched Indian original movie on the platform in its opening weekend, cracking the Top 10 across 31 countries and landing in 91 per cent of India’s pin codes within days of its March 5 premiere.
The film, a visceral, emotionally-charged story of a retired soldier, Subedaar Arjun Maurya, wrestling with civilian life amid crime and corruption, has struck a nerve. Directed by Suresh Triveni and co-starring Radhikka Madan, Mona Singh, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Faisal Malik, and Khushboo Sundar, the film is already being hailed as a showcase for what Indian original storytelling can achieve on the world stage.
“Subedaar’s success is a reflection of the growing scale and global resonance of Indian storytelling,” said Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals at Prime Video India. “The film’s emotional narrative, its rooted portrayal of a soldier confronting his toughest battles beyond the battlefield, has struck a chord. Anil Kapoor delivers an acting masterclass, while Suresh Triveni’s solid direction and great performances from the ensemble cast have resulted in love and appreciation from customers across the world.”
Kapoor, 62, has been here before, but rarely at this altitude. Written by Triveni and Prajwal Chandrashekar, with dialogues by Triveni, Saurabh Dwivedi, and Chandrashekar, the film is a production by Opening Image Films in association with Anil Kapoor Film & Communication Network (AKFCN), produced by Vikram Malhotra, Kapoor, and Triveni.
Subedaar streams exclusively on Prime Video in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu across India, and in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.
For Prime Video, the numbers tell the real story: one weekend, one film, a global footprint, and a very loud signal that Indian original cinema is no longer just travelling well. It’s arriving.
