Film Production
Garbage, A gritty socio-political drama directed by Q,the only Indian film, to premiere at Berlinale 2018
A political drama that reflects the times we are living in, Garbage, Q’s new directorial venture will be premiering at Panorama, Berlinale this year.
Produced by Shaailesh R Singh and Hansal Mehta of Karma Entertainment & Media LLP, and Q of ODDJOINT, the film tells the story of Phanishwar (Tanmay Dhanania), Nanaam (Satarupa Das) and Rami (Trimala Adhikari), who are lost in their own dark worlds, and come together only to inflict damage on each other.
Phanishwar is a taxi driver in Goa, living with a mysterious girl, Nanaam, who he keeps in chains. When Rami, a medical student, and a victim of revenge porn leaked online by an ex-boyfriend, seeks refuge in Goa, she stumbles into the strange but placid lives of Phanishwar and Nanaam.
What ensues is an intricate, steely drama between the characters, questioning and confronting the prevalent concepts of gender, freedom and faith, as is in India, today.
“I see garbage as a strong metaphor of human existence. I am shocked at the level of violent patriarchy and general apathy around me. India has been changing, and sucking itself into an abyss of misunderstanding and delusion, aided strongly by mainstream religious sentiments. There’s an imminent threat of the fragile social fabric imploding and affecting everyone. Garbage is my way of trying to understand the tension’ says Q.
“I really liked what Q narrated to us and with Garbage being the only Indian film at Panaroma Berlinale, Hansal and I are proud of our association with the film. We hope it will be liked”, says Shaailesh R Singh.
In the world of independent cinema, Q is well known for his subversive storytelling and controversial cult films that question the established status quo. Q’s experiments with filmmaking started with vivid and potent tales of contemporary Bengali culture, both fictional and non-fictional, back in 2009. Since then his films have explored the fringes of popular culture, collaborating with producers and actors across the globe. Seven years after Gandu, one of his most well known works, Garbage is all set for its world premiere at Panorama, at the Berlin International Film Festival, which seeks out new impulses in the prevailing trends and in cinematic creation, from across the world.
Film Production
Disney to cut 1,000 jobs under new chief executive
The entertainment giant’s freshly installed boss inherits a restructuring already in motion, with marketing and corporate roles bearing the brunt
CALIFORNIA: Walt Disney is preparing to slash up to 1,000 jobs in the coming weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported, as the entertainment giant’s freshly installed chief executive moves swiftly to trim fat and tighten the ship.
The cuts, less than 1 per cent of Disney’s global workforce of 231,000, will fall hardest on marketing and corporate roles. The planning, notably, began before D’Amaro formally took the top job in March, suggesting the new boss inherited a restructuring already in motion rather than one of his own making.
Driving the push is Asad Ayaz, Disney’s newly appointed chief marketing officer, who in January assumed command of a unified, company-wide marketing operation spanning film, television and streaming. His consolidation drive has been given a suitably cinematic internal name: Project Imagine.
The move is modest by Disney’s recent standards. Between 2023 and 2025, under former chief executive Bob Iger, the company eliminated roughly 8,000 positions across several brutal rounds of cuts, saving $7.5 billion, comfortably exceeding its own targets. As recently as June 2025, several hundred more jobs were axed across Disney Entertainment, hitting film and television marketing, publicity, casting, development and corporate finance.
Disney’s structural headaches are well-documented: shrinking streaming margins, a weakened box office, and fierce competition from Amazon and YouTube gnawing at its flanks. The company is merging its Disney+ and Hulu teams into a single app, has brought in consultants from Bain & Co to guide its broader cost strategy, and is betting heavily on digital growth.
The wider entertainment industry offers little comfort. Sony Pictures, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery have all taken the knife to their workforces in recent years, and further cuts loom if Paramount’s acquisition of Warner goes through.
For D’Amaro, the message is clear: there will be no honeymoon period. The magic kingdom still has some cost-cutting spells left to cast.
