Fiction
Star World Premiere HD premieres ‘The Night Of’
MUMBAI: Star World Premiere HD, India’s leading English entertainment channel, is known to provide audiences with the best and most critically acclaimed content on Indian television. The programming line-up that has previously consisted of Martin Scorsese’s Vinyl, iconic event series X-Files, Ryan Murphy’s The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, television hot sensation Game of Thrones and M. Night Shyamalan’s Wayward Pines Season 2 as part of its roster, is now all geared up to premiere HBO series ‘The Night Of’.
The eight-part limited series is directed and produced by Oscar-winner Steve Zaillian, known for writing scripts of Oscar and Golden Globe award winning movies like Schindler’s List, American Gangster, Gangs of New York and more. Loosely based on an award winning British miniseries Criminal Justice, The Night Of is a hard hitting and brutally honest crime show that delves into the intricate story of a fictitious murder case in New York City.
The series takes on the journey of a lawyer Jack Stone (John Turturro), who seeks to absolve a young Pakistani-American student (Riz Ahmed) who is accused of brutally murdering a girl on the Upper West Side. As the drama unfolds, the audiences are let in on the pitfalls of the judicial system while they go through a whirlwind of different emotions ranging from empathy to utter outrage.
The Night Of comprises of a stellar star cast including renowned actors Poorna Jagannathan, popular for her roles in Bollywood movies – Delhi Belly, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Hollywood TV shows – House of Cards, Law & Order, The Game among others; John Turturro of The Transformers, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Secret Window, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan fame; Riz Ahmed, popular for his roles in Hollywood movies – The Road to Guantanamo and Nightcrawler with upcoming movies – James Bourne, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Peyman Moaadi of Oscar-winning movie ‘A Separation’ fame among others.
The Night Of will premiere in India on Wednesday, July 13th at 10 PM on Star World Premiere HD.
MUMBAI: On Christmas morning, whilst most of Mumbai slept off festive cheer, Satyam Tripathi’s heart gave out. 25 December proved cruelly ironic for a man who’d spent his career crafting drama—this time, there would be no second take. He was only 57.
Tripathi was a scriptwriter’s scriptwriter. Within India’s chaotic television industry, where writers are treated rather like spare parts, he’d carved out something rare: respect. For years, he sat on the executive committee of the Screen Writers Association, helping transform along with other leaders, what was once a talking shop into an organisation with teeth. When writers’ rights were little more than punchlines, Tripathi helped pen a different ending.
His credits read like a greatest hits of Indian telly: Hitler Didi, 12/24 Karol Bagh, Ek Mutthi Aasman, Parvarrish Kuchh Khattee Kuchh Meethi. Millions laughed, cried and switched channels to his work. He also championed the association’s Screen Writing Awards, ensuring that good writing didn’t go unnoticed in an industry obsessed with ratings and revenue.
Those who knew him speak of an affable soul, generous with time and advice. In a cut-throat business, Tripathi was that rarest of creatures: genuinely helpful.
His remains were cremated the same evening in the presence of industry associates and friends. The credits rolled quickly. But his final script—a better deal for India’s writers—continues to play out. That’s the sort of ending he’d have appreciated.
(Scriptwriters, producers and friends will be getting together to honour Satyam Kumud Tripathi’s memory and to hold a prayer meeting on 29 December. The location: Shri Guru Singh Sabha Gurudwara, 4 Bungalows, Andheri West, Mumbai. The time: between 3:30 PM and 5:00 PM.)
