Cillian Murphy plays headteacher in upcoming film Steve; Trailer out
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
18 minutes ago
- Indian Express
From low-key to larger-than-life, the many faces of Indian spies onscreen
Cinema across the world has been fascinated by spies, undercover agents, covert operations, intelligence officers working undercover, layers of charade, mistrust and potentially catastrophic situations that are averted in the nick of time. From glamorous and gritty to docile-looking but deadly, we have had numerous characters who cover the spectrum between realistic or based on true incidents and completely over-the-top spectacles like Mission Impossible or the Bond films. In India, August this year has been the month of spies. Over the Independence Day weekend and even earlier, stories of espionage, secret agents, and tales of patriotism, courage, and sacrifice have graced our screens, both big and small. Salakaar, a series about an 'extraordinary Indian spy,' started streaming on JioHotstar on August 8. Saare Jahan Se Accha, a web series starring Pratik Gandhi and Sunny Hinduja, released on Netflix on August 13. Gandhi plays Vishnu Shankar, an Indian intelligence officer assigned with finding Pakistan's nuclear facility, while Hinduja plays his unsurprisingly evil counterpart, who is determined to scuttle India's plan. On August 14, War 2, the next lavishly mounted saga from the YRF Spy Universe, released in theatres. Hrithik Roshan reprises the role of agent Kabir and faces off against Jr NTR, who makes his Bollywood debut. Kiara Advani is also around, wearing a bikini in a non-controversial colour. Tehran, starring John Abraham and Manushi Chillar also released on August 14 on ZEE5. The trailer introduces Abraham as Rajeev Kumar from the Delhi Police, though he appears to become involved in a major international showdown involving Israel, Iran, and India. Indian cinema and OTT content have given us multiple characters who work anonymously to save our country from peril. Some are focused on gathering intelligence in undercover roles, others have the license to kill, and some, like the YRF spies, can dance, romance and fire a bazooka, all with equal ease. So, as we enjoy the return of super spy Kabir and the introduction of Vishnu Shankar and Rajeev Kumar, I couldn't help but dig deep into the different types of 'jasoos' characters we have seen in Hindi films and content, and reminisce about who the most memorable ones have been. Not all situations call for a highly trained operative. There are cases where a novice or a common man or woman is chosen by an intelligence officer or a member of the armed forces to spy for the nation. They are considered suitable because of their gender, social strata or an out-of-the-box approach that differs from the methods of a trained spy. In Raazi, Alia Bhatt played Sehmat, a young Indian college student who marries the son of a Pakistani Army officer. Sehmat is petite, soft-spoken and shy, and her unsuspecting in-laws have no idea that she is an Indian spy who has been deliberately planted through marriage in her husband's home. She manages to gather vital information about an attack being planned on India, but her bravery comes at a huge personal cost. In the web series Mukhbir (streaming on ZEE5), which means spy, Zain Khan Durrani played Kamran, a handsome conman whose fearless attitude and smooth-talking skills impress S.K.S. Moorthy (Prakash Raj), an intelligence officer. Kamran goes undercover in Pakistan and is successful in finding information that is vital to the nation's security. In the film Khufiya, Tabu played an intelligence officer, Krishna Mehra, who plants Charu (Wamiqa Gabbi) as a spy in her own home to keep an eye on her husband, an escaped CIA mole. Priety Zinta's character Reshma from Hero: Love Story of a Spy is planted as a maid in a Pakistani home to gather intelligence for army officer Sunny Deol, who had more costumes than even the leading ladies of the film. Bell Bottom is another example where a talented civilian, Anshul Malhotra (Akshay Kumar), is emotionally blackmailed into becoming an intelligence officer with the code name Bell Bottom. While Sehmat, Kamran, Charu, Anshul and Reshma were plucked out of their regular lives and sent into dangerous territories, there are those like Srikant Tiwari in The Family Man. Srikant is a guy next door who is also a highly trained intelligence officer and field agent. Srikant or his colleague JK Talpade (Sharib Hashmi) could be the men standing next to us at a vadapav stall. But at work, they counter terrorism or dodge bullets on the field. One can't mention The Family Man without talking about the spy who makes Srikant look like a novice, Chellam. With only a few scenes but brilliantly written dialogues and great direction, Chellam sir inspired hundreds of memes and jokes with his paranoia and omniscient narrator-like knowledge. Himmat Singh (Kay Kay Menon) from Special Ops is another character where a regular-looking man, with a regular family, is in a job that has a direct impact on national security. Films like Baby, Mission Majnu, and even D Day are all examples where men and women who wouldn't stand out in a crowd, or have regular day jobs as covers, but are keeping us safe from threats every day. Quite unlike Srikant and Himmat are the larger-than-life spies of the YRF spy universe. Though the first film, Ek Tha Tiger, tried making Salman Khan seem like a guy next door in the first half of the film, the second half and the two subsequent films have turned Tiger into a larger-than-life character who drops from the sky onto a moving train and runs against the velocity of a train to escape certain death. Ditto for the newest YRF spy, Pathaan, played by Shah Rukh Khan. Unlike regular spies who perhaps have basic weapons and some spy tools, Pathaan operates planes, races bikes on the snow and even flies a jet pack to save the nation from rogue agent Jim (John Abraham). The spies of the YRF spy universe also travel to fancy European locations, dance with women dressed in designer clothing/swimwear, and indulge in plenty of dialoguebaazi and rhetoric to elicit the whistles and hoots. There is nothing relatable or low profile about Tiger, Pathaan, or Kabir. But then again, our audiences are pretty quick to suspend disbelief when it comes to Hindi film heroes. Also Read | In Ek Tha Tiger's opening, Kabir Khan delivers the most subversive Salman Khan entry and sets the spy universe template Perhaps what makes this genre so successful is audience curiosity about what motivates someone to live a life where they are constantly looking over their shoulder, or respect for the patriotic fervour of common men and women who put the nation above themselves. Additionally, the thrill of outwitting the enemy, delicious close brushes with getting caught, and the permission to cross borders or blur moral lines are all factors that keep us invested in characters whose successes and failures often make news headlines. The reasons are plenty, and it will be interesting to see whether these spies, old and new, will give us something to think and talk about or merely pass by without creating any ripples.
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
'He won't be the same player if he…': Former India cricketer bold verdict on Virat Kohli
Former Indian cricketer has shared his views on 's aggressive playing style and reflected on his own career experiences during a conversation with sports commentator Padamjeet Sehrawat on his YouTube channel. , who was part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning team alongside , emphasized that Kohli's aggressive demeanor is essential to his success as a player. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sreesanth expressed his perspective on Kohli's on-field behavior, distinguishing between aggression and passion. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! "Nothing (on whether he would change anything). What others call aggression, I call it passion. Is Virat Kohli aggressive? No. I think he is obsessed. Virat's aggression, people say, is a lot. I would say if he reduces that aggression, he won't be the same player." The careers of both cricketers took different paths following the 2011 World Cup victory. Kohli made his Test debut in the West Indies series, while Sreesanth did not participate in that tour. Sreesanth's final Test appearance for India came during the fourth Test against England in 2011, while Kohli's career continued to flourish. During the interview, Sreesanth also addressed the 2008 incident involving himself and , where the latter slapped him after an IPL game in Mohali. The former pacer revealed how this incident affected his family, particularly his daughter's perception of Harbhajan Singh. Poll Do you think Virat Kohli's aggression is essential to his success as a player? Yes, it defines his playing style No, he should tone it down It doesn't matter, his skills are enough Not sure "When I told my daughter, 'This is Bhajji pa, he's played with me', she straight away said, 'No, no, I won't say hi'. I couldn't understand why. In school, there may have been the odd conversation about it." Sreesanth elaborated on his attempts to explain the situation to his daughter and his current perspective on the incident. "There are different stories doing the rounds. Then we tried explaining, but she said she still won't talk to him. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The next day, when the legends tournament was going on, we explained that he was like our elder brother. I don't think Bhajji pa did that deliberately. It happened in the spur of the moment. It was just a learning experience for both of us." The incident has since become a significant talking point in history, with Harbhajan Singh previously expressing his desire to erase that moment from his life during an episode of "Kutti Stories with Ash." Both Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh were prominent figures in Indian cricket during their active playing days, contributing to various successes for the national team, including the 2011 World Cup victory. The 42-year-old Sreesanth's international career came to an end shortly after the 2011 World Cup, with his last ODI being the World Cup final and his final Test match coming against England later that year. Throughout the interview, Sreesanth maintained a reflective stance on his career and experiences, indicating that he wouldn't change anything about his journey in cricket, despite the various challenges and controversies he faced. The conversation highlighted the complex dynamics of professional cricket, from on-field aggression to personal relationships between players, and how these aspects continue to influence their lives even after their playing careers.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
What to watch on OTT: Night Always Comes, Butterfly, Drop and more
From Vanessa Kirby's gripping turn in Night Always Comes to Daniel Dae Kim's spy drama Butterfly, Christopher Landon's chilling Drop, Cannes standout Beating Hearts, and Mumbai-set horror series Andhera, OTT platforms are offering a diverse lineup for viewers this week. Night Always Comes Netflix Directed by Benjamin Caron and written by Sarah Conradt, Night Always Comes follows Lynette (Vanessa Kirby), a woman who risks everything to secure the house that represents a future for her family. On a dangerous odyssey through a single night, Lynette is forced to confront her dark past in order to finally break free. The film is an urgent and visceral thriller about one woman's struggle to survive. 'Vanessa brings a beautifully wild energy to Lynette, making the character unpredictable and deeply human. Together, we worked on creating a character who is simply not just reacting to the world, but desperately trying to wrest control of her future, even as she teeters on the edge of self-destruction,' Caron was quoted on Tudum. Butterfly Amazon Prime Video In Butterfly, David Jung (Daniel Dae Kim), a mysterious former US intelligence operative living in hiding in South Korea, has his life blown to pieces when the consequences of an impossible decision from his past come back to haunt him. He finds himself hunted by Rebecca (Reina Hardesty), a deadly young assassin, and Caddis, the sinister spy organisation she works for. Directed by Kitao Sakurai, the series is written by Sung Rno, Blaize Ali-Watkins, Arash Amel, Steph Cha and Ken Woodruff, among others. The cast of this high-octane series features Louis Landau, Piper Perabo, Kim Tae-hee, Sean Dulake, Seoyeon Jang, Charles Parnell and Kim Ji-hoon. Drop JioHotstar Violet is a widowed mother who goes to an upscale restaurant to meet Henry, her charming and handsome date. However, her pleasant evening soon turns into a living nightmare when she receives phone messages from a mysterious, hooded figure who threatens to kill her young son and sister unless she kills Henry. The thriller is directed by Christopher Landon while Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach have written its screenplay. The film's cast features Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar and Reed Diamond. Beating Hearts MUBI Directed by Gilles Lellouche, the romantic drama is based on the 1997 novel Jackie Loves Johnser OK? by Irish author Neville Thompson. 'In a tough neighborhood, rebellious teen Clotaire falls for sharp-witted Jackie. Their young love is tested when gang violence tears them apart and Clotaire is charged with a crime he didn't commit. Years later, fate reunites them—but can love overcome a past marked by injustice and revenge?' reads its synopsis. The film premiered in the main competition section of the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024. Lellouche wrote its screenplay with Ahmed Hamidi and Audrey Diwan. Also Read | Andhera review: This Prajakta Koli series is a juvenile mish-mash Andhera Amazon Prime Video Directed by Raaghav Dar, the series is set against the dazzling yet deceptive skyline of Mumbai. When a young woman disappears under mysterious circumstances, Inspector Kalpana Kadam (Priya Bapat) and troubled medical student Jay (Karanvir Malhotra) are pulled into a dark spiral of secrets. As their investigation unearths a sinister force hiding in the shadows, reality begins to fracture. As the line between reality and nightmare begins to dissolve, the duo must confront forces that defy explanation—and fight a creeping darkness that threatens to consume everything in its path. The horror-investigation series also features Prajakta Koli, Surveen Chawla, Parvin Dabas, and Pranay Pachauri in pivotal roles.
