logo
Over 200 children attend film fete

Over 200 children attend film fete

The Hindu20-07-2025
The Pondicherry Science Forum (PSF), in association with Alliance Francaise, organised a two-day children's film festival.
According to the PSF, the free-entry festival was open to children in the 13-18 age segment. The screenings were held at the auditorium of Alliance Francaise.
About 30 films were shown at the festival to participants who came from across the city. Over 200 children participated in the event over the weekend, organisers said.
The selection of films in various languages such as Tamil, English, French, and Hindi, showcased diverse genres, including animation films, short films, and documentaries.
The festival was launched by A. Muthamma, Commissioner-cum-Secretary in the presence of Mohammed Ahsan Abid, Culture Secretary, Nallam Satish, Alliance Francaise president, Murugavel Raja, R. Madivanane and A. Hemavathi of PSF.
The festival opening was followed by the screening of 'Anaar Daana' (Sour Candy) Interactive sessions were held after each screening, organisers said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Here's what Chennai's parkour community is up to
Here's what Chennai's parkour community is up to

The Hindu

timean hour ago

  • The Hindu

Here's what Chennai's parkour community is up to

When you think of parkour, scenes of people scaling rooftops and leaping through walls might come to mind. But that is not all parkour is about, it is a way of life, says the parkour community in Chennai. At a park in Indira Nagar, members of the Parkour Circle begin their regular Sunday morning practice by tackling various obstacles. 'Parkour is all about being comfortable and efficient in your environment. It engages and develops all the senses in the body,' says Prabu M, who has been running the Parkour Circle, mostly outdoors. For him, the introduction to Parkour began with a video clip from a French film 'District B13' on Orkut in 2004. 'This community has grown but also waned, as parkour started to take a hyper-masculine image. But now, with conscious efforts to collaborate with other art forms like theatre and dance, it is more inclusive and bigger than before,' says Mr. Prabu, who also works with children with intellectual disabilities, helping them learn parkour. Meanwhile, at the indoor parkour sessions in Ekkattuthangal, early on a weekday morning, a young crowd gathered at Chennai Parkour practising Kong vault. 'People often think parkour is dangerous and only for the young, but what they don't see is the foundation of building strength, flexibility and mobility for the first six months,' says Vignesh Raghavan, professional parkour practitioner and senior coach at Chennai Parkour. 'Only then, we introduce the more intense techniques. When done right, parkour is safe and for people of all ages,' adds him. Seeing the crowd in their 20s and 30s who have largely been making use of the parkour facilities in Chennai, it is the children now joining the queue. Radhika Kannan, whose 8-year-old daughter Mahika says parkour is a lot of fun, and attends Chennai Parkour classes. 'My daughter was always jumping around the house, and we thought that parkour was something she would enjoy, and a dedicated parkour training centre was safer. Even though she was hesitant to try all the moves at first, she started enjoying the classes a lot, especially as more children have been joining in. The facilities are safe and the coaches take good care of the students,' she says. 'What I have noticed is that, along with her physical strength, her confidence has improved tremendously. Now, she is happy to do any adventure activity, without fear holding her back,' she adds. Ashwath, a 36-year-old management accountant and parkour practitioner for 15 years with the Parkour Circle, started this only to flex among his peers, but it has become his whole lifestyle today. He says the community in the city is livelier currently, because more people are seeking a break from their monotonous routine. 'Here, you don't compete against each other, it is about working on yourself, and parkour indeed makes me mentally strong, not just physically,' says Mr. Ashwath. Stereotypes still persist When it comes to outdoor parkour, the presence of practitioners in public parks often felt like an unwelcome guest, mistaking it for reckless play. Moreover, Mr. Prabu points out a cultural stigma when it comes to women training outdoors. 'When you search for parkour online, what shows up are intense stunts, but we teach parkour as a more grounded practise. It is a constant challenge we are trying to break,' he says . 'There are a lot of women who wish to join, but they are often held back by families who see parkour as something too risky, and they are nudged towards conventional gyms,' adds Mr. Raghavan. As this senior coach was training the members, he says parkour is never about rooftop jumps, which only a few adrenaline-seekers chase but always about using both your environment and your body to move efficiently!

Udaipur Files Producer Amit Jani Granted Y-Category Security Amid Alleged Threats
Udaipur Files Producer Amit Jani Granted Y-Category Security Amid Alleged Threats

India.com

time2 hours ago

  • India.com

Udaipur Files Producer Amit Jani Granted Y-Category Security Amid Alleged Threats

New Delhi: Producer Amit Jani reportedly claimed that he had been receiving death threats on social media in connection with the upcoming release of Udaipur Files. Union Home Ministry Approves Y-Category Security In a new development, the Ministry of Home Affairs has extended Y-category security to Amit Jani. This comes amid mounting tensions and concerns over the film's impact and the threats reportedly received by its creators. The protection will be provided by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and will apply across Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Producer Expresses Gratitude Taking to social media, Jani thanked the country's top leadership for ensuring his protection. In a tweet written in Hindi, he said: "केंद्र की Y श्रेणी सुरक्षा देने के लिए माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी और गृह मंत्री श्री अमित शाह जी का हार्दिक धन्यवाद" (Translation: "Heartfelt thanks to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Home Minister Shri Amit Shah Ji for granting Y-category security.") केंद्र की Y श्रेणी सुरक्षा देने के लिए माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी और गृह मंत्री श्री अमित शाह जी का हार्दिक धन्यवाद@narendramodi @AmitShah @HMOIndia @PMOIndia — Amit Jani (@AmitJaniIND) July 27, 2025 Court Puts a Hold on Film's Release Originally slated for a July 11 release, the Delhi High Court on July 10 issued a stay order on the film, pending a decision by the Centre on multiple petitions. These petitions sought a permanent ban, citing the film's potential to 'promote disharmony' in society. Centre Recommends Edits According to an ANI report, a committee constituted by the central government, on directions from the Delhi High Court, has proposed six major modifications to the film. These include: Revised disclaimer: The original disclaimer is to be replaced with a new, government-approved version. Credit edits: Frames expressing gratitude to certain individuals must be removed. AI-generated execution scene: A scene resembling a Saudi-style execution created using AI must be altered. A scene resembling a Saudi-style execution created using AI must be altered. Name change for character 'Nutan Sharma': All references to this character must be replaced. All references to this character must be replaced. Dialogue deletion: The line attributed to Nutan Sharma, 'Mainetoh wohi kaha hai jo unke dharma grantho mein likha hai', must be removed. The line attributed to Nutan Sharma, 'Mainetoh wohi kaha hai jo unke dharma grantho mein likha hai', must be removed. Baloch community references: Dialogues concerning the Baloch community are to be eliminated. Earlier, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had mandated around 150 cuts in the film. Following these revisions, Udaipur Files: Kanhaiya Lal Tailor Murder was cleared for theatrical release on August 8, 2025. Starring Vijay Raaz in the lead role, the film was originally scheduled for release on July 11, 2025. However, it encountered multiple delays due to censorship issues and ongoing legal challenges. FAQs Q1. Why did Amit Jani receive Y-category security? Amit Jani was granted Y-category security after claiming he received threats over the film Udaipur Files. Q2. Why was the release of Udaipur Files delayed? The Delhi High Court stayed the release, citing concerns over the film's potential to promote social disharmony. Q3. How many cuts did CBFC demand in the film? The CBFC had ordered approximately 150 cuts before approving the film, as reported by IANS. Q4. When is Udaipur Files now scheduled to release? The film is slated for release on August 8, 2025.

‘Su From So': How an unheralded Kannada film broke marketing norms to set box office records
‘Su From So': How an unheralded Kannada film broke marketing norms to set box office records

The Hindu

time2 hours ago

  • The Hindu

‘Su From So': How an unheralded Kannada film broke marketing norms to set box office records

Three days ago, Su From So was an unheralded film. Today, it has shaken the Kannada film industry, reiterating the importance of quality content and prompting filmmakers to reassess their promotional strategies. Su From So, released during the cataclysmic run of Saiyaara, the Hindi love story that has revived the romance genre in Bollywood. The entertaining F1, which had crossed the ₹100 crore-mark in India, was still a hot property in Bengaluru. And Telugu star Pawan Kalyan's much-awaited Hari Hara Veera Mallu was expected to score big. However, three days after its theatrical release, Su From So has conquered every hurdle in its path to break box office records. It's a surprise hit of 2025. 'Three days ago, Su From So was an unknown project. Today, you have made it one of the most exciting films of the year,' Raj B Shetty, who co-produced the movie, wrote on social media. The numbers associated with Su From So are mind-boggling. The film created history when one lakh twenty-seven thousand tickets got sold on the ticketing app BookMyShow on Saturday (July 26, 2025). No Kannada film has enjoyed this amount of ticket sales in a single day on the online platform. On Sunday, Su From So enjoyed more than 550 housefull shows across India, a terrific number considering the prolonged lull in the Kannada film industry in 2025. Raj, apart from co-producing the movie, plays a prominent character in Su From So, but his role was kept a secret. The director of acclaimed films like Ondu Motteya Kathe and Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana could have been the face of the film, but chose not to hog the limelight of a movie filled with fresh faces in Kannada. One video message from Raj proved to be game-changing. 'We know that you are tired of pre-release interviews and reactions from celebrity shows. We aren't doing them for our movie. We want you all to be our honest promoters. Watch our film and spread the word,' the actor-director had urged, as he announced paid-premiere shows in Shivamogga, Mysuru, Mangaluru, and Bengaluru. Bharath Sudhama, co-founder of film marketing company The Big Little, feels Raj pulled off a coup with his statement. 'Saying you won't promote a film is itself a promotion. It means that you are telling the audience you are completely confident about your content. People walk into the theatres wanting to like the movie because of the bold step from the makers,' he analyses. 'It's like Upendra saying his film is only for the intelligent ones (bhuddivantharige maatra). Everybody would want to be known as intelligent to watch his movies.' After avoiding the customary YouTube appearances, Su From So banked on their content to do the talking. The hilarious trailer and the peppy dance number, called 'Dank Anthem', had given the movie some advantage. Post its release, the outstanding word of mouth has bolstered ticket sales. 'We are getting requests for more shows,' Raj told reporters. On Sunday, 72 early-morning shows (EMS, before 9:00 am) were added in Bengaluru theatres, an unprecedented development. Bharath says the industry must be cautious and not see this low-key promotion strategy as a formula. 'Minimal promotions might not work for another movie because it may not garner exceptional word-of-mouth in the initial phase. You can't criticise a team that opts for vibrant promotional methods just because one movie tasted success without promotional activities. Every film team has to find a unique option to suit its content,' explains Bharath. Just like Kirik Party (2016), Kantara (2022), and 777 Charlie (2022), it's a team from the coastal Karnataka region that has resurrected a struggling industry with a refreshing subject aimed at entertaining the family audience. Su From So, directed by popular Tulu theatre artiste and film actor JP Thuminad, is a rip-roaring horror comedy set in a village in Dakshina Kannada. Marked by excellent performances, the film makes for a great community viewing, as it weaves an important message with a rooted presentation, maintaining the flavour of the backdrop. ALSO READ: 'Ekka' movie review: Yuva Rajkumar gives his all to a script that doesn't reward his effort 'The film reminded me of my Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale Kasaragodu (2018),' said Rishab Shetty on X, referring to his third directorial, which was also a fine amalgamation of message and entertainment. Su From So, following a stupendous start, is set to go places. Dulquer Salman's Wayfarer Films will distribute the Malayalam dubbed version of the movie in Kerala from August 01, 2025. Anil Thadani's AA Films has bagged the North India distribution rights for the movie. Phars Film Co. LLC is in talks to release the movie overseas.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store