Mari Selvaraj-Dhruv Vikram's Bison Kaalamaadan gets Diwali release
It reunites director Mari Selvaraj with producer Pa Ranjith after their critically acclaimed 2018 film Pariyerum Perumal. Describing the film as his "next collaboration with the incredibly talented Mari Selvaraj," Ranjith wrote, "This film is raw, real, and made with so much love. It's a story that's close to both our hearts." It marks the debut of editor Sakthi Thiru. For your information, Sakthi Thiru worked as an associate editor with filmmaker Mari's frequent collaborator, editor Selva RK of Pariyerum Perumal, Karnan, and Maamannan.
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Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
Shazia Iqbal on directing Dhadak 2 as a Muslim woman: ‘Box-office collection is secondary to the opportunity to make the film'
Your debut as a feature film director with Dhadak 2 is being widely talked about. What are your thoughts currently? Given how the industry has changed in recent years and streamers have come into dominance, it is a big thing to get a film released in theatres. This is a big opportunity for me. In spite of Dhadak 2 releasing with four other big movies, the footfall has increased by word-of-mouth. Hopefully, it will keep growing. Do you see it as a breaking-the-glass-ceiling moment that being a Muslim and a woman film director, who is not from the industry, you have made a romantic film in which casteism is the central theme? I think so and not because of any selfish reason. There are so many aspiring filmmakers, who don't see enough people representing them in terms of religion, caste or background. When they see an outsider, a woman from a marginalised community, directing such a production, they might think that if she can do it, we have a chance as well. For that reason, I think it is a big deal that a mainstream production house has given me this opportunity to direct a relatively big film — maybe not big terms of budget but certainly, in scale. The box-office collection is secondary to the opportunity itself. It is common to talk about insiders-outsiders. All the actors of the film, including the leads Triptii Dimri and Siddhant Chaturvedi, are outsiders. This might encourage someone to dream. How helpful was it that Karan Johar, as a producer, wanted Dhadak 2 to remain true to the vision of the original Tamil-language film Pariyerum Perumal (2018)? When I first met Karan, he had already watched my short film Bebaak (2018). He told me that the reason he wanted me to direct this movie was because I handled my own film with such sensitivity. That kind of gaze and lens was needed for Dhadak 2 as well. Irrespective of what happened with Dhadak (the 2018 movie was criticised for glossing over the caste-based prejudices), Karan wanted us to be true to the soul of Pariyerum Perumal, which is directed by Mari Selvaraj, who comes from the Dalit community. As someone who belongs to a marginalised community, I knew that if my film is remade, I would not want anyone to deviate from its core theme. While reimagining the film, we wanted to make our own film, but we did not want to override the original voice of the Tamil movie. Also Read | The real horror in Dhadak 2 isn't the killer, it's us There is a lot of criticism about Siddhant Chaturvedi being 'brown-faced' in the movie even though he has delivered a compelling performance as a Dalit law student. Siddhant is not trained, but he is an intuitive and intelligent actor. I follow the process of speaking to actors extensively, and I try to build a relationship based on trust and openness. When an actor plays a certain character, he brings himself to interpret it. I wanted to tap Siddhant's vulnerability rather than saying that 'you went through that heartbreak, use it in this scene.' Even if you had not tanned Siddhant, we would have faced criticism. Then, people would have said we did 'Dharma-fication' of the lead actor. It is a high-saturation film and even Triptii looks four shades darker. Because Siddhant has used tan, people are commenting on it. Of course, one can question why we did not cast someone who is brown-skinned. Casting in films is a far more complicated conversation. To put the burden of fixing the industry on a debut director is not fair. Tanning is wrong, but it is also done in Tamil or Malayalam movies. Because it's a Dharma production and Karan is at the forefront of it, this is drawing more flak. However, my team and I are okay with this criticism because this conversation is also necessary. Does Dhadak 2 mark a shift in Dharma Productions' approach towards mainstream romantic movies? Yes, and I am at the edge of that shift. For someone who is trolled so much and called 'the flag-bearer of nepotism', Karan has brought together us outsiders to make this film. He has made a bold move because mainstream Hindi movies have a certain grammar. In the late '90s, the issue of identity took a backseat and movies became candyfloss. But if social relevance is once again part of mainstream storytelling, more filmmakers should embrace that. Triptii Dimri has a monologue when she questions the idea of 'izzat' and if women alone are responsible for it. Though casteism is the central theme of the film, I thought we needed to have a conversation about gender. We take the agency of a woman away when we tell her who she is allowed to love. Triptii's character needed that agency even as she is ignorant about the prevalence of caste-based bias in cities. Both my co-writer Rahul Badwelkar and I have been disturbed by the term 'honour'. We knew somewhere we need to bring her character Vidhi's voice into the film as well as question this idea of 'honour' and why women are burdened with it. In one of the scenes, a bucketful of muck is thrown at Nilesh. How tough was it to shoot the film? That was the point in the film when Nilesh (Siddhant) starts getting more assertive. As the film's narrative progresses, he is finding his voice. We wanted a moment of assertion when he was fighting back. We have instances of 'manual scavengers' being shamed. When muck from the gutter is thrown at him to shame him, Nilesh makes it his moment by not washing it off. He faces his tormentor, completely covered with muck and puts it back on the latter. Of course, we were not going to put muck on actors. So, the make-up team made it with chocolate and palak. We had the time to throw it on him only once. So, we rehearsed it beforehand. Tell us about your journey as a filmmaker I am not a nepo kid, but my father, Zahid Iqbal, worked as an assistant to filmmaker Ramanand Sagar. The trivia that I tend to share about my father is that he was involved with the casting of Ram and Sita for the DD serial Ramayan (1987-88). When I was studying architecture, production designer Sharmishtha Roy visited our college. I was influenced by how she spoke about films. After graduation, I thought of giving films a shot and worked on the sets of ads and shows. I started writing in 2011 while working as a production designer. To show that I can direct, I made the short film Bebaak. Somen Mishra, Dhadak 2's co-producer, got in touch with me after that and even showed it to Karan. I would say that my journey of making my debut feature film is about 18 years. Did working on projects like the series Sacred Games help you find the support system? When I was working with Anurag Kashyap on Mukkabaaz (2017), I told him that I wanted to direct a short. After reading the Bebaak script, he offered to produce it. We had cast someone else for the role that Nawazuddin Siddiqui eventually played. That actor stepped down days before the shoot, and I asked Anurag if he could ask Nawazuddin if he would play the role (of a religious leader),and Nawaz said yes. What was your experience with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)? Karan wanted to save every cut and spoke to the members about why certain things needed to stay in the movie. This was an emotionally difficult experience for me. My parents raised me with certain values which included not being okay with something wrong in the society and to question things. With the censor board, I felt they were trying to tell us what to do or not do. Maybe I have said things too directly in this film and we will use more metaphors and symbols in the next one. What kind of films do you see yourself making in the coming years? Many are surprised that we made a mainstream film that's hard-hitting. I hope I am not tagged as a political filmmaker and not get work. I am more comfortable with being called a socially-relevant filmmaker and I want to make movies in the mainstream space. The film can belong to any genre, still you can make your statement. That's an art Koreans have mastered; Parasite (2019) is a great example of that.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Hansal Mehta's web series starring Pratik Gandhi and Harry Potter fame Tom Felton set for grand premiere in Toronto
Star-studded presence at TIFF 50 — arrahman (@arrahman) MORE STORIES FOR YOU ✕ « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to me They disrupt the reading flow Others SUBMIT When the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, history will also be made for Indian storytelling on the global stage. Hansal Mehta 's highly anticipated web series Gandhi, starring Pratik Gandhi in the titular role, will premiere as part of TIFF's prestigious Primetime Programme — marking the first time an Indian series has been showcased in this series, produced by Applause Entertainment and adapted from Ramachandra Guha's acclaimed biographies of Mahatma Gandhi, has music composed by the legendary AR Rahman, who announced the news on X (formerly Twitter). 'Glad to announce the world premiere of Gandhi at the 50th Toronto International Film Festival 2025, the first Indian series to be selected in TIFF's prestigious Primetime slate! This series is Produced by Applause Entertainment and Directed by Hansal Mehta,' Rahman posted, also revealing a striking glimpse of Pratik Gandhi's to The Hollywood Reporter India, Hansal Mehta expressed deep gratitude for the selection, recalling his long association with TIFF. 'TIFF has previously been home to some of my most precious pieces of work, and to have perhaps the most ambitious story of my career premiering there is doubly special, particularly in TIFF's 50th year. To share this journey at a festival that has embraced me over the years is both humbling and surreal. I hope it opens the door for more Indian series to find their place on the world stage,' he the premiere, Hansal Mehta will be joined by lead actor Pratik Gandhi, producer Sameer Nair, and a notable lineup of cast and crew including Kabir Bedi, Siddharth Khaitan, and Harry Potter star Tom Felton. Their presence will highlight the scale and ambition of the project, which blends historical depth with cinematic storytelling aimed at a global Primetime Programme, which showcases bold, original television storytelling from around the world, has now opened its doors to Indian creators with Gandhi. The milestone reflects the rising appetite for Indian narratives in international festivals.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Time of India
'Dhadak 2' OTT release: Here's when and where you can watch the Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri starrer
Dhadak 2 , featuring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri, hit theatres on August 1, 2025. Directed by Shazia Iqbal, the film serves as both a remake of the critically acclaimed Tamil drama Pariyerum Perumal (2018) and a spiritual follow-up to the 2018 hit Dhadak . Despite clashing with other big releases like Saiyaara and Son of Sardaar 2 , it managed to get great reviews and positive word of mouth. Though, the box office prowess of the film was obviously limited. It has made around Rs 17 crore at the box office after finishing 8 days. Meanwhile, it's 'Mahavtar Narsimha' and 'Saiyaara' which are giving the film a tough competition in theatres at the moment. For those waiting to stream it at home, Netflix has been confirmed as the film's official OTT platform. While an exact date hasn't been announced by either the makers or Netflix, industry patterns point to a release around six to eight weeks after its theatrical run. This means Dhadak 2 will likely arrive on Netflix sometime between September 12 and September 26, 2025. The story follows Neelesh Ahirwar, a law student from a marginalised community played by Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Vidhi Bharadwaj, portrayed by Triptii Dimri, who belongs to an affluent upper-class family. Their love blossoms during college but faces staunch opposition, particularly from Vidhi's family, who 'look down upon Neelesh due to his caste.' Moving beyond the framework of a typical romance, the film delves into the harsh realities of caste-based prejudice, portraying the emotional and social battles that come with breaking entrenched societal barriers.
