(This article forms a part of the First Day First Show newsletter that brings you the latest and best from the world of movies and entertainment. Subscribe now)
Around Tinsel Town
>> Bidding adieu to Pankaj Udhas, Kumar Sahani
Ghazal star and the elegiac voice of a generation, Pankaj Udhas, passed away due to prolonged illness at 72. He was immortalised by songs like ‘Chitthi Aayi Hai’ and ‘Jeeye To Jeeyen Kaise’. Breaking away from the classical format, Udhas liberated the romantic Ghazal form to convey their pain in simple verses.
Two days before Udhas’ death, director and screenwriter Kumar Shahani, known for landmark films like ‘Maya Darpan’ (1972), ‘Tarang’ (1984) and ‘Kasba’ (1990), passed away in Kolkata at 83 due to age-related ailments. Shahani was the pole star of the parallel cinema movement in India, striving to capture the truth in every frame with his distinct portrayals of the human condition.
Around Tinsel Town
Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh announce pregnancy
Netflix India reveals slate for 2024
Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ gets premiere date
Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal announce 6 films as producers
No ban on film ‘Article 370’ in Gulf countries, say sources
Vikrant Massey’s ‘The Sabarmati Report’ gets release date
Sonakshi Sinha to headline new romantic thriller
Riteish, Vivek, Aftab to reunite for ‘Masti 4’
Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and others attend Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding bash
Hollywood
Ryan Gosling to perform ‘I’m Just Ken’ at Oscars 2024
Harry Potter TV series set to premiere in 2026 on Max
Apple TV+ announces ‘Neuromancer’ series
Hollywood remake of ‘Drishyam’ in the works
Prime Video orders comedy series ‘Overcompensating’
‘Past Lives,’ ‘American Fiction’ win at Independent Spirit Awards
‘Captain Marvel’ actor Kenneth Mitchell dies at 49
‘Naked Gun’ reboot set for 2025
Michael Jackson biopic’s extended cast revealed
‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ actor Richard Lewis dies at 76
Regional Cinema
Martin Scorsese, George Lucas to restore Kannada classic ‘Ghatashraddha’
Sajid Nadiadwala teams with Rajinikanth for Pan-India film
Dushara Vijayan and Aparna Balamurali on board Dhanush’s ‘Raayan’
Tamil actor ‘Adade’ Manohar passes away
Sunny Hinduja forays into Malayalam cinema
G V Prakash, Shivani Rajashekar to star in Pa Ranjith’s next production
Nani teams up with Sujeeth for ‘Nani 32’
Tamannaah Bhatia joins ‘Odela 2’, shooting begins
Puneeth Rajkumar’s blockbuster film ‘Jackie’ set for re-release
Kannada actor and former civil servant K. Shivaram no more
Kamal Haasan releases first look of Santhanam’s next
World Cinema
Judith Godrèche calls on French film industry to face sexual abuse
Lionsgate developing ‘Naruto’ film
‘Dahomey,’ a reckoning with European colonialism, wins Golden Bear
Trailers
Sidharth Malhotra is all fire in ‘Yodha’ trailer
Shabana Azmi, Jyotika cook up a racket in ‘Dabba Cartel’ teaser
It’s Kajol vs Kriti Sanon in ‘Do Patti’ teaser
Sara Ali Khan radiates courage in ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ teaser
Ileana D’Cruz questions fairness fad in ‘Tera Kya Hoga Lovely’ trailer
Essential reading
1) An emotion called Gulzar: An interview with the master poet
>> Selected for the Jnanpith award, the veteran poet and lyricist discusses his life in the letters
2) A jaunt in Jordan: A visit to the sets of Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff’s next
>> On the sets of ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ in Wadi Rum, we meet the stars braving the desert cold
3) Actor Varun on Gautham Menon’s ‘Joshua’
>> The actor speaks about his preparation and working with Gautham Menon
4) Bejoy Nambiar on ‘Dange’ and ’Por’
>> The filmmaker on the challenges of making a bilingual feature with different casts
5) Best films to watch at 15th Bengaluru International Film Festival
>> From ‘Mithya’ to ‘Sthal’, a selection of must-watch films at BIFFes 2024
6) Raam Reddy’s magic realism in ‘The Fable’
>> The National award-winning director discusses his latest work starring Manoj Bajpayee
7) Arjun Ashokan interview on ‘Bramayugam’
>> The Malayalam actor discusses his breakout role in ‘Bramayugam’, a part that pushed him physically
8) Cinematographer Shehnad Jalal on his work on ‘Bramayugam’
>> What went into creating the film’s otherworldly black-and-white imagery
9) How ‘Aatmapamphlet’ engages with caste through the eyes of a teenage
>> The film gives the audience a chance to imagine the Dalit body outside caste constraints
10) On ‘True Detective: Night Country’ and murder in really cold places
>> Reasons why this sub-genre is so popular with audiences
11) From the Golden Globes to Oscars, is change in the air?
>> As awards shows battle falling viewership, the changes underway at these events
12) ‘I am happy with good food and cinema,’ says Vennela Kishore
>> The actor discusses espionage comedy-drama ‘Chaari 111’, says he is a reluctant protagonist
What to watch
1) ‘Dune: Part Two’ is an epic, planet-levelling conclusion event
2) ‘Operation Valentine’ movie review: Shallow and suffers from a sense of deja vu
3) Kiran Rao lifts the veil on patriarchy with ‘Laapataa Ladies’
4) Gautham Menon loses the plot in ‘Joshua: Imai Pol Kaakha’
5) ‘Poacher’ is a sharp, sobering thriller on India’s ivory trade
6) ‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ is a riveting, nerve-wracking drama
7) ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Hashira Training’ is just for fans
8) K-drama ‘A Killer Paradox’ wastes its full potential
9) ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ steps up from the film, yet misses the mark
10) ‘Chaari 111’ has a few humorous lines and nothing more
