Entertainment

Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta wrapped up the shooting of their much-anticipated sequel of Vadh on Wednesday.

Vadh 2 serves as a spiritual sequel to Vadh, which is directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg’s Luv Films.

Luv Films, owned by Luv Ranjan, shared a candid snap of the lead actors–Sanjay Mishra, Neena Gupta, and director Jaspal, as they discuss the script of the movie.

While sharing the picture, the production studio Luv Films wrote, “That’s a wrap on #Vadh2! Truly grateful for the memories created, the magic witnessed and the incredible team that brought it all to life. Starring Sanjay Mishra and Neena Gupta, Vadh 2 is directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg’s Luv Films.”

While expressing his emotions on the completion of Vadh 2, Sanjay Mishra said that for him, Vadh is more than a film, it is a cinematic experience which stayed with him even years after the release.

“Vadh was not just a film, it was a cinematic experience that stayed with us and even the audience. To see it evolve into a franchise is both humbling and exciting. Working once again under Jaspal’s direction has been truly inspiring, his vision brings depth to every moment,” said Sanjay Mishra, as quoted in the press note.

Neena Gupta also conveyed her emotions regarding her journey in Vadh.

She said, “It’s rare to find stories with such a unique voice. Jaspal [Singh Sandhu] has an eye for truth and tension that makes him a standout storyteller. I am so proud to be part of this journey once again and excited for the audiences to see what we have in store for them in Vadh 2,” as quoted in the press note.

Vadh 2 will release in 2025. Earlier this year, the team of Vadh 2 had sought divine blessings for their film at the auspicious Mahakumbh held in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj by participating in the sacred holy dip at the Sangam Ghat.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins is led by Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Nikita Dutta, and Kunal Kapoor.

The film is a highly-anticipated one as it has kept the excitement alive amongst the audience with its gripping trailer and edge-of-the-seat action sequences.

Their first song drop titled Jaadu has been winning the Internet, especially Jaideep Ahlawat’s killer moves which have been the talk of the town.

As Saif’s fans continue to vibe to the track’s upbeat tunes, the recently released BTS video from his fan page features the making of Jaadu. The video showcases some BTS moments of Saif getting into the groove and his camaraderie with his co-stars on set.

The video begins with Saif Ali Khan’s snippets from getting off of his vanity to arriving on the sets of Jewel Thief, to sharing the dance floor with co-stars Nikita Dutta, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Kunal Kapoor.

It also gives a peek into on-set discussions with the crew, glancing over the final shot, and fun-filled moments on set. Seven days into the release of Jaadu, the song has crossed a whopping 8 million views on YouTube.

Saif plays the role of a con man named Rehan Roy, who is hired by a powerful crime lord, Jaideep Ahlawat. Saif’s character is on a mission to get his hands on an elusive diamond: The African Red Sun, all while combating twists, turns, tactics, and wading past the ruthless cop, Kunal Kapoor.

It is directed by Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal, and backed by Siddharth Anand. It will drop on Netflix on April 25, 2025.
 

Silence 2: The Night Owl Bar Shootout was released in 2024. It was directed by Aban Bharucha Deohans, and led by Manoj Bajpayee, Prachi Desai, and Parul Gulati. The film was a sequel to the 2021 film Silence…Can You Hear It?

The film clocks a year today, and Parul Gulati took a trip down memory lane as she shared some BTS moments, and the experience of working with Manoj Bajpayee. She further elaborated on how Silence 2: The Night Owl Bar Shootout challenged her as a performer, which every actor would always aim to achieve.

For the unversed, Parul essayed a negative character in the thriller. The film gave her a platform to explore a darker and layered tangent to her craft, and how being a part of such an ensemble cast also adds to her acting chops.

Reflecting on her time filming, Parul shares, “Silence 2 was truly special for me. It was my first time playing such a morally grey character and stepping into that space was both thrilling and creatively satisfying. But what made it even more unforgettable was working with Manoj Bajpayee, sir. Just being around him on set felt like being in an acting institution.”

She added, “He’s been doing this for over two decades, delivering one iconic performance after another – and yet he’s so grounded and focused. Watching his process, his stillness, and how he approaches every scene with such quiet intensity taught me so much. There’s a kind of calm authority he brings, and I find myself learning from him every single day – sometimes without even realizing it.”

Parul also added that the atmosphere on set was replete with dedication and mutual respect, making it an ideal space for growth and experimentation.

On the work front, Parul Gulati will next be seen in the Dacoit series titled Donali. She will be playing the role of a dacoit in this E Niwas directorial. The cast also includes Chunky Pandey, Divyendu Sharma, Barun Sobti, and Sandhya Mridul in key roles.

Sharmila Tagore is considered one of the greatest actresses in the film industry. Known for her flawless performances in both modern and traditional roles, she is now ready to make her comeback in the Bengali film industry after 14 years with Suman Ghosh’s Puratawn.
Chupke Chupke‘s 50th Anniversary Celebration
Chupke Chupke marked its 50th anniversary in 2025, featuring Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, and Sharmila Tagore in pivotal roles. Recently, Sharmila shared her memories of working on the film.
Working with Dharmendra
In conversation with SCREEN, Sharmila spoke fondly about working with Dharmendra, with whom she shares a birthday. She reminisced about their collaborations in several films, including Anupama, Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, and other popular hits from the 1960s like Devar and Mere Humdam Mere Dost. She mentioned that they were also supposed to reunite for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, but she had to step away from the project due to health concerns.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee‘s Vision and Influence
In the same conversation, she revealed that the film’s success was largely due to director Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s vision. She explained that the actors agreed to take part in the film mainly because of their respect for him. While Amitabh and Jaya had limited roles, they still participated, driven by their admiration for Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Sharmila also mentioned that the entire cast, including Dharmendra, Amitabh, Jaya, Om Prakash, Asrani, and Usha Kiran, came together to enjoy the experience.

Fun and Uncertainty on Set
In the same conversation, the veteran actress mentioned that even after five decades, she still vividly remembers every detail of Chupke Chupke. She recalled the fun atmosphere on set and explained how Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films, though not always easy to watch, were quite different in the case of Chupke Chupke. Sharmila shared that, having been part of more serious roles like in Anupama, she was excited when Hrishikesh proposed the idea of a fun film. She added that comedy always comes with uncertainty—what makes them laugh during shooting may not always resonate with the audience. However, Hrishikesh was confident that Chupke Chupke would be loved, and he was right. The film continues to be a go-to favorite whenever anyone needs a mood lift.

Shivarajkumar in ‘Jailer’.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Veteran Kannada star Shivarajkumar has hinted his role in Jailer 2, the sequel to the 2023 blockbuster Tamil film Jailer, starring Rajinikanth and directed by Nelson. Anirudh Ravichander will score the music for the movie.

Shivarajkumar, who was in Mumbai as part of the promotions for his upcoming film 45, gave an update about Jailer 2. “Yes, talks of Jailer 2 is going on. Nelson will soon meet me for a discussion,” said Shivarajkumar, who was with actor Upendra and director-music composer Arjun Janya in Mumbai for the promotional event. 45, also starring Raj B Shetty, is set to release on August 15, 2025.

Shivarajkumar, who underwent treatment for bladder cancer earlier this year, is back to films. The actor is set to feature in a special role in the upcoming Kannada movie Firefly, set to release on April 24, 2025. Directed by and starring Vamshi, the movie is produced by Shivarajkumar’s daughter, Niveditha Shivarajkumar, under the banner Sri Muthu Creations.

ALSO READ:‘Jailer’ movie review: Rajinikanth, Nelson make a captivating comeback that majorly works

The actor is also part of Peddi, starring Ram Charan and directed by Buchi Babu Sana. The movie also stars Janhvi Kapoor, Jagapati Babu and Divyendu Sharma.

In an exceptional use of contrasts, an idyllic scene painted in shades of translucent blue, effortlessly lets the warm sun trickle in, as a man atop a bull gazes into the distance. He stands beside a towering, veiny tree. The deft use of shadows, and contrasting colour palettes, makes this watercolour work by R Govindaraj a picture of skill; a fine example of how artists in the Madras school interpreted the 19th Century European technique of Plein Air painting (derived from the French expression, en plein air, that translates to ‘in the open air’). 

Today, this beautiful painting has taken over a whole wall on the first floor of Lalit Kala Akademi gallery in Chennai, and is one among the many rarely-seen-before works that date back as early as the 1930s — which is believed to be the first time Madras forayed into the world of pre-modern Plein Air painting. 

GD Paulraj, KCS Paniker, S Dhanapal, R Krishna Rao, HV Ram Gopal, K Sreenivasalu, GD Thyagaraj, GD Arulraj, R Govindaraj and PB Surendranath are the artists who captured the outdoors, in all its immediacy and transient glory, with distinct expressionism. Works by early Bengal School artists such as Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose are also on display, alongside figures of Bombay’s Modernist movement like SH Raza, Walter Langhammer, MS Joshi: a rare sight in Chennai.

A work by Walter Langhammer
| Photo Credit:
special arrangement

It is difficult to chart a linear, chronological narrative to this style of painting in the Madras school. Ashvin E Rajaopalan, curator of the show by Ashvita’s Fine Art gallery, says that the idea of such a curation arrived while researching the Bombay school, and specifically SH Raza.  “For the purpose of the curatorial narrative, works have been put together from museums, private collections and our own art collection. That said, it is not entirely commercial,” says Ashvin. 

“The Piramal Museum of Art [in Mumbai] has about 200 watercolors that build this story from the Bombay perspective. That’s when I stumbled upon GD Paulraj. When I started researching Paulraj, I realised that he has appeared in Illustrated Weekly issues as early as the 1940s. Then I found his two brothers [GD Thyagaraj and GD Arulraj]. From there, I started looking at people like Krishna Rao, while I already knew of Paniker’s watercolors.”

Ashvin believes that this story, interestingly, hinges on the early techniques of printmaking. “Watercolor was the preferred medium for colour printmaking. Along with the emergence of colour itself, there was this rise of watercolors, which were done quickly. These also gave a photorealistic finish, possibly an influence from photography,” he speculates. 

One of GD Thayagaraj’s works on display
| Photo Credit:
special arrangement

Paulraj was one of DP Roy Chowdhury’s first students. Five years later, Paniker and the first cohort of the Madras School emerged. It is through this channel that the Plein Air style trickled into Madras, says Ashvin. Though a formal conclusion is hard to make, it is from the likes of Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore and Nandalal Bose that this style reached Madras when Roy Chowdhury took charge as principal of the Government College of Fine Arts. 

“It could be that the watercolour is a Bengal medium, and drawing like this came from Bengal because of the wash technique, but Paulraj definitely had a genius moment between 1930s to 1950s,” reminds Ashvin. “In Bombay, NS Bendre and Hebbar painted in the same way, but only five years later.” 

Its spotlight on a specific strand, lost somewhere in the noise, is what makes this display different. While the works in itself are exemplary manifestations of pre-modern expressionism, what they investigate is largely unknown. Be it Paniker’s swaying trees or bustling markets, or Govindaraj’s deeply moving, earthy rural landscapes, the fleeting urgency of these frames demand a long, close gaze. 

Light and Legacy is on display till April 20, at the first floor, Lalit Kala Akademi, Egmore.

Charlie Chaplin from the 1940 film The Great Dictator. File
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Q: What was Charlie’s most memorable on-screen character and an icon in world cinema during the era of silent film?

A: The tramp

Q: Which was Charlie’s first feature-length film, which was released in 1921?

A: The Kid

Q: At the 1st Academy Awards, was given a special trophy “For versatility and genius in acting, writing, directing and producing _____. Name the film. 

A: The Circus

Q: Which celebrated writer accused Charlie of being a secret communist and a friend of the USSR in the 1949 ______’s list document? The writer had prepared a list of notable writers and other people he considered to be unsuitable as possible writers for the anti-communist propaganda activities of the Information Research Department. Name the writer. 

A: George Orwell

Q: Charlie is the subject of a biographical film, Chaplin (1992) directed by Richard Attenborough. Who stars in the title role?

A: Robert Downey Jr.

He may not be the most consistent actor, but there’s something desirable about Sibi Sathyaraj and his tenacious journey that makes you root for him. Perhaps that’s why you would find many comments under the trailer of his upcoming film Ten Hours wishing for the actor to get his due. Sibi, too, is impressively self-aware of where he stands. “I will get my big break. I know it,” says a confident Sibi.

Ten Hours, a crime thriller directed by debutant Ilayaraja Kaliyaperumal, tells a story that transpires over ten hours in a night. Sibi plays a police officer named R Castro . “Overnight, he embarks on what turns out to be his career’s most complicated case, and the film travels with him as he encounters quite a few unexpected turns,” says Sibi. This is the actor’s fifth role as a cop, after Naaigal Jaakirathai, Jackson Durai, Walter and his Kavaludaari remake, Kabadadaari, in which his traffic constable character eventually becomes a cop. Too much khaki on the same shoulders can get quite monotonous, but Sibi has somehow managed to make the roles his own. “Maybe it is because of the success of Naaigal Jaakirathai, directors think I am tailor-made for the role. Moreover, thanks to the preparations I did for that film — like the weapons training I underwent at a police academy in Adyar — I find it easier to get into the groove of a cop.”

Sibi Sathyaraj in a still from ‘Ten Hours’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

In today’s Tamil cinema, with bigger stars more or less settling for templates, an experienced actor like Sibi could dabble in some experiments, perhaps like his antagonistic turn in 2010’s Naanayam. “I have always been open to experimenting. I believe I started doing that right from 2007’s Lee. But yes, I am on the course to do more experiments,” assures Sibi.

20 years ago, Sibi was busy working alongside his father, veteran actor Sathyaraj, in titles like Kovai Brothers and Vetrivel Sakthivel, but except for Jackson Durai, the two haven’t acted together since. In 2009, Sibi had told The Hindu, “Henceforth, we’ll team up only if the project is unique. I don’t intend on riding piggyback on my dad.” He even went on to say that those films didn’t do him any good as much as they did his father. But then, given Sathyaraj’s pan-Indian break post-Baahubali, you wonder if the on-screen father-son equation is up for a renewal, say, in a genre they hadn’t attempted before. But Sibi reasserts his sentiment.

“I don’t want to be in his shadow. That’s why, after all those films, we took a break from working together. Even when we reunited for Jackson Durai, it was only because it had such a unique concept.” The 2016 horror-comedy film featured Sathyaraj as a ghost. “That was one of the first Tamil films where the characters teased and toyed with the ghosts. We have now reunited for Jackson Durai 2, in which he is playing a villain opposite me.”

Sibi Sathyaraj in a still from ‘Ten Hours’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

When Indian cinema underwent its OTT boom, audiences and critics hoped it would lead to more niche, smaller attempts and a possible upsurge of the long-format — and more spaces that actors like Sibi, who started in the 2000s, could use to boost their game. Sibi accepts that this hasn’t happened. “But there have been attempts like Suzhal and Inspector Rishi. So I am hopeful that more opportunities will open up and I will get my share of them.”

What about multi-starrers? Even many of Sibi’s contemporaries like Jiiva, Bharath and Srikanth have welcomed sharing the screen with other stars. “Of course, when even the likes of Ajith Kumar and Vijay don’t mind acting with other stars, why should I?”

Sibi seems particularly grateful for the broadened landscape that streaming has offered. “We are now consuming content from around the world, and an actor like myself could now compete with those from other regional industries. It lends phenomenal reach for our content. That excites me.” Of the recent titles from around the world, Netflix’s sensational limited series Adolescence seems to have left a strong impression on Sibi.

And so you wonder: Is it possible to mount a similar creative endeavour in Tamil? “Of course. If we can replicate that level of technical brilliance, I would say our version could go global as well. Imagine a series that explores how exposure to social media affects a boy from a rural town, someone who has never stepped foot in a city.” Speaking of desires, does Sibi carry that dream role that he has yet to play? “Not particularly. The very allure of acting is to live many lives through our characters. I am excited by every character that comes my way,” he says.

As we get to the end of our chat, I present an intriguing situation. If Sibi gets to meet his 2005 self, what nugget of wisdom would he share with him? “I’d advise him to start his career in 2007, with Lee as his debut film. I don’t mean to demean the films I did before, but it was only during Lee that I could bring myself to look at my face on screen and accept it.” When prodded more, he shares how he made his debut when he was too young to understand the ropes of the trade. “It was only during Lee that I learnt about myself and delved quite seriously into my craft,” he shares. So, what would he ask if he met his 2045 self? “I’d ask him how my career has shaped and how I should take my next steps. If his decisions turned out to be good, I’d thank him. If not, I’d scold him (laughs).”

After Ten Hours, Sibi has Ranger and Jackson Durai 2 in the pipeline. “I am also in talks with director Ilayaraja Kaliyaperumal and the producers of Ten Hours for another project. We are also planning on mounting a project under our own production banner,” says Sibi.

Ten Hours releases in theatres on April 18

Cwtch, which means embracing someone to offer a sense of warmth, is a famous Welsh word some of us might be familiar with. An inter-title before Naangal commences introduces us to another one word — Hiraeth — which means homesickness for a home one cannot return to or one that never existed. Very rarely can an entire film’s plot, conflict and resolution be summed up in a word, and director Avinash Prakash establishes precisely that in the first frame of his film, which also doubles as his biographical.

With Naangal, Avinash puts us in the middle of three brothers’ traumatic yet transformative upbringing in a dysfunctional family. Rajkumar (Abdul Rafe) is a man whose once-affluent family is now bankrupt. After parting ways with his wife and some financial setbacks, he has become the chairman of a run-down school. With no place to assert dominance, he takes it out on his three children — Karthik (Mithun V), Dhruv (Rithik Mohan) and Gautam (Nithin D) — who stay with him and are forced to endure his physical and emotional torture. What happens when their resilience gets tested forms the rest of Naangal.

The film, drawn from Avinash’s own experiences, captures the trials and tribulations of this troubled family from August, 1998 to the summer of 2002, and every time the timestamp appears on screen, a sense of how long the characters have endured their fates hits us. Enduring pain is a common trait among all the characters. Rajkumar has to manage his crumbling empire where some of his employees prefer running away when he needs them the most or, after years of service, don’t have the heart to leave even when he begs them to. His estranged wife Padma (Prarthana Srikaanth) hopes for a future with her family, and even the youngest member of their family, Kathy (Roxy the canine), has a rough upbringing. But Naangal is predominantly the story of the three kids who, along with Kathy, are innocent souls caught in an adult’s world, one where dysfunction is considered everyday life.

Avinash does not hesitate to utilise most of the film’s runtime to show their daily routine, day in and day out. Despite the large estate, it’s the boys who have to run outside with plastic cans to fetch water as they don’t water supply. The first couple of nights show their home battered down by rain, which we assume is the reason for the power outage, only to be informed later that it is due to their bill dues. Even their everyday meal becomes plain rice with pickles or sandwiches made from the heel pieces of bread. In a mainstream film, this family would be the textbook example of the ‘vaazhnthu ketta kudumbam’ (a family that has seen better days) trope. But here, the film does not milk their plight for our sympathy and instead holds a mirror to showcase another day in their lives.

In a scene a few minutes into the film, a pitch-dark rainy night’s silence is broken by a sound. it leads the two youngest boys to investigate, with one of them certain that it’s a ghost. When we breathe a sigh of relief to know it’s just their dad, we immediately learn how the kids would have rather preferred that it were an evil spirit haunting the old property. To further drive home the point, the scenes turn to monochrome, denoting how the joy gets sucked out of their life when their father is around. The film does a fantastic job of showing the adults through the kids’ eyes. As time progresses and the kids learn it’s not all dark with their parents, we understand that they are also victims of their circumstances.

Despite some violent sequences, such as the ones where the kids are manhandled by their authoritative father, Naangal has its share of lightness, like a scene where one of the kids dunks their father’s shaving brush in toilet water to take his share of revenge. For every slap or a show of misplaced anger, the kids also meet folks who show them how love, empathy and kindness should not be a luxury — like those who’ve worked for their family, their maternal granddad or even a random girl they bump into on a bus ride. The filmmaker expertly hits us with sequences that bring out multiple emotions. Like the scene where one of the kids bites into their farm-grown, lusciously red strawberry only to twitch from its acerbic taste, the film takes us on a rollercoaster ride of sentiments.

A still from ‘Naangal’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Similar to the thick blanket of fog that slowly engulfs the hills, Naangal takes its time to unfold. Thankfully, this slow-burn nature works in tandem with establishing the tedious routine the boys are put into by their father. But that does not stop Avinash from having a little fun; the film that the kids sneak out to catch is Baby’s Day Out, one of the children sings ‘Raja, Rajathi Rajan Indha Raja’ while cleaning the toilet bowl, and — in a beautiful touch — Guna’s screenwriter Sab John is roped in for a small but effective role. Speaking of Kamal Haasan starrers, considering the backdrop, the kids’ fondness for Phantom comics, and the abusive father, the film also reminds us of Aalavandhan, but thankfully, no one goes on a killing spree in Naangal.

With cinematography and editing also handled by Avinash, ideas such as the one to show the same sequence in motion despite a cut in between are bold moves. While the makers have opted for live sound, not all the dialogue reaches us the way they are intended to. Ved Shanker Sugavanam’s music rightly elevates the mood the film opts for in each scene, and his use of deafening silence makes the punches land harder. Despite this being the feature debut for almost all of the film’s primary cast, the kids Mithun, Nithin and Rithik, along with Abdul, pull off a neat job, especially considering the number of lengthy takes the film has.

Naangal takes you on a trip down memory lane to your childhood days without assuring you that all of those memories would be pleasant. It is a profoundly personal work from a filmmaker who, with the title, tells the world that this is who they are without letting this chapter of life define them. And for that, he deserves a cwtch!

Naangal is releasing in theatres this Friday