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Showing posts from May, 2026

Akshay Kumar's Ghis Ghis Ghis is not here to win critics; it's here to hijack weddings, reels and meme pages

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There are songs that arrive with mood lighting, designer costumes, international locations, 400 background dancers, drone shots, neon frames and a marketing deck longer than the screenplay. And then there is Ghis Ghis Ghis from Welcome To The Jungle, which seems to have arrived with only one mission: Boss, speaker phaadna hai. In an industry that has become painfully obsessed with looking cool, sleek, premium, curated and Instagram-safe, Ghis Ghis Ghis feels like that one loud baraati who enters the wedding before the groom, dances with the band, argues with the dholwala, eats two plates of chaat and still becomes the most memorable person of the evening. The recently released song from Welcome To The Jungle features Akshay Kumar with Bhojpuri star Akshara Singh has clocked more than 6 million views in the past 24 hours. But the bigger story is not just the song. The bigger story is what the song represents. Bollywood has spent the last few years trying very hard to decode virality. T...
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Akshay Kumar's Ghis Ghis Ghis is not here to win critics; it's here to hijack weddings, reels and meme pages

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There are songs that arrive with mood lighting, designer costumes, international locations, 400 background dancers, drone shots, neon frames and a marketing deck longer than the screenplay. And then there is Ghis Ghis Ghis from Welcome To The Jungle, which seems to have arrived with only one mission: Boss, speaker phaadna hai. In an industry that has become painfully obsessed with looking cool, sleek, premium, curated and Instagram-safe, Ghis Ghis Ghis feels like that one loud baraati who enters the wedding before the groom, dances with the band, argues with the dholwala, eats two plates of chaat and still becomes the most memorable person of the evening. The recently released song from Welcome To The Jungle features Akshay Kumar with Bhojpuri star Akshara Singh has clocked more than 6 million views in the past 24 hours. But the bigger story is not just the song. The bigger story is what the song represents. Bollywood has spent the last few years trying very hard to decode virality. T...
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Landmarks review – Lucrecia Martel’s beautiful account of an Indigenous murder case

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Martel’s documentary about the shooting of Javier Chocobar is a mannered and dignified work, laden with post-colonial tension and the weight of institutions The great doyenne of Argentine cinema, writer-director Lucrecia Martel (La Ciénaga, The Holy Girl, The Headless Woman), ventures into documentary to cover a murder trial, the issues of which spill out into very Martelian areas of concern: land and terrain as an active force in people’s lives, the tension between Indigenous people and the descendants of colonists, the legacy of weighty institutions (the law, the church) on everyday people. Like Martel’s fictional features, Landmarks unfolds in stately fashion, and features the sort of editing that lingers on the face of a speaker holding forth, or follows a cleaner polishing furniture and a clerk distributing dainty cups of coffee to the authorities as the arguments drag on. Martel explores the more poetic side of drone technology, giving the viewer a very clear understanding of the...
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SHOCKING: 66 hard disks containing Made In Heaven, Ghost Stories and unreleased footage go missing from Zoya Akhtar-Reema Kagti's Tiger Baby office; staffer allegedly sold drives for Rs. 15,000-20,000 each

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A major data-theft case has emerged from Tiger Baby Digital LLP, the production house of filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti. As per a report in Mumbai Mirror, as many as 66 hard disks containing important production material have allegedly gone missing from the company’s Bandra office. Some of these drives reportedly contained unreleased footage and work-in-progress content, making the matter serious for the production house. The complaint was filed by Mehjabeen Mushtaq Shaikh, who works as the executive assistant and HR administrator at the company. Acting on her complaint, the Bandra police registered an FIR against Mohammad Shahid Azim Khan and Ritesh Suresh Shah, a 44-year-old Borivali resident. The police confirmed to Mumbai Mirror that both have been arrested and sent to police custody till May 29. The issue was discovered on May 21, when the staff needed certain hard disks for ongoing work but could not find them. This led to an internal check of the office storage area. Du...
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Kangana Ranaut defends Aishwarya Rai Bachchan amid Cannes criticism: “She is not here to please you”

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Actor Kangana Ranaut has come out in support of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan after the latter faced criticism on social media over her appearance at the Cannes Film Festival 2026. Responding to the online discourse surrounding Aishwarya’s fashion choices, Kangana shared a strongly worded note defending the actor and speaking about individuality, self-expression, and the scrutiny faced by women in the public eye. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Kangana posted a photo from Aishwarya’s first Cannes red carpet appearance this year, where the actor was seen wearing a striking blue gown. Sharing her thoughts on the criticism, Kangana wrote, “Fashion and style is a self expression, it is one's own interpretation of life and their attitude, no woman owes anything to anyone, Ash looks great!!” The actor further criticised those judging Aishwarya’s appearance and questioned the unrealistic standards often imposed on women, especially senior actresses. “Those of you who want to see her any other ...
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Kraken review – fjord-based rampage is monster movie with environmental message

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Underwater beastie shows discerning moral judgment when picking off victims in this fun Norwegian action film As Greta Thunberg demonstrates, an eco-chastising feels somehow cleansing when it comes out of Scandinavia. Maybe it’s because of the idea that people there live in greater harmony with nature. It is splendidly showcased in the shape of Norway’s Sognefjord, the country’s largest fjord, in this didactic but still-enjoyable action film. Kraken could almost serve as an extended tourist promo – other than the titular beastie that is, slewing off giant crab-like lice, and emerging from the depths to administer a stern 90-minute ticking-off about tampering with nature. Marine researcher Johanne (Sara Khorami, cementing her Norwegian creature-feature credentials after Troll 2 ) is summoned to the Sognefjord after reports of mass salmon strandings. Her first port of call is the local fish farm run by Erik (Mikkel Bratt Silset), an old flame with whom she developed sonic delousing pods ...
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FACT CHECK: Paresh Rawal has NOT quit Hera Pheri 3 again; old Bollywood Hungama report from 2025 gets picked up as fresh news

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Exactly a year ago, Bollywood Hungama reported what was probably one of the biggest newsbreaks of 2025 – Paresh Rawal had quit Hera Pheri 3. It shocked the trade, the industry, fans and even the team of the film. A few days after this news broke, Akshay Kumar’s Cape of Good Films, the producer of Hera Pheri 3, sued Paresh Rawal for Rs. 25 crores. A couple of days later, Bollywood Hungama published another report stating that Paresh Rawal had returned the signing amount of Rs. 11 lakhs with 15% p.a. interest, along with some additional money for stepping away from the series. A few weeks later, Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar resolved the matter, and the former returned to the franchise. The issue was put to rest and had even become history. But now, amusingly, it is back in the news. On Saturday, reports started coming in that Paresh Rawal has once again quit Hera Pheri 3. Interestingly, these reports carried the same information that Bollywood Hungama had published exactly a year ago –...
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Films more likely to star an actor called Chris or a talking animal than a woman over 60, study finds

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Emma Thompson among voices supporting anti-ageism campaign, which has uncovered striking findings in top-grossing UK films over past three years Box office hit films are four times more likely to star a talking animal than a woman over 60, according to a new survey by Age Without Limits. The anti-ageism campaign studied the 100 highest performing films released in the UK in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and found that while five starred an older woman, about 20 featured creatures who chat. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/MQspqIX via IFTTT
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Akshay Kumar teams up with Vipul Shah for alien action thriller Samuk; Hollywood creature and action experts join project

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Actor Akshay Kumar is set to headline a new large-scale sci-fi action thriller titled Samuk, directed by Kanishk Varma and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah. Positioned as an ambitious alien survival thriller, the film is currently in development and is expected to go on floors soon. The project marks Akshay Kumar’s return to a full-scale action role and will reportedly combine elements of survival horror, military realism, and alien thriller storytelling. The makers are also bringing together an international technical team with experience across several Hollywood franchise films. Speaking about the project, producer Vipul Shah said, “We always try to challenge ourselves with different genres, and Samuk is something Indian cinema hasn’t attempted before. Our aim is to create a world-class alien thriller for audiences.” Director Kanishk Varma, known for projects such as Sanak and Inside Edge, revealed that the idea for the film emerged from his interest in survival thrillers and elite s...
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Cannes got it wrong this year by awarding Palme d’Or to Cristian Mungiu’s very moderate Fjord

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Film about a couple on trial for child abuse isn’t a patch on the director’s previous Palme winner, while other disappointing films seemed to grab the jury’s attention These were the prizes for a Cannes under pressure. The Hollywood A-listers and big-hitters were A-listing and big-hitting at home this year. And what about the international heavyweights from Europe and Asia that highbrow festivaliers are always saying are loads better than the Americans anyway? Well, many of those only showed up in the physical sense. For me, most of the films from the accepted laureates and auteurs were very moderate, and I have to confess being sceptical about this year’s Palme d’Or, Fjord , by Romanian film-maker Cristian Mungiu (who won the Palme nearly 20 years ago with his searing abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days). Fjord is, in fact, a perfect example of an established European star director using a big Hollywood name: Sebastian Stan, playing a grumpy and religious Romanian IT engineer,...
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Cristian Mungiu wins second Palme d’Or at Cannes for child abuse drama Fjord

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English-language debut by Romanian director who triumphed in 2007 with 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days takes top prize Nineteen years after his searing abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days won the top prize at the Cannes film festival, Cristian Mungiu’s English-language debut, Fjord , has repeated the trick. The film – which stars Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan as Romanian religious parents who relocate to Norway, where they find themselves accused of child abuse – makes Mungiu, 58, the 10th director to have received two Palmes, following Alf Sjöberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Bille August, Emir Kusturica, Shōhei Imamura, the Dardenne brothers, Michael Haneke, Ken Loach and Ruben Östlund. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/gwJAmen via IFTTT
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Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai trailer launch's most EMOTIONAL moment: David Dhawan gets teary-eyed and says, "Everybody should have a son like Varun"

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Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, Mrunal Thakur, David Dhawan, Ramesh Taurani, Anu Malik, Sameer, Maniesh Paul, Chunky Panday, Rajesh Kumar, Jimmy Sheirgill, Rajat Rawail, Ali Asgar, Girish Kumar, Kumar Taurani, writer Rumy Jafry and cinematographer Ayananka Bose attended the trailer launch of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai in Mumbai on May 23. David Dhawan was celebrated and every member of the cast spoke highly of him. Meanwhile, the most emotional moment of the launch was when David Dhawan got teary-eyed. Varun Dhawan said, “It’s amazing that this man (David Dhawan) is making a film at this age. We are living in times when every Friday, we are questioning cinema. We all love cinema, but we do ask, ‘Kya yeh film chalegi’. All I want to say is that this is a David Dhawan film. Yeh film inke conviction pe bani hai. It's an all-out entertainer to make you laugh. If my family has had one motto, it is to make people laugh. Mere father logon ko bas hasana chahte hai.”   View this post on Inst...
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Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai trailer launch: Ramesh Taurani BREAKS silence on legal feud with Vashu Bhagnani: "There's no problem...we are handling it"; Varun sings 'Jeena Laga Hoon' and asks, "Ramesh ji, iss gaane ke rights hai na?"

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Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, Mrunal Thakur, David Dhawan, Ramesh Taurani, Anu Malik, Sameer, Maniesh Paul, Chunky Panday, Rajesh Kumar, Jimmy Sheirgill, Rajat Rawail, Ali Asgar, Girish Kumar, Kumar Taurani, writer Rumy Jafry and cinematographer Ayananka Bose attended the trailer launch of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai in Mumbai on May 23. The trailer launch was originally scheduled for May 21 but was cancelled at the last minute. Varun began the event by speaking about the rescheduling. Varun Dhawan said, “Thank you to the media and fans for coming again. I genuinely mean it, as you guys came twice, that too in this terrible Mumbai heat. Hence, each one of you will get Fast & Up and a free iPhone from Ramesh ji!” Maniesh Paul, in his trademark style, joked, “This has happened for the first time in the history of cinema that there was a rehearsal of a trailer launch! Aap log rehearsal pe aaye, bahut accha laga! And we are glad that you made it for the actual trailer launch as well (sm...
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Wuthering Heights director regrets not showing Margot Robbie’s ‘extremely hairy armpits’

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Emerald Fennell says period-realistic scene emphasising Cathy’s lack of razors was shot but did not make final cut The Wuthering Heights director Emerald Fennell said it was “unfortunate” that a scene showing Margot Robbie’s hairy armpits did not make the final cut, because women in period adaptations are often shown with clean-shaven underarms. Robbie’s character, Cathy, had “extremely hairy armpits” in the 2026 adaptation of the novel, but “unfortunately the scene that we see them didn’t make it in there”, said the director. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/jG9YsKF via IFTTT
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The Birthday Party review – grimly compulsive unhappy occasion in deepest France

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Cannes film festival: This could be better paced but the crisis which descends on an up-against-it dairy farm is delivered by some very memorable goons There’s nothing like a home-invasion suspense thriller to provide a change of pace in the Cannes competition, and Léa Mysius’s film – adapted from the French bestseller Histoires de la Nuit by Laurent Mauvignier – isn’t at all bad, although it runs out of narrative steam in the third act and one particular shock-twist appears to unshock and untwist itself. Yet the film certainly delivers some sinister rural strangeness in the France profonde countryside and some gonzo shootouts; plus there is a ripe turn from Benoît Magimel, who with every film seems to morph further into a cross between Gérard Depardieu and Christopher Walken. In a very remote bucolic village, Thomas (Bastien Bouillon) is a hardworking dairy farmer who took over the family smallholding after his father killed himself. After a whirlwind romance, he married Nora (Ha...
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Passenger review – generic jumpscare horror offers bumpy journey to nowhere

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A demonic entity attaches itself to travellers on the road in this competently directed but hopelessly indistinctive scare-free misfire As Obsession , a micro-budget horror made by a YouTuber , continues to overperform with critics and audiences, and as another twentysomething content creator prepares to break a potential record with the release of Backrooms , here comes a stodgy by-the-book Paramount horror that feels like someone’s embarrassing dad just gatecrashed a college party. While others might be trying to innovate, those involved with Paramount’s generic schedule-filler Passenger are perfectly content to keep things lazily trucking along as they always have. Even if it wasn’t stuck in an unfortunate gen Z genre sandwich, it would still be a struggle to see why anyone would want to hitch a ride with this one. Like February’s cursed misfire Psycho Killer , another junky on-the-road studio horror, Passenger plays like something that would have gone straight to unrated DVD back ...
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Ronit Roy warns fans about online impostor using his name to target women and asking for money; says, “Cops are coming for you”

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Actor Ronit Roy has issued a strong public warning after discovering that an unidentified individual has allegedly been misusing his identity online to contact people, particularly women, and asking for money. The actor took to social media to alert fans and followers about the scam while also sharing screenshots and details connected to the alleged impostor. In a detailed note posted online, Ronit Roy revealed that the individual had allegedly been reaching out to people using his name and even attempting to take bookings fraudulently. Sharing specifics about the accounts involved, the actor wrote, “WARNING!!!! It has come to my notice that someone has been using my name and reaching out to people, especially girls and asking for money. This person has been trying to take bookings in my name. The number involved is a Zangi number 3318085685 The email id being used is ronitroybookings@hotmail.com. Everyone be careful. As for the perpetrator....."cops are coming for you”.” The act...
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‘I want to hit 100’: Derek Jacobi on Aids, ageing and failing to boil an egg

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The giant of stage and screen is 87 and still hates looking in the mirror. At home with his husband, he talks about weeping, sleeping with Daniel Craig, terrifying directors and the joys of white wine and a nap Derek Jacobi is chatting to the photographer in the living room. His voice is unmistakeable – rich, buttered, every sentence beautifully parsed and phrased. I’m in the kitchen with his husband, Richard Clifford, who is making coffee. He tells me they have been together 47 years. “We met when I was 22 and he was 39.” “I’m a child snatcher,” guffaws Jacobi from the lounge. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/tTgjEs0 via IFTTT
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King becomes a REUNION bonanza: Shah Rukh Khan to share screen with Anil Kapoor after 31 years, Rani Mukerji after 20 years and Jackie Shroff after 12 years

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It’s been almost six months since the first look teaser of King was unveiled on the occasion of Shah Rukh Khan’s 60th birthday. Yet, the excitement around the film has remained constant, even though its release is still nearly seven months away. Recently, we came across a tweet by an SRK fan that made an interesting observation – the superstar is collaborating with several members of King’s ensemble cast after a very long gap. While he is reuniting with some after a decade, others are sharing screen space with him after nearly 20 or even 30 years. In this article, Bollywood Hungama takes a closer look at this nostalgic reunion factor. Anil Kapoor will feature in a crucial role in King and he was last seen with Shah Rukh Khan in Trimurti (1995), which was released 31 years ago. This is the only film that featured both actors. With Saurabh Shukla, SRK has worked thrice — in Baadshah (1999), Hey Ram (2000) and Mohabbatein (2000). Hence, both will be seen together in a film after 26 years...
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Diabolic review – Mormon-country horror takes ayahuasca down to the creepy cellar

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Underground doors and regression therapy – it sounds like a can’t miss for the genre, but the knockout blow is never delivered Though it features few recognisable faces, this Australian-shot, US-set indie horror displays a core competency that gets it some of the way to where it’s heading – only to collapse in the final reels into the usual hacky manoeuvres. Ten years after fleeing a fundamentalist branch of the Latter-day Saints, snub-nosed artist heroine Elise (Elizabeth Cullen) has started shunning the attentions of boyfriend Adam (John Kim), instead obsessively digging holes in the couple’s back garden and trashing the living room in the middle of the night. Could it have something to do with the grimy cellar door she feels compelled to paint, or the traumatic baptism we witness in a pre-title sequence? What are the chances? For somewhere between half and two-thirds of its running time, we’re watching a diagnostic case study: Elise and close pals return to Mormon country – more spe...
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Court grants interim relief to Pooja Entertainment in ‘Chunari Chunari’ rights dispute with Tips Music

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The ongoing legal dispute between producer Vashu Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment and Tips Music has reignited the long-standing debate over ownership of film music rights in the Indian film industry. The controversy erupted after Pooja Entertainment approached the court alleging that Tips recreated the iconic track ‘Chunari Chunari’ for the upcoming film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai without obtaining permission. The song originally featured in Biwi No.1 (1999), produced by Pooja Entertainment. The court has currently granted interim protection in favour of Vashu Bhagnani. While reacting to the matter on social media, Tips Music insisted that they remain to be “lawful owner” of the music rights and termed the allegations made by Pooja Entertainment as “malicious.” Responding to Tips’ statement, a legal spokesperson representing Vashu Bhagnani said that all music rights, songs, and films referred to in the suit are presently covered under the court’s “status quo” order. The spokesperson ...
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The Man I Love review – Rami Malek needs a lighter touch in Ira Sachs’ 80s Aids drama

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Cannes film festival: Sachs’ film about an HIV-positive actor in the homophobic Reagan-era 80s is well-intended, but Malek’s mannered performance is hard to love This film from writer-director Ira Sachs gives us premium-strength, undiluted Rami Malek – but I have to say that his overripe performance and self-conscious mannerisms here are perhaps even more oppressively insistent for being conveyed relatively quietly in spoken dialogue. And not quietly at all in the singing scenes. Malek is a performer whose style is as distinctive as those of John Malkovich or Jeff Goldblum. But it works best with a light touch in the direction and material. Things never really come together here. The Man I Love is a film about gay culture in 1980s New York, at the height of the reactionary homophobia of Reagan’s America, with HIV-positive men coming to terms with their condition and with the callous bigotry of the political zeitgeist. In one hospital scene, we see the authorities’ icily unsympathetic ...
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Eek-cute: the rebirth of the frothy romcom sociopath

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The online era is pushing screen romantics to alarming extremes. Whether posing as a stranger’s fiancee or framing someone as an obsessive stalker, happy endings look harder than ever to find It’s a long-running romcom trope that the couples we’re supposed to root for are often hiding lies that threaten the chances of any happy relationship blossoming. From classics such as The Shop Around the Corner to modern blockbusters such as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the genre thrives whenever it presents the audience with the most alarming red flags it conceals from its characters, raising the stakes by seeing if sparks can still fly when an ulterior motive behind each meet-cute is hidden in plain sight. In the romantic comedies we’ve seen so far this year, this trope has not only been revived but pushed far beyond its breaking point, cementing a new romcom archetype: the unlucky-in-love sociopath. This week’s new release Finding Emily is the starkest example to date, introducing psychology...
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Rhea Chakraborty announces social media break, says “I’ve been missing myself a little”

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Rhea Chakraborty has announced that she is taking a temporary break from social media, saying the constant digital noise had started affecting her mental well-being. The actor shared an emotional note on Instagram, explaining that she wanted to step away from the pressure of online life and reconnect with herself through real-world experiences. In the note shared with her 3.6 million followers, Rhea wrote, “Lately, I’ve been missing myself a little. The constant noise, the scrolling, the keeping up — it’s all started to feel heavier than I expected... So, I’m taking a step back for a while — to slow down, breathe a little deeper, and reconnect with what feels real. Choosing lived moments over posted ones, for now.” The actress has been slowly rebuilding both her personal and professional life after facing intense media scrutiny in 2020 following the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Over the years, Rhea has largely stayed away from the spotlight while gradually returning to public ...
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Nicolas Winding Refn breaks down at Cannes recalling near-death due to ‘leaking heart’

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The director of Drive, unveiling new thriller My Private Hell, told journalists he ‘died for 25 minutes’ in 2023 The Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn , best known for films such as the Pusher trilogy and Drive, has emotionally spoken about his near-death experience and heart surgery three years ago. The director, whose first film in 10 years, Her Private Hell , premiered on Monday evening, told gathered journalists that he had “died for 25 minutes” in 2023. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/HPzYCEo via IFTTT
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Bitter Christmas review – grief, loss and artistic betrayal in Almodóvar’s film within a film

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Cannes film festival: Spaniard’s latest life-v-art auto-metafiction feels slightly muddled as he directs a director directing a director With its rich, warm, summery colours, nothing could surely be less bitter or less Christmassy than this film. It’s the latest from Cannes competition regular Pedro Almodóvar, partly set during Christmas; the female lead actually complains about the yuletide traffic at one stage. But there’s no tinsel or sleigh bells or shopping for presents. Like Die Hard, it eludes classification. It is another – which is to say, yet another – double-layered creation by Almodóvar, a kind of movie auto-metafiction of the sort that he has virtually invented, a life-v-art dialectical process that he is evidently unable to do without. Like the recent Pain and Glory , Bitter Christmas is a candidly personal movie, circling around ideas like grief, loss, the vampirism of art and the betrayal involved in basing fictional characters on real people. Perhaps by emphasising thi...
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Alia Bhatt and Sharvari shoot with Samay Raina for India’s Got Latent Season 2 in viral photo

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A viral picture featuring Alia Bhatt, Sharvari and comedian Samay Raina has taken social media by storm, sparking widespread speculation around the return of India’s Got Latent. The photos, reportedly clicked at The Habitat in Mumbai, have led fans to believe that the actresses may be appearing as part of the promotional campaign for their upcoming spy-universe film Alpha. While there has been no official confirmation from the makers or the actors involved, the viral images have already triggered intense discussions online. Many fans appeared excited at the possibility of seeing Alia and Sharvari participate in Samay Raina’s popular digital talent-roast format, especially given the enormous online popularity the show achieved after its launch in 2024. Created by Samay Raina, India’s Got Latent quickly became one of the most talked-about digital shows in the country due to its unfiltered humour, unpredictable format, and viral guest interactions. However, the show also attracted contro...
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True North review – students take stand against racism in highly charged account of protest in 60s Canada

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Interviews and archive material are elegantly stitched together in this look at a huge student uprising in 1969 Quebec If someone mentions race riots and student protests in the 1960s and 70s, chances are that would mean, to most people, civil rights protests in the American south, sit-ins in California or the National Guard opening fire on students at Kent State University in Ohio. But revolution and resistance were ideas that crossed borders and seeded outbreaks all over the world, and supposedly friendly, polite countries such as Canada had no special immunity. This elegantly crafted documentary, directed by Michèle Stephenson, recounts a charged moment in Quebec history in 1969 when black students at Sir George Williams University, now called Concordia University, staged what would become the biggest campus protest in Canadian history; it resulted in scores of arrests and about C$2m in property damage due to fire destroying a computer lab. Interviews with several of the protest’s k...
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Fjord review - Cristian Mungiu at sea with strange child abuse drama starring Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan

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Cannes film festival: The Palme laureate here makes a misstep with an odd, disquieting film that leaves too many issues unresolved Romanian director and Palme laureate Cristian Mungiu – the winner here in 2007 with his stunning 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days – comes to Cannes with an anticlimactic, underpowered movie which it seems to me could be part of an odd phenomenon at this year’s festival, detectable also in films here by Kantemir Balagov and Ryusuke Hamaguchi: auteurs making coproduction movies outside their home turf and mother tongue with big foreign stars, perhaps as a result of creative conversations at international film festivals with admirers from all over the world – and losing focus. Fjord is an odd film, bearing Mungiu’s signature, certainly, with enigmatic long shots and avoidance of closeups, and one very distinctive crowding of faces in a dinner-scene tableau. But the ostensible pain and trauma of its story is conveyed without the rewarding complexity that we have...
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‘An orgy of antisemitism is overtaking the west’: Son of Saul’s László Nemes on Hollywood hypocrisy

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His extraordinary Auschwitz film won every award going. Now the Hungarian director is back with new drama Orphan, as well as a Jean Moulin biopic at Cannes. He talks about resurgent global prejudice – and refusing to be lectured by the film industry ‘overclass’ We’ve been talking for less than five minutes when I spot the swastika. It’s just above the head of László Nemes, one of Europe’s most acclaimed directors, as he sits in the suite of a London hotel, talking about Orphan, his intensely personal new film that dwells on – among other things – the impact of the Holocaust on the generations that followed. It’s an ancient, Hindu swastika, part of a decorative wall-hanging – but still. I’m halfway through a question when I notice it. Nemes laughs; of course, he’d seen it immediately. “I wanted to point that out to you,” he says. “It is so funny. Before leaving this room, I will take pictures.” Mind you, he’s had worse. “When I was at the San Sebastián film festival with Son of Saul , t...
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BREAKING: Cocktail 2 trailer to be launched on May 29; media gets EXCLUSIVE glimpse of foot-tapping track ‘Mashooka’ and soulful number ‘Tujhko’

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A fun event was hosted by the Cocktail 2 team at a premium restobar in central Mumbai on Sunday, May 17, and was attended by Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Rashmika Mandanna, producers Dinesh Vijan and Luv Ranjan, director Homi Adajania and music director Pritam Chakraborty. The media was invited to the bash with the promise of a surprise. The surprise turned out to be an exclusive preview of two songs from the film – ‘Mashooka’ and ‘Tujhko’. ‘Mashooka’ features Shahid Kapoor romancing Kriti Sanon in Sicily, Italy, and other picturesque locations. The foot-tapping number sees the duo in a playful, goofy mood before ending with a seductive dance sequence. ‘Tujhko’, meanwhile, is sung by Arijit Singh and focuses on Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna. The slow romantic number hints that the two characters were college sweethearts before circumstances pulled them apart. After both songs were unveiled, the media was asked to decide which one should release first. Initially, the journalists w...
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France’s top film producer says it will blacklist figures who petitioned against rightwing billionaire

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Canal+ head says he will not work with hundreds of actors and directors who signed protest against Vincent Bolloré’s political sway The head of France’s biggest film producer, Canal+, has said the group will no longer work with hundreds of cinema figures who signed a petition voicing concern over the growing influence of the rightwing billionaire owner Vincent Bolloré. The open letter, published earlier this week to coincide with the opening of the Cannes film festival, was signed by more than 600 figures , including the actor-director Juliette Binoche, the director and photographer Raymond Depardon, the French-Iranian film-maker Sepideh Farsi and the director Arthur Harari , who co-wrote the Oscar-winning Anatomy of a Fall and is premiering his film The Unknown in the main competition in Cannes. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/y3L0r7x via IFTTT
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EXCLUSIVE: Amid UAE ban and PIL controversy, Sanjay Dutt starrer Aakhri Sawal heads for special screening at Rashtrapati Bhavan today

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In a major development surrounding one of the year’s most talked-about films, Sanjay Dutt starrer Aakhri Sawal is set to hold a special screening at Rashtrapati Bhavan today, Bollywood Hungama has exclusively learned. The screening comes amid mounting controversy around the film. Over the past few days, Aakhri Sawal has been making headlines after reports surfaced of the film being banned in the UAE, while a PIL was also reportedly filed against the project in India. Despite the storm surrounding the film, the makers appear unfazed and are moving ahead with an aggressive rollout strategy. Sources close to the development reveal that preparations for the Rashtrapati Bhavan screening have been underway quietly over the last few days, though details regarding the guest list and attendees remain under wraps. Directed as a hard-hitting social drama, Aakhri Sawal features an ensemble cast led by Sanjay Dutt, the film has already generated substantial curiosity because of its subject matter ...
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EXCLUSIVE: T-Series gears up to announce Satranga, a grand musical spectacle in the making

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Something big is brewing at T-Series. Bollywood Hungama has exclusively learned that the Bhushan Kumar-led powerhouse is preparing to announce a brand-new film titled Satranga, described by insiders as a large-scale musical drama mounted on an ambitious cinematic canvas. While an official announcement is expected soon, the project has already begun generating strong buzz within industry circles. Sources close to the development reveal that Satranga is being envisioned as more than just a conventional musical romance. The film is said to be a sweeping emotional spectacle where music forms the very backbone of the storytelling. According to sources, the script is nearly locked, indicating that the creative groundwork is firmly in place. The makers are now focused on assembling the cast, which has not yet been finalized. Given the scale of the project and T-Series’ long-standing relationships with Bollywood’s biggest stars, expectations around the eventual casting are already high. Known...
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John Lennon: The Last Interview review – Soderbergh imagines there’s no people with bland AI clipshow

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Succession of pointless AI-generated snippets does nothing for film about the artist’s final interview, which took place on the day of his murder Coming just after his superb feature The Christophers , Steven Soderbergh has now made a surprisingly moderate documentary, dominated and frankly marred by uninteresting and pointless AI. It is about the inadvertently poignant final interview given by John Lennon and Yoko Ono on 8 December 1980 in New York’s Dakota apartment building, hours before his death. The interviewers were Dave Sholin, Laurie Kaye and Ron Hummel from San Francisco’s KFRC radio station. On their way out of the building with the conversation on tape, they were accosted by a creepy stalker-fan; in attempt to calm the man down, Kaye gave him a brand new copy of John and Yoko’s new album Double Fantasy. This sinister man was Lennon’s future murderer who got him to sign an album – perhaps this very album – and later shot him dead. It is a chilling, stomach-turning twist of f...
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‘It deals with my own blood, my inheritance’: Asia Argento on historical trauma in Death Has No Master

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Cannes film festival: The actor’s role in Jorge Thielen Armand’s Venezuela-set surrealist thriller explores deep-rooted tensions of ownership and colonialism In Death Has No Master, Asia Argento stars as an anxious foreigner in Venezuela. Her character, Caro, is on a harried mission to reclaim inherited property from the local caretakers who still reside there. That’s the setup in a surrealist psychological thriller, in which Venezuelan-Canadian film-maker Jorge Thielen Armand unpacks personal history alongside deep-rooted and “eternal” tensions that still affect the country today. “The film has multiple layers of meaning,” says Armand, ahead of the film’s premiere in the director’s fortnight section at Cannes. “Recent events only make those multitudes greater.” Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/VutlFjb via IFTTT
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EXCLUSIVE: Anupria Goenka to make her Cannes debut with Bombay Stories; reveals, "Proud of War and Tiger Zinda Hai; thoroughly enjoyed shooting for them…Dhurandhar was a fabulous film"

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May is a significant month for Anupria Goenka. Her film, IIZ: Indian Institute Of Zombies, was released on May 15, marking her first theatrical outing after four years. She’ll end the month on a celebratory note as she rings in her birthday on May 29. That’s not all. She has another reason to celebrate this month – the talented and gorgeous actress will make her debut at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Anupria Goenka exclusively told Bollywood Hungama, “I am going to Cannes for the premiere of the film called Bombay Stories. It’s being screened at the market section; it’s not in the official selection. Nevertheless, this will be my first visit to Cannes.” She continued, “After that, I plan to travel around. I haven’t explored Europe much; I have only been to the United Kingdom. So, this birthday, I want to break my pattern and visit other countries (smiles).” She also revealed, “I am leaving for Cannes on May 18, after IIZ: Indian Institute Of Zombies releases on May 15. Wish me l...
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EXCLUSIVE: Dharma Productions adopts REVOLUTIONARY pricing strategy for Chand Mera Dil; tickets to be sold for just Rs. 149 and Rs. 199 on release day

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Next Friday, May 22, will see the release of Chand Mera Dil, starring Lakshya and Ananya Panday. The film has caught attention due to its youthful flavour, casting, music and also because it belongs to the intense romance genre, which is working big time right now. Bollywood Hungama has learned that the love story might open better than expected due to an aggressive pricing strategy adopted by the makers. A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “Chand Mera Dil is produced by Dharma Productions, and they are also distributing the film. They have informed cinemas that the tickets need to be sold at a very affordable price. Accordingly, tickets for all shows before 5:00 pm on Friday, May 22, will be available for just Rs. 149. After 5:00 pm, the tickets will be sold for Rs. 199.” The source added, “This offer will be valid only on the day of release. On Saturday and Sunday, theatres have been instructed to go for regular weekend rates. Also, tickets priced at Rs. 149 and Rs. 199 will be a...
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Vishal Bhardwaj and Shaunak Sen join new film fund initiative supporting independent cinema

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What are the vital ingredients an aspiring filmmaker needs when they have a story to tell but no outlet? Beyond a script, they need financial stability, production expertise, and industry access. Addressing this gap, Humans of Cinema and Safarnaama Pictures have launched a landmark feature film co-production fund of Rs 40,00,000 designed to back an emerging filmmaker with a distinct voice and a clear vision. In a significant boost to the independent ecosystem, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Shaunak Sen (All That Breathes) and globally acclaimed auteur Vishal Bhardwaj have joined the initiative as mentors. Sen is also attached to the selected project as an Executive Producer. The high-profile jury for the fund includes actor Imran Khan, filmmaker Arati Kadav (Cargo, Mrs), producer Aman Mann (All That Breathes), and renowned author and festival director Aseem Chhabra. Harshit Bansal, Founder of Humans of Cinema, shared that the idea took shape when Nazim Momin of Safarnaama Pictures—...
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Swindon is not enough – every new housing estate deserves a Dench Close

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Bond Place and Desmond Crescent have been named in honour of the 007 franchise after some scenes were shot nearby in the 90s – why stop there? James Bond fans have endured a rough few years. Ever since No Time to Die walloped off Daniel Craig, we’ve been stuck in a weird kind of limbo. There will eventually be a new James Bond film, directed by Denis Villeneuve, the most exciting director in the franchise’s history. But we don’t know when it will come out, or who will play Bond, or if 007 under Amazon will even be recognisable. In summary, we need something tangible to ground our anxieties. What we need is to pack up our things and head to north Swindon, to the site of the former Motorola manufacturing facility, where a new housing estate has just named a bunch of roads after James Bond. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/9XumsZ2 via IFTTT
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Are you sitting uncomfortably? How Backrooms upended the horror movie

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It was just a creepy picture on the internet. Now it’s the year’s freakiest film. Its 20-year-old auteur Kane Parsons and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve take us through the terrifying labyrinth Chiwetel Ejiofor has been on a lot of movie sets, but Backrooms was something different: a 30,000 sq ft labyrinth of apparently random corridors and chambers, all carpeted, fluorescent lit and decorated in the same sickly yellow wallpaper. It was so big that people were getting lost in it, says Ejiofor: “Especially on those first days. As you try to navigate your way around and you’re like: ‘I’m sure it’s this door, I’m sure that’s the way.’” He’s laughing at the recollection. “And you find yourself just back in the wrong corner of the whole studio and you’re like: ‘Get me some help!’” This is kind of the point of Backrooms – the movie and the online phenomenon that spawned it. It’s a concept that takes some unpacking, but as the premise for a buzzy A24 horror freakout, ...
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Parallel Tales review – Isabelle Huppert pens furtive sexual fantasy for Vincent Cassel in Asghar Farhadi’s latest

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Cannes film festival: Iranian auteur Asghar Farhadi returns to France with this intriguing middleweight meta-drama featuring a cameo from Catherine Deneuve Asghar Farhadi is the Iranian auteur whose film-making style has always shown the high European influences of Antonioni and Haneke. He has in fact made two films in Europe: The Past in France and Everybody Knows in Spain. Now he returns to France and the French language for this diverting, middleweight meta-drama about betrayal and about a supposed link between voyeurism and creativity: do writers spy on the characters they have brought to life? Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/9kWXKsO via IFTTT
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‘There was a lot of addiction and trauma in my family’: why Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon plays a perfect Judy Garland

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As she takes on the icon in musical drama End of the Rainbow, Monsoon recalls a childhood spent watching Wizard of Oz on repeat – and explains why audiences are ready for trans performers in non-trans roles If these are strange times in America, they are particularly strange for Jinkx Monsoon, the 38-year-old actor, singer and drag artist who, since winning RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2013 and Drag Race All Stars in 2022, has become a huge breakout star. Monsoon, who has the white-lead-and-vinegar glamour of a 1930s movie star, has appeared on Broadway, at Carnegie Hall and in countless viral clips from Drag Race – and in other words is widely well known. And yet, she says, when she walks down the street in certain American cities, it is in a state of “not knowing if someone’s going to recognise me and be excited to see me, or recognise something about me and be hostile. It’s a really interesting dichotomy.” She lets out a huge laugh. “But it also keeps me humble, I gotta say.” We are back...
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Parineeti Chopra joins Johnson’s Baby as new brand ambassador; launches nourishment range in Mumbai

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Parineeti Chopra has added yet another meaningful association to her journey as she has been announced as the new face of Johnson’s Baby. The actress attended a special event in Mumbai on May 12 to launch Johnson’s Baby’s new nourishment range, comprising milk and rice, and built around the concept of “Poshan Ka Pehla Sparsh” and the idea of “Food for Skin.” Over the years, Parineeti has emerged as one of the most admired names among the youth. From her film choices to her candid personality and relatable public image, she has always struck a chord with young India. Now, as a new mother herself, her association with Johnson’s Baby feels both timely and organic. Her personal journey into motherhood gives the campaign a layer of authenticity, making her an ideal brand ambassador for a name that has been synonymous with baby care for generations. Speaking about the association, Parineeti Chopra said, "Motherhood is truly a blessing, and I feel incredibly grateful to be experiencing ...
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‘Oh my God, did my dad and I fight’: Olivia Colman on the regrets triggered by new film Jimpa

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John Lithgow plays the gay and often nude septuagenarian father of Colman’s character in this bombshell-laden story of intergenerational queerness. She explains why her own dad would have ‘sat and cried all the way through it’ In Jimpa, Olivia Colman plays a woman called Hannah who leaves Adelaide with her husband and 16-year-old child to visit her father in Amsterdam. This is Jimpa – the word sticks better once you know it’s a compound of Jim and grandpa. At the airport, the teenager, Frances, who’s trans, drops a bombshell: they want to move to the Netherlands and finish their schooling there. Hannah and her husband, Harry, respond thoughtfully, not freaking out. But once they arrive in Amsterdam, Jimpa, played by John Lithgow, brings enough drama for everyone – something he’s been doing for 40 years, since he left his family for a fuller queer life than Australia at the end of the 20th century could offer. The film revels in revealing the sort of lifestyle he enjoyed instead. Cont...
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A Woman’s Life review – a breezy comedy of midlife crisis and same-sex affair

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Cannes film festival: Léa Drucker gives a bravura performance as a brilliant surgeon whose already chaotic life is further complicated by a same-sex affair with a journalist Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet’s new film is a hectic, garrulous, breezily agreeable comedy of midlife emotional upheaval, unencumbered by any serious or permanent concern about any of the passion and heartache that it briefly encounters. It’s also a movie that declines to allow its characters to be changed in any way by the excitements and disappointments that life has to throw at them. Léa Drucker carries off the lead with terrifically competent elan; there’s hardly a scene in which she is not interrupted by a call on her mobile, going into bravura walk-and-talk acting on the phone while on the street, arriving at the office or getting into or out of her car. She plays Gabrielle, a brilliant surgeon – what other sort is there in the movies? – who specialises in maxillofacial reconstruction. Gabrielle is battling budg...
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Huma Qureshi heads to Cannes 2026 after making waves at TIFF and BIFF with Bayaan

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Huma Qureshi is all set to return to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, adding another milestone to her steadily growing international journey. Over the years, the actor has built a strong reputation for balancing mainstream cinema with content-driven performances, and her Cannes 2026 appearance further highlights her expanding global footprint. Having attended Cannes previously as well, Huma has consistently represented Indian cinema on international platforms through her unconventional film choices and impactful performances. Whether it was her breakthrough role in Gangs of Wasseypur or critically appreciated performances in projects like Maharani, Monica O My Darling, Tarla and Leila, the actor has continuously backed stories that stand apart. She also expanded her global reach with Army of the Dead, directed by Zack Snyder. Last year proved to be particularly significant for Huma on the international front. The actor attended both the Toronto International Film Festival and the...
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