Deadline • 3rd July 2024

‘Munjya’ Star Sharvari On Finding Success In Bollywood With A Supernatural Horror-Comedy & Her Desire To Work With Greta Gerwig

EXCLUSIVE: Supernatural horror-comedy is not a genre one necessarily associates with Bollywood, but Munjya, starring Sharvari and Abhay Verma, looks set to topple those expectations, and the pic has now entered the hallowed ‘100-crore (1 billion rupees) club’. The sleeper hit is the latest instalment in the Maddock Supernatural Universe (previous films are Stree, Roohi, Bhediya) and focuses on the legend of ‘munjya’, an evil spirit from Indian folklore. Sharvari plays Bela, the love interest of...

Deadline • 27th June 2024

Taha Shah Badussha On Ambition To Be The First Indian James Bond & Whether Sanjay Leela Bhansali Will Helm ‘Heeramandi’ Season 2

EXCLUSIVE: Fresh off of Netflix’s noisy Indian series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, Taha Shah Badussha has set his sights on Hollywood — and he has a specific, seismic role in mind.

“Let’s put it out there, I want to be the first Indian James Bond. Why not?” he tells Deadline in an interview. With the iconic role still wide open as Bond‘s producers continue to sketch out the post-Daniel Craig era, there’s no harm in harboring the ambition.

Currently managed by Steven Adams’ Alta Global Media

Deadline • 20th June 2024

DNEG Magnate Namit Malhotra On Navigating Hollywood, Success Of ‘The Garfield Movie’ & Controversy Around Employee ‘Loan’ Scheme

EXCLUSIVE: You might not be familiar with Namit Malhotra’s name, but the world certainly knows his work. Malhotra founded Indian production services company Prime Focus Technologies in 1997, and is currently CEO of VFX company DNEG, which has won seven Academy Awards for films such Inception,Interstellar, Blade Runner 2049, and Dune. Hailing from a filmmaking family in India’s Mumbai, Malhotra holds immense influence in both Hollywood and Bollywood, where he is currently in production on Nitesh

Deadline • 15th June 2024

‘One Day’ Star Ambika Mod On Her Crazy Year, How Comedy Has Helped Her Career & Details Of Her Upcoming ‘Playdate’

Ambika Mod is not prepared to be a footnote in 2024. After hustling through improv and a breakout turn in BBC miniseries This Is Going to Hurt, this year saw her biggest hit yet — the lead role of Emma Morley in Netflix’s adaptation of David Nicholls’ novel One Day. Paired with Leo Woodall’s Dexter Mayhew, Mod sensitively plays Emma’s loves, wins and failures over 20 years. As a twenty-something figuring out her place in the world, Mod’s own journey has overlapped with Emma’s more than once. Her

Deadline • 29th May 2024

‘Kalki 2898 AD’: Inside The Prabhas-Starring Sci-Fi Epic That Is One Of India’s Most Expensive Movies Of All Time

EXCLUSIVE: “I’m not so good at this part, you know,” Indian megastar Prabhas tells Deadline on the set of upcoming mythological sci-fi movie Kalki 2898 AD.

He is referring to his inability to push his work “into the international level,” but this might all be about to change. For Deadline is speaking to Prabhas in the late evening about a movie which, at a reported budget topping 600 crore rupees ($72M), is estimated to be one of the most expensive Indian movies ever made, potentially the most.

Deadline • 19th May 2024

Somali Director Mo Harawe Talks History-Making Cannes Title ‘The Village Next To Paradise’: “For 70% Of The Crew, It Was First Time On A Film Set”

Mo Harawe makes history this Cannes Film Festival with debut feature The Village Next To Paradise, which is world premiering in Un Certain Regard as the first Somalian title to make it into Official Selection across the festival’s 77 editions.

Born in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, Harawe moved to Austria to study film when he was 18 years old.

The Village Next to Paradise follows hard-hitting shorts Life on the Horn, about toxic waste landing on the Somali coast, and Will My Parents Come to

Clash Magazine • 14th May 2024

"There's Where I Find Solace" Eric Nam Interviewed | Features

Contrary to most K-pop interviews, there are no PR executives watchfully monitoring this Zoom. There is only Eric Nam, frantically trying to find a bench in the streets of New Zealand. Nam has just landed in the country after a whirlwind outing in Europe as part of his House on a Hill tour, which included shaking the rafters at a packed Eventim Apollo in London. “This is the last stop on the tour, so I’m gonna have a few days off and then I’m going to be in Korea doing a bunch of shoots, and the

Deadline • 7th May 2024

‘The Goat Life’: Look No Further Than Director Blessy’s ‘Life Of Pi’-Like Epic For Proof That Indian Cinema Is So Much More Than Bollywood

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films making noise in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

For this edition, we’re looking at India – but no, not Bollywood. India’s regional film industries are thriving, especially those in its Southern r

Deadline • 1st May 2024

‘Monkey Man’ Star Sobhita Dhulipala On Being “Accountable” As An Actor & How Dev Patel’s Directorial Debut Changed Her Life

“I’ve felt that being called ‘niche’ is a compliment, actually,” Monkey Man star Sobhita Dhulipala tells Deadline.

It is nighttime in India when we catch up with the star, and we are discussing a recent profile that dubbed her a “niche Indian actress.”

“In India, there’s the conventional idea of a mainstream commercial film star where they love you because you entertain and give them escape, but you’re not really accountable as an actor to stand for anything,” she explains. “I guess my expecta

Deadline • 1st May 2024

Disney+’s ‘Shardlake’ Star Opens Up About Disability Representation In TV

The star of Disney+‘s Shardlake has addressed having a different disability to the character he portrays in the C.J. Sansom adaptation, which launches today.

Arthur Hughes, who was the first person with a disability to portray Richard III for the Royal Shakespeare Company, stressed that Shardlake was always going to have a disabled lead – whether him or another actor – coming as debate rages over authentic representation in TV and film.

Hughes has radial dysplasia in his right arm, while the t

Deadline • 26th April 2024

Analysis: Bollywood’s Relationship With Narendra Modi’s BJP Under The Microscope As Elections In World’s Largest Democracy Get Underway

The delayed release of Indian feature film The Sabarmati Report has placed new scrutiny on Bollywood’s relationship with the country’s political machine, as elections in the world’s largest democracy enter their second week.

The political movie about the disputed 2002 Gujurat riots was due to be released early next month, right in the midst of the six-week election period, but it has been pushed back to August 2. Local reports have cited fears around inciting communal tensions as voters head to

Deadline • 26th April 2024

‘Bridgerton’ Star Charithra Chandran Calls Out Entertainment Industry Mentality That Pits People Of Color Against Each Other

EXCLUSIVE: Charithra Chandran, who broke out playing Edwina Sharma in Netflix’s smash regal series Bridgerton, has spoken out against an entertainment industry mentality that she feels pits people of color against each other.

Chandran, who was speaking to Deadline in the days before her debut West End play wraps, said she has “never pictured myself as a role model” but “a lot of young girls follow me on social media, so I do feel a sense of responsibility.”

Actors including Slumdog Millionaire

Deadline • 20th April 2024

Sid Sriram, The First South Indian Artist To Perform At Coachella, Discusses The “Beautiful Blur” Of Playing The Fest & Being Discovered By A. R. Rahman

EXCLUSIVE: Thirteen years ago, a young Sidharth Sriram promised himself that the first time he would attend Coachella would be the first time he performed.

Last weekend, that dream came true. Sriram, who has sung more than 250 songs on Indian productions, is now 33 and has in the past few days become the first South Indian artist to perform at the world-renowned festival, which takes place across two weekends in the Colorado Desert. He played his second set yesterday and is featuring on a bill

Deadline • 18th April 2024

UK Asian Film Festival Unveils Lineup With Shabana Azmi & Karisma Kapoor Set To Be Feted

EXCLUSIVE: The world premiere of Rumana Molla’s Indo-Belgian film Minimum and the UK premiere of Indian actor Anshuman Jha’s directorial debut Lord Curzon Ki Haveli will be on show at this year’s UK Asian Film Festival (UKAFF).

Prominent figures including actors Shabana Azmi and Karisma Kapoor will be feted for their roles in Indian cinema at the annual event.

UKAFF, which says it is the longest running South Asian film festival in the world, will run its 26th edition from May 2 to 12 in venue

Deadline • 11th April 2024

‘Defiance’ Director Talks Generational Differences, Today’s Politicians & How “Brave People Had To Literally Fight Fascists In The Street”

EXCLUSIVE: The director of Riz Ahmed and Rogan Productions’ Channel 4 series Defiance: Fighting the Far Right has opened up about how the show spotlights generational differences within the British Asian community.

Defiance, which launched earlier this week to positive reviews, shines a stark light on the violent struggles of the British Asian community in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, and is told over three hours of interviews and archival footage.

Satiyesh Manoharajah tells Deadline that the show

Deadline • 10th April 2024

Canadian-British Kids Series ‘Gangnam Project’ Explores Universal Themes Of Cultural Belonging Via The Phenomenon That Is K-Pop

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films making noise in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

Today’s pick, Gangnam Project, comes to you from Canada and the UK, where it airs on CBC and the BBC. Gangnam Project taps into universal themes of

15th February 2024

On 'Killin' It,' K-Pop's P1Harmony Prove They're The Heroes We've Been Waiting For | GRAMMY.com

K-pop group P1Harmony did not start with the odds in their favor. They debuted months into a global pandemic, without the resources of a huge company, at a time when live performances were nil. But the scrappy sextet persevered, and have now released six EPs, embarked on two tours, and headlined venues in five continents. Formed in 2020, the group's name is an amalgamation of "plus," "one," and "harmony," meaning members Keeho, Jiung, Intak, Theo, Jongseob and Soul can achieve endless harmonious

The Guardian • 23rd October 2023

‘I saw fan-made compilations. It blew my mind’: the music producer who found accidental K-pop fame

The Middle-Eastern guitar melody in Blackpink’s How You Like That. The whistle at the very beginning of S-Class by Stray Kids. The sax melodies in Money and Lalisa by Lisa. The crowd chants at the beginning of Seventeen’s Super. Each of these sounds, instantly familiar to fans of K-pop, came not from the Korean genre’s raft of super-producers but from one man, thousands of miles away.

Very few people associate Niles Hollowell-Dhar with K-pop. Currently working under the mononym Kshmr, he first

NME • 27th June 2023

P1Harmony on new music and self-love: “We’ve achieved perfect harmony”

It’s been a truly happening month for P1Harmony. Barely three years into the game, the group just released their sixth mini-album, titled ‘Harmony: All In’, which saw the boyband break their personal sales record and chart on the Billboard 200 for the first time. They also just signed with the prestigious Creative Artists Agency (home to the entire roster of SM Entertainment artists and soloists like Mark Tuan) to expand their global presence. On top of all that, the sextet have added Asia, Aust

whynow • 26th May 2023

When Chai Met Toast: ‘We try not to pick our favourite shows, but London was unreal’

“Please don’t ask us what our band name means,” they plead jokingly, just ahead of their performance at Birmingham’s O2 Academy3 when we speak.

I don’t need to ask. The four-member group – comprising vocalist Ashwin Gopakumar, vocalist-guitarist Achyuth Jaigopal, keyboardist Palee Francis, and drummer Pai Sailesh – has mentioned countless times that they came up with the name right before taking the stage for their first show. “Wow, we started seven years ago,” reminisces Ashwin. “We’re growing

whynow • 23rd May 2023

Xikers: ‘Xikers is ten of us or it’s nothing’

K-Pop’s hottest new rookie group speaks to whynow about who they are, who they hope to be, and their recent EP, House of Tricky.

Take one look at xikers and you understand their appeal immediately. The ten-member group oozes a talented but innocent charm, made all the more endearing when juxtaposed with their hip-hop- heavy debut EP, House of Tricky: Doorbell Ringing, released at the end of March. Debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Emerging Artists Chart, xikers have already shown they’re a for

NME • 10th May 2023

Ryu Su-jeong: “Sometimes I need to tell myself, ‘This is just a job’”

Lovelyz were never hugely popular – at least not in the way newer acts like IVE and NewJeans are dominating the airwaves nowadays – but they certainly had a solid foothold in the K-pop industry. Over seven years, the eight-member group released a slew of records, spawning hits such as ‘Ah-Choo’ and Destiny’, and built a dedicated fanbase through their vocal abilities, cheery girl-next-door concepts and generally pristine reputation.

All that came to an end in 2021, when seven of its members opt

whynow • 17th April 2023

Kep1er: ‘When times get hectic, reading fan letters is what keeps us going’

Following the recent release of their fourth EP, we speak to nine-member K-Pop girl group Kep1er to discuss their favourite TV, dream collaborations and their special bond with their fans.

It’s 10pm in Korea, and the first thing I think when Kep1er enters the Zoom meeting is, “Good gracious, they look exhausted.”

I can only guess the number of activities they’d had to complete before hopping on the call with me. Of course, one can expect nothing less from a rising idol group on a packed comeba

Teen Vogue • 24th February 2023

Pay Attention to XG, the Global Pop Group Making Big Moves

Indeed, each member has their own strengths. Jurin is a former model and snowboarder who is XG’s fearless leader. She is assisted by Chisa, 20, a model and actress who is the group’s main vocalist and mood-maker. Hinata, XG’s main dancer, loves K-Pop and hopes to collaborate with soloist SOLE one day. Harvey, who fittingly bears a certain resemblance to Camila Cabello, is a fan of the singer and enjoys learning and singing in Spanish. (“When we were in training I liked listening to Camila Cabell