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Aparna Sen’s ‘The Rapist’ to premiere at Busan Film Festival

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THE-RAPIST

National Award-winning actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen’s directorial ‘The Rapist’ is all set for its world premiere at the 26th edition of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

Talking about the film, Aparna said, “Apart from trying to explore the reasons why our society turns out rapists in such numbers and looking into the inequalities in our social system that are responsible for giving rise to criminals, what drew me to this story, was the psychology of the three protagonists.

“Stripping off the layers and the carefully built-up facades to get at the person underneath was a fascinating process. Fascinating too was getting the two Indias to come face to face – the India that lives in urban slums with its age-old beliefs, and educated urbane India with its ‘progressive’ value systems.”

The film features Konkona Sen Sharma and Arjun Rampal in pivotal roles.

‘The Rapist’ chronicles the journey of three protagonists and how their lives get entwined because of one horrific incident. The film looks beyond the obvious crime, to explore not only how it affects the survivors and perpetrators of the crime, but also delves into how one’s idealistic views are drastically altered when the truth hits uncomfortably close to home.

The film is produced by Applause Entertainment.

Sameer Nair, CEO of the production house, said, “Collaborating with Aparna Sen for our first feature has been something we’ve been excited about since we heard this powerful story. The enthusiasm has only doubled up with a nomination for the Kim Jiseok Award, and a world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the most celebrated film festival in all of Asia. We’re happy to have partnered with Quest Films and are confident that Aparna’s unique brand of storytelling, especially of complex themes plaguing our society, will resonate with the world audience at large.”

Widely acknowledged as the largest film festival in Asia, the Busan International Film Festival will be held from October 6 to October 15.

Bollywood

Delnaaz Irani explains why audience loyalty has shifted in today’s TV landscape

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Mumbai, June 24: Actress Delnaaz Irani opened up about the evolving nature of the small screen and why audience loyalty isn’t what it used to be.

Speaking to media, she shared valuable insights into how the rise of OTT platforms, changing viewing habits, and the abundance of content have transformed the way audiences engage with television today. Irani, known for her extensive body of work on television, spoke about how the industry has evolved over the years. Addressing the common perception that TV shows no longer enjoy the long runs they once did, the actress maintained that the quality of content hasn’t necessarily declined.

She emphasized that each show has its own journey and that content creators are still putting in dedicated effort to bring meaningful stories to viewers. However, she acknowledged that the media landscape has undergone a massive transformation. Comparing it to the ‘90s and early 2000s, Delnaaz pointed out that the television industry back then operated with fewer channels and limited platforms.

“Every show has its own journey. Content creators are working hard, and good content is still being made. But the media landscape has changed drastically. Back in the ’90s and early 2000s, we didn’t have this many channels or platforms. Today, OTT has taken over in a big way. There’s so much variety that audience loyalty is scattered. The TRP game has shifted. It’s not about quality alone—luck and timing play a big role.”

Delnaaz Irani also reflected on her experience with the beloved historical comedy “Akbar Birbal.” She called it one of the most special projects of her career, having been part of the popular TV series for nearly three years. The Kal Ho Naa Ho actress expressed a deep sense of pride in revisiting the same role for the stage version, calling it a full-circle moment.

Speaking about the challenges of live comedy, Delnaaz shared that the stage has always been home for her. With her acting roots grounded in theatre, she finds performing comedy in front of a live audience not just effortless but immensely enjoyable. “Comedy has always come naturally to me. I started my journey from the stage; that’s where my acting roots are. The stage was my school, my training ground. So, for me, doing comedy on stage doesn’t feel like work—it feels like play, like I’m just having fun.”

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Bollywood

Pankaj Tripathi talks about how growing up in Bihar influenced his craft

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Mumbai, June 24: Acclaimed star Pankaj Tripathi has opened up about how his growing up days in Bihar influenced his craft in acting.

Talking about how growing up in Bihar has influenced his craft, Pankaj told IANS: “Of course it has. That will happen. We are nothing. We are puppets of our experience. So my experience, everyone’s experience, not mine, where I was born, where I grew up, my experience is in my work.”

Pankaj added: “Even if I was in corporate, or in any other field, I would still be there because I am in acting, I am in art, and in this, our art form, performing art, is very close to human emotion and nature.”

“If we leave singing, everyone has an instrument, if we leave singing. In the art form of acting, the instrument is your experience, your body, your emotions.Through that we create something. Yes. So the experience we have, we recall that memory and put it in scenes and films.”

The actor currently awaits the release of “Metro…In Dino,” which delves into the complex and modern relationships, the upcoming film promises an exploration of love, heartbreak, and human connection.

The film stars Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta. Directed by Anurag Basu, the film will be in cinemas on July 4.

The film is a spiritual sequel to the 2007 film “Life in a… Metro” directed by Basu. Partly inspired by Billy Wilder’s romantic comedy film The Apartment, it features an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, Nafisa Ali, Shilpa Shetty, Kay Kay Menon, Shiney Ahuja, Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kangana Ranaut, and Sharman Joshi in lead roles.

It narrates the lives of nine people living in Mumbai and deals with topics such as extramarital affairs, sanctity of marriage, commitment phobia, and love.

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Entertainment

Ali Fazal says Anurag Basu uses sets to his advantage, likes to break illusion

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Mumbai, June 24: Actor Ali Fazal, who has collaborated for the first time with director Anurag Basu in ‘Metro… In Dino’, has lavished praise on the director saying that he is very resourceful, and his process is very immersive.

Ali spoke with media recently, and shared that Anurag likes to break illusions as a storyteller, and pushes the envelope for his actors as well.

The actor told media, “Working with Anurag Basu is like walking into the perfect set. What I love about him is that he uses sets to his advantage. He opens up the imagination. He can sometimes think of a shot that can go through a wall”.

He further mentioned, “He allows his imagination to think and shoot that. As opposed to a lot of people, who only think this is how I’ve thought it, but will it be possible in reality? He likes breaking that illusion. And I think that’s what keeps it going. Of course, as an actor, I’m stepping into the perfect set because all I have to do is just catch that rhythm rather than start my own thing and see where it goes”.

Ali is returning to the big screen with ‘Metro… In Dino’ after a brief period of time. Earlier, the actor had said that his favourite Anurag Basu film is ‘Jagga Jasoos’.

‘Metro… In Dino’ also stars Anupam Kher, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Neena Gupta, and promises soul-stirring tales rooted in the relentless rhythm of ever-moving cities.

Presented by Gulshan Kumar & T-Series presents, in association with Anurag Basu Productions Pvt. Ltd., ‘Metro In Dino’ is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Anurag Basu, and Taani Basu.

The film is set to arrive in cinemas on July 4, 2025.

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