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Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar Launch Excel Origins, Initiative to Discover Filmmakers Under 30, as India’s Excel Entertainment Marks 25th Anniversary (EXCLUSIVE)
Excel Entertainment, the Mumbai-based production house founded by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, has launched “Excel Origins” to mark its 25th anniversary, an initiative aimed at discovering, developing and backing Indian filmmakers under the age of 30. The scheme revives the spirit in which the company itself began, with Sidhwani and Akhtar, then both 26,…
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Spider-Man leads China box office as previews boost rivals
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” held the top spot at the mainland China box office for a second consecutive weekend, even as strong preview screenings pushed two upcoming releases, the domestic drama “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East” and Universal’s “The Odyssey”, into the weekend’s top five ahead of their official openings. The result…
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Kiran Abbavaram’s Mythological Action-Fantasy for India’s Zee Studios Reveals Title as ‘Indraputra’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Kiran Abbavaram’s mythological action-fantasy for Zee Studios has revealed its title as “Indraputra,” with the pan-Indian project, directed by Srikanth Puppala, set to begin principal photography in October. Abbavaram takes on a mythology-rooted part built around the conflict between dharma, the principle of righteous duty and moral order in Hindu philosophy, and adharma, its violation.…
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Yemen’s Houthis Attack Saudi Refinery After Kingdom Signs Defense Pact
Yemen’s Houthis have attacked Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery, they said, two days after the kingdom signed a defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan.
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China evacuates one million from homes as massive storm arrives
Chinese authorities evacuated more than a million people from their homes in eastern China, including Shanghai, as Typhoon Dolphin made landfall bringing heavy rain and widespread transport disruption. The storm, the strongest to hit China this year, prompted a red alert before being downgraded to a tropical storm, though officials continue to warn of torrential…
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NEC tests parking tech that only starts charging once you exit your car
Japan’s NEC has begun testing parking technology, developed with fellow Japanese firm UrbanChain, that only starts billing a driver once they have parked and left their vehicle, rather than from the moment they enter the car park. This addresses a long-standing gripe with conventional systems, which typically start the clock on entry and so charge…
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Spy cameras on Navy drones used by Britain’s elite special forces ‘secretly sent data to China’
A report claims that spy cameras fitted to Royal Navy drones used by Britain’s special forces secretly transmitted data to China, raising concerns about the security of equipment relied upon by some of the UK’s most sensitive military units. The allegation, reported by the Daily Mail, points to potential vulnerabilities in the supply chain for…
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Japan fury over Anthony Albanese’s ‘melons’ comment about female PM: ‘Crude’
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sparked anger in Japan after making a “crude” remark about melons in reference to Japan’s female prime minister, prompting criticism that the comment was inappropriate and disrespectful. The remark has drawn attention because it touches on the sensitivity of gendered comments towards senior political figures, particularly given the significance…
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Indian national accused of Arizona girlfriend’s murder entered US on student visa: federal sources
An Indian national, Varun Batchigari, has been arrested in Germany in connection with the murder of his girlfriend, Julissa Salazar, in Arizona, federal sources have confirmed. Investigators say Batchigari had entered the United States on a student visa before the alleged killing, a detail likely to fuel scrutiny of immigration and visa vetting processes in…
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8 Best Alternate History Movies That Leave Period Pieces in the Dust
This Collider feature rounds up what it considers the best alternate history films, arguing that bending real events often reveals more about culture and politics than conventional, meticulously accurate period dramas. The author, Jessica Nobleza, frames alternate history as a genre that lets filmmakers use speculative “what if” scenarios—from wars ending differently to hidden forces…