Will 2022 be ‘year of pan-Indian films’?
Hyderabad: The pandemic has changed the palate of the Indian audience and in 2022, filmmakers will have to do all they can to cater to their need for unconventional, stimulating and vibrant entertainment that defies language and regional barriers.
Here are some films that could achieve exactly that with their offbeat themes and fresh approach to storytelling:
Gangubai Kathiawadi
The biographical crime drama, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is produced by him along with Jayantilal Gada. Based on a true story featured in S Hussain Zaidi’s book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’, it narrates how a young girl is transformed by circumstances into the steely, ruthless Gangubai, who becomes the queen of the red light area of Kamathipura. The film, which is also dubbed into Telugu, will open on February 18 and stars Alia Bhatt, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari and Seema Pahwa, along with Ajay Devgn and Emraan Hashmi in extended cameos.
Laal Singh Chaddha
How would an autistic man filter history, relationships, personal challenges and life-altering events? ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, a comedy-drama directed by Advait Chandan and starring Aamir Khan in the titular role, will answer this question on April 14. An official adaptation of the 1994 Tom Hanks-starrer ‘Forrest Gump’, and based on the screenplay written by Eric Roth and Atul Kulkarni, the film also stars Kareena Kapoor and Naga Chaitanya and is truly a pan-Indian story, having been filmed in more than 100 locations in the country.
Zombivli
Yoodlee Films has already carved a rather big niche across OTT platforms with multi-lingual, contemporary stories and now they are creating content for the big screen that promises to push even more boundaries in 2022. ‘Zombivli’, Marathi cinema’s first horror comedy with zombies, is one such film. The film about a young married couple living in one of the busiest suburbs of Mumbai, imagines a Zombie-induced havoc that both unsettles us and induces us to laugh at the extraordinary circumstances. ‘Zombivli’ is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and stars Amey Wagh, Vaidehi Parshurami and Lalit Prabhakar.
RRR
‘RRR’ was scheduled to release theatrically on January 7 in Telugu along with the dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and even foreign languages, but got postponed with the rise in Covid cases. The makers obviously are not just keen to go pan-Indian but global. In keeping with its scale, the film will be released in IMAX, 3D, and Dolby Cinema. The period action drama, set in 1920, is directed by SS Rajamouli, and produced by DVV Danayya of DVV Entertainments. It stars NT Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Devgn, Alia Bhatt and Olivia Morris while Samuthirakani, Alison Doody, Ray Stevenson and Shriya Saran play supporting roles.
Padavettu
To create cinema of intention that also holds the attention of a diverse audience, Yoodlee Films has come on board to produce Malayalam film ‘Padavettu’. According to the makers, the film “portrays the relentless pursuit of the layman, the oppressed section of society who is in a constant struggle and fight to reclaim their unique identity and rightful place in a world meant for all”. Co-produced by Sunny Wayne, the film is directed by Liju Krishna and stars popular Malayalam star Nivin Pauly, Aditi Balan and Manju Warrier.
Liger
The first pan-Indian film for Telugu heartthrob Vijay Deverakonda, the bi-lingual sports drama has Bollywood diva Ananya Panday, and has a global appeal too, as the makers collaborated with boxing legend Mike Tyson for a pivotal role in the film. Directed by Puri Jagannadh, it is produced by Karan Johar, Charmme Kaur, Apoorva Mehta, Hiroo Yash Johar and Puri Jagannadh under the banners of Dharma Productions and Puri Connects.
