After the buzz surrounding Baby John, the upcoming Christmas 2024 release starring Varun Dhawan, producers Atlee and Murad Khetani have announced their next project: a Tamil thriller featuring Vijay Sethupathi in the lead. The duo has teamed up once again, this time for a gripping story that promises to blend the actor’s versatility with his star power.

Film Details and Timeline
Sources close to the project revealed that the yet-untitled film will go on floors in the first quarter of 2025, with a planned theatrical release by the year’s end. “The film’s subject is terrific, and everyone involved is excited to begin production. This thriller will do justice to Vijay Sethupathi’s stature as both an actor and a star,” said a source quoted in a Pinkvilla report.
Official Confirmations
Murad Khetani confirmed the collaboration in an exclusive interview with the portal. “There are several projects in the pipeline, but one film has been locked. Atlee sir and I are starting a Tamil film, which will go on floors very soon. We will share more details shortly,” he said.

Adding to this, Atlee shared his enthusiasm for the project: “Yes, it’s a film with Vijay Sethupathi sir. It’s a fantastic story that Murad sir and I have been working on for the past two years. This is the next banger from Cine1 and A For Apple.”
A Thrilling Follow-Up to Baby John
The announcement comes just ahead of the release of Baby John, produced by Atlee, Murad Khetani, and Jio Studios. The film, featuring Varun Dhawan, is slated for a Christmas release, with advance bookings opening this weekend.

Also Read: Atlee says Salman Khan agreed for Baby John cameo in 10 seconds, reveals latter reached set 30 minutes early: “We saw him sitting like a lion and waiting for us”

Anshuman Jha has signed his next film opposite Australian actress Sara Hopkins titled Welcome To Agra. Helmed by debutant film maker Ashish Dubey the film is a quintessential old school love story between a cycle rickshaw driver and a British tourist in Agra, set at the cusp of the millennium in 2000. The UP born director has been in Chennai, assisting some of the biggest names in the South industry like N. Lingusamy and wants to make a classical love story in Hindi since he hails from Uttar Pradesh.

Ashish said, “Agra is the mecca of love. And I have dreamt of making this film for years. It has been a wish to work with Anshuman Sir since his debut film LSD (Love Sex Aur Dhoka). I am so glad he hasn’t done any out and out love story in the past decade and this film will showcase the unadulterated power of genuine love and connect. With the symbol of love Taj Mahal in the background, we truly hope to bring back the audiences into theatres for a pure love story. Since I feel these have ceased to exist in the modern day style of living. This film is pure, clean romance.”

Anshuman added, “I believe in the power of love and how it can move mountains. And I truly believe that as an audience we haven’t really had a quintessential love story like a DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge) or a Jab We Met in the past decade at the movies. This film has a rare story before the times of social media and mobile phones. And I am excited to play a rickshawalla in Uttrakhand Pradesh – it’s been a dream to play one.”

Produced by Mad Films, Welcome To Agra goes on floor in January end as Anshuman wraps his action film Lakadbaggha 2’s shoot in December before taking a break with his Triathlete wife and 9 month old daughter for Christmas.

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has publicly criticized the Film Federation of India (FFI) after Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, India’s official entry for Best International Feature at the 97th Academy Awards, failed to make the Oscars shortlist. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mehta expressed his disappointment, questioning the selection process and the track record of the FFI.

Mehta shared a screenshot of the shortlisted films in the Best International Feature category and remarked sarcastically, “Film Federation of India does it again! Their strike rate and selection of films year after year is impeccable.”

Film Federation of India does it again! Their strike rate and selection of films year after year is impeccable. pic.twitter.com/hiwmatzDbW
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) December 17, 2024

Ricky Kej Joins the Criticism: ‘Wrong Choice’ for India’s Oscars Entry

Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej also weighed in on the issue, calling Laapataa Ladies the “wrong choice” to represent India at the Oscars. Kej took to X to express his views, stating, “When are we going to realise… year after year… we are choosing the wrong films? There are so many excellent movies made, and we should be winning the #InternationalFeatureFilm category every year!”

He added, “Unfortunately, we live in a ‘Mainstream Bollywood’ bubble, where we cannot look beyond films that we ourselves find entertaining. Instead, we should just look for good films made by filmmakers who are uncompromising in their art… low budget or big budget… star or no star… just great artistic cinema.”

Laapataa Ladies Out of the Race: India’s Selection Process Under Scrutiny

In September 2023, the Film Federation of India, led by Jahnu Barua, selected Laapataa Ladies as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature category. However, despite its selection from a list of 29 films, including Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light and the National Award-winning Aattam, Laapataa Ladies did not make it to the Oscars shortlist.

While Laapataa Ladies is now out of the race, there is still some hope for India at the Oscars. Shahana Goswami-starrer Santosh, directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, remains in contention as the United Kingdom’s official entry. Additionally, Guneet Monga’s live-action short film Anuja has made it to the Oscars shortlist, offering a glimmer of hope for India’s representation in 2025.

Also Read: Laapataa Ladies out from Oscars 2025 race: Grammy-award winner Ricky Tej calls Aamir Khan-backed film “wrong choice”; says, “We live in a ‘Mainstream Bollywood’ bubble”

Netflix has announced the launch date of The Roshans, a compelling four-part docu-series that offers an intimate look into the extraordinary legacy of one of Indian cinema’s most iconic film families. Set to premiere on January 17 2025, this series unravels the multi-generational journey of the Roshans, showcasing their extraordinary contributions to Indian cinema.

At its core is the late Roshan Lal Nagrath, lovingly known as Roshan Saab, whose musical brilliance laid the foundation of this artistic dynasty. His legacy lives on through the soulful compositions of Rajesh Roshan, the visionary direction of Rakesh Roshan, and Hrithik Roshan’s meteoric rise as a global icon.

Packed with never-seen-before archival footage, heartfelt personal anecdotes, and candid interviews with family members and industry legends, The Roshans offers a rare glimpse into the resilience and creative excellence that have defined this family’s journey. It’s a tribute to the spirit of Roshan Saab’s song Rahen Na Rahen Hum—a celebration of their timeless melodies, unforgettable stories, and enduring impact on Indian Cinema.

Mark your calendars for January 17 2025, only on Netflix, to witness this legacy come to life!

Also Read: Hrithik Roshan shares excitement as Karan Arjun re-release emerges 2nd highest opener

1. Apple Maps gets ‘Look Around’ on web version: What is it and how it works  Business Standard
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“The live-action Grinch with Jim Carrey is disturbing. Between the Whos’ creepy faces and the Grinch’s backstory, it just makes me uncomfortable.”

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Taapsee Pannu has firmly cemented her place as the undisputed queen of Indian cinema, carving out a niche that few can claim. She has repeatedly challenged norms and delivered performances that stay etched in the audience’s minds. What truly sets her apart is her ability to lead her own franchise—Haseen Dilruba—a feat rarely achieved by actresses in Indian cinema.

Today marks another milestone in Taapsee’s illustrious career as she begins shooting for Gandhari, a project that reunites her with acclaimed writer Kanika Dhillon after the massive success of the Haseen Dilruba franchise.

Taapsee took to her instagram and posted images from the first day of her shoot at Gandhari, the actress wrote, “Dear God, grant my request so that I may never deviate from doing good deeds. That, I shall have no fear of the enemy when I go into battle and with determination I will be victorious. That, I may teach my mind to only sing your praises. And when the time comes, I should die fighting heroically on the field of battle ||231|| Let the war begin! #Gandhari”

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The combination of Taapsee And Kanika are all set to bring another action banger. This also raises the possibility of if Gandhari will be another franchise film of Taapsee Pannu?

Also Read: From strength training to aerial yoga, dive into Taapsee Pannu’s prep for action film Gandhari

Bollywood actress Elli AvrRam is all set to make her Marathi film debut as a lead in Ilu Ilu. The film is produced by Phalke Films Entertainment and directed by Ajinkya Bapu Phalke. The story and dialogue are contributed by Nitin Vijay Supekar. As per the title, it’s a romantic film, which is set to hit the theatres on January 31, 2025. The teaser for the movie was recently released at an event, where star Elli AvrRam swayed and awed the crowd, as she performed on the film’s romantic title song.

Ilu Ilu will see Elli essay the character called Ms. Pinto, who is the central protagonist of the story. It is said that the actress has given her heart and soul for the role. Despite being unfamiliar with the language, she took up the challenge audaciously and confidently, to play the lead in a Marathi film.

Speaking about her Marathi debut, Elli said, “I’ve always had a liking to learn new things. After working in Swedish, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada language films, I now have the exciting opportunity to explore the sensibilities of Marathi as language through the film Ilu Ilu. The character I play in this film is quite different from the roles that I have embodied in the past. I’m going to present myself to the audience with a newer, refashioned look. When I was first offered the part for this film, I was a bit nervous, but after reading the script and absorbing the character, it struck me that this is the perfect opportunity to make a breakthrough and that realization led to an affirmative response.”

Along with Elli AvrRam, Ilu Ilu also stars Veena Jamkar, Aaroha Velankar, Meera Jagannath, Vanita Kharat, Shreekant Yadav, Kamlakar Satpute, Ananda Karekar, Nishant Bhavsar, Ankita Lande, Gaurav Kaluste, Yash Sanas, Soham Kalokhe, Aarya Kakde Joshi, Siddhest Lingayat among others.

Also Read: Prateik Patil Babbar talks about bringing fresh twist to 90s Classic ‘Tere Dar Pe Sanam’ with Elli AvrRam; says, “The recall value is so special and nostalgic”