MUMBAI MIRROR (February 2, 2017)

Actors Anshuman Jha and Sanjay Suri will get together again to solve the curious case of the missing girl Mona Raheja in India’s first social media whodunit-thriller Mona_Darling. The duo was last seen in the award-winning film Chauranga last year.

When asked how and why he decided to cast these two actors in the roles of Wiki Pedia and Dean, director Shashi Sudigala, who has been an associate to Nagesh Kukunoor on Iqbal, said “Wiki is confident yet awkward. I had pitched Wiki to Anshuman in 2011 because I had loved his work in LSD--Love, Sex And Dhoka. It’s amazing that he still looks the same. He is one of the most solid young actors in the country and brings a certain amount of honesty to every character he portrays,” he said.

He added, “I saw Sanjay in Chauranga and felt that there is a lot more to explore in him as an actor. We needed a strong stable personality for the Dean and Sanjay suited the bill. They will both surprise you in Mona.”

Produced by First Ray Films & presented by Vashu Bhagnani, Mona _Darling uploads in Cinemas on February 17, the Valentine’s weekend.

Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 1, 2014)

Even before their satirical comedy Yeh Hai Bakrapur hits theatres, plans are afoot for a sequel. Mirror has learnt that the film’s director, Janaki Vishwanathan, will adapt R Chandrasekhar’s 2010 novel, The Goat, the Sofa and Mr. Swami in the second instalment.

The filmmaker has already bought the film rights of the book which is a fictional account of a Pakistan Prime Minister’s uninvited visit to India to watch a cricket series and the pandemonium it creates. Anshuman Jha, who leads the cast of Yeh Hai Bakhrapur has already been signed for the sequel.

Confirming the story, the actor said: “I have signed a three-film deal with the producer Ramesh Aruunachalam. Yeh Hai Bakrapur is already wrapped up and we will be starting work on the book adaptation on May 9th. The third film that I have signed is called Mona Darling, which will see him paired with Nushrat Bharucha, my co-star in Dibakar Banerjee’s Love, Sex aur Dhoka.”

Janaki, who will be directing the sequel, said: “I read the book while making Yeh Hai Bakrapur. During the filming, it struck me that it would make for a great second film. I met the author, he saw my film and we were on board!”