Saswata Chatterjee has started shooting for Sourav Ganguly biopic Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story (tentative title) in Mumbai and is portraying his father Chandi Ganguly. Also part of the shoot are Aparajita Auddy, who’s playing Sourav’s mother Nirupa, and Rahul Dev Bose, who’s playing his brother, Snehasish.

“All three actors are currently shooting in Mumbai. Dada was present on set during the shoot on Sunday. The production team will shoot in Kolkata from the end of this month,” a source close to the unit told us.

According to the source, the Vikramaditya Motwane directorial has an exciting ensemble cast, with Tanya Maniktala essaying the role of Dona Ganguly, while, as we reported earlier, Rajkummar Rao portraying Sourav.

Before Tanya was finalized, several prominent Bengali actresses were rumoured to be in contention for the role, including Mimi Chakraborty, Ishaa Saha, and Amrita Chattopadhyay.

The biopic is expected to chronicle Sourav Ganguly’s journey – right from his formative cricketing years to becoming one of India’s most influential and fearless captains – while delving into his personal life and enduring relationship with Dona.

Filming has begun on the biopic of former cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, with filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane stepping into the director’s chair, the makers announced on Wednesday. Actor Rajkummar Rao will portray Ganguly in the film, tentatively titled Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story.

Sanjay Das, a key member of the project team, said, “Right now, Sourav is busy with the T20 league, but after the 10th, he will be present at the shoot. After 20th, shoot is scheduled to be in Kolkata, however the dates are being reconsidered, due to elections in West Bengal.”

When asked if Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story is the final title, Sanjay added, “It is the working title as of now, it is likely to be changed.”

– Inputs from Ruman Ganguly

Rajkummar Rao, who portrays Sourav Ganguly in the biopic, has undergone immersive preparation ahead of filming.

Earlier, sources shared that he may spend time in Behala – the Kolkata neighbourhood where Ganguly grew up – and visit Eden Gardens, along with the coaching centre where he trained, to study the cricketer’s onand off-field persona.

An ambitious big-screen offering in Border 2 signifies a career high for Paramvir Singh Cheema after his successful OTT offerings Tabbar (2021), Chamak (2023), and Black Warrant (2025). Strangely, the actor was at his most cautious when director Anurag Singh’s war drama came his way.

Talking to mid-day, Cheema recalled, “When the casting director told me that Anurag sir wanted to test me for Border 2, I asked him what the character was. He said, ‘Bro, it’s Border 2. Why are you asking about the role?’”

Having been part of performance-led projects, Cheema was aware of the risks that come with ensemble films. He was worried he may be sidelined in a movie that boasted stars like Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh, Varun Dhawan, and Ahan Shetty.

He added, “I wanted to know what I’d be doing in the film. I told the casting agent, ‘Don’t waste me.’ As an actor, you’re always scared that no one will value you. Plus, if you’re not a star kid, one wrong move can lead everything to go in vain. Earlier I’d be okay with a two-day role, but the industry makes you fear your instinct.”

After being narrated his role in the sequel to the 1997 hit Border, Cheema was certain he wanted to be a part of it. But there was another concern — he was asked to audition for a turbaned character. “I know I’m a Sardar and look good in a turban, but why only that? That’s where the typecasting starts. I convinced Anurag sir to let me play a Haryanvi guy.” 

If landing the film was a professional leap, inhabiting a real-life character came with immense emotional gravity. As they shot the war drama in Jhansi, Cheema lived among soldiers and was struck by their resilience.

“One day, I asked a soldier how things were at home. He told me his wife had passed away, and his mother was raising his daughter who was little. Yet he stood in front of me, smiling. If I’m portraying [such soldiers’] lives, it has to be absolutely correct.”

In 2025, mid-day had reported that the second season of ‘Black Warrant’ was deferred due to disagreements between creator Vikramaditya Motwane and Netflix India (No warrant to shoot, Sept 26). When asked about its fate, Cheema, who played a jailer, said that things are back on track. “Some delays are good for the material. Netflix changing its strategy was a big part of the reason, but now the season will be better.”

With Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal hurtling towards a theatrical release next year, director Rajesh Mapuskar is navigating both deadlines and debate. The AI-powered film has drawn sharp criticism from filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, but Mapuskar insists the conversation around artificial intelligence in cinema needs nuance — not fear.

“There’s pressure of releasing the film next year, and resistance towards AI from the fraternity,” Mapuskar admits. “But there’s also excitement of using a new medium to tell a story.”

He is quick to clarify that his film was never envisioned as a tech experiment. “It’s not because of the tech that we are doing this. I come from a school of filmmaking where I think about human emotion first,” he says. Inspired by Valmiki’s Ramayana, the film reimagines Lord Hanuman as a self-doubting figure discovering his strength. “My Hanuman ji is not somebody who will fly from the word go. He will be reminded of his powers.”

Responding to Kashyap and Motwane’s concerns that AI could threaten artistes’ livelihoods, Mapuskar disagrees. 

“I don’t think actors will get replaced by AI. It’s my personal opinion,” he says, pointing out that cinema thrives on lived human connection. “I want to know my actor — where he or she lives, the language they speak. That connection is beyond the film.”

He adds that AI is simply another tool in the filmmaking process. “Like animation, there’s one more thing that has come. I feel this resistance within the industry is slightly ahead of its time.”

“I have a director of photography, production designer, costume designer — everyone on board. It’s the execution part where I’m using AI.”

For Mapuskar, the approach is pragmatic: “Either AI eats you up, or you make it your buddy and move ahead.”

Ten days into 2025, filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane had a hit in the bag as his Black Warrant opened to wide praise. Promptly the second season of the crime drama, led by Zahan Kapoor, was announced in February, with production slated to begin in September. But now that September is coming to a close, things are looking very different. The buzz is that the project has been deferred indefinitely following creative differences between creator Motwane and Netflix India, which streamed the series.

From what we’ve heard, the first few episodes are the point of contention. A source told mid-day, “Netflix wants the second season to be more accessible, with a faster hook and more punch. Vikram feels the show must retain the grit that made the opening edition stand out. As per the initial plan, the shoot was to begin by October, but the heads at the streamer have refused to give a go-ahead unless they are satisfied with the rewrites.”

Talks have been ongoing for several weeks, but insiders said that no middle ground has been reached. Motwane, who also co-directed the first instalment, is certain about adhering to his vision for the series that delves into the functioning of Tihar Jail in the 1980s from the perspective of one of its officers.

An actor involved with the show, on condition of anonymity, said, “Neither side is willing to compromise. We were to begin table reads around this time, but I have been asked to release my dates now. That means the show is on hold for now.”

Complicating matters further is Motwane’s schedule. The filmmaker has a biopic on former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and a web series in the pipeline. He was to wrap up Black Warrant 2 by the year-end before moving on to the biopic. “If this window is lost, he cannot return to the project for at least a year,” added a member of the crew. 

Meanwhile, a Netflix insider indicated that the platform’s priority is to get a wider audience base for Black Warrant 2. “The first season won critical acclaim, but was not widely watched. We are trying to change that because the show has great direction, good actors, and a hard-hitting story,” said the insider, conceding that the ongoing uncertainty could affect cast schedules and budgets. “The drafts will require some rewriting, but the show is happening from our end. That said, if things don’t progress swiftly, it risks losing the buzz generated by the opening season.”

mid-day reached out to Motwane and Netflix India. Both didn’t respond till press time.

Rohan Kanawade, Nikkhil Advani

Rarely does this emotion strike filmmakers, but when it does, it hits hard. Nikkhil Advani experienced it — that feeling of a filmmaker reminding you of your younger self — when he watched Rohan Kanawade’s Sabar Bonda. “Rohan is the filmmaker we set out to be 30 years ago. But along the way, we had to take other decisions,” he says. “The purity with which Rohan has made the film is beautiful.”

Sabar Bonda tells the story of Anand, who, while navigating the grief of his father’s demise, finds love in Balya. The Marathi film has Advani, Vikramaditya Motwane, Sai Tamhankar, and Nagraj Popatrao Manjule as its executive producers. It’s notable how the movie brought several filmmakers together. Not a rare phenomenon, according to independent producer Shiladitya Bora, who recently told us that mainstream Bollywood filmmakers have more unity than their indie counterparts.

But Advani disagrees. “You can’t even name five mainstream filmmakers who are united. In the 1990s, 44 Aram Nagar was Sudhir Mishra’s office where all of us — myself, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Irrfan Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Anurag Kashyap — used to hang out. Today, there’s more unity among indie artistes because their struggle is the same.” 

As an executive producer, Advani is happy to nurture Kanawade and hopefully ease some of his struggles. Asked whether he felt almost envious while watching the director’s work, and he admits, “When I saw Aligarh [2016], I said, ‘Wow! Hansal [Mehta], what have you done?’ When we saw Udaan [2010], we were like, ‘Who is Vikram!’ I want to be jealous of [good] films when I see them.”

Advani, who made his directorial debut with Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), knows that preserving one’s voice is far from easy. For Kanawade, he has a simple advice.

“He has to learn from me. I made Salaam-E-Ishq [2007] as my second film. My [approach] was that since nobody is giving me credit for my first love story, I’ll make six love stories. The decision was wrong because it was [born] out of arrogance. But you have to tell yourself, ‘I won’t go against [my instincts]’.”

In 2023, Sunny Leone added an Anurag Kashyap film to her résumé with Kennedy. Now, she is teaming up with Kashyap’s frequent collaborator and another heavyweight, Vikramaditya Motwane. Earlier this month, Leone and her husband Daniel Weber announced that they are co-producing a biopic with Motwane’s Andolan Films. While the biopic’s subject has been kept under wraps, Leone’s production house Suncity is said to have acquired the rights to the real-life story.

Talking to mid-day about the in-the-works web series, Leone says that the story left her “inspired”. “This story felt unique to me, and it had the scope to be adapted into a web series. From a producer’s standpoint, I felt it would be gripping for the audience to watch the depth and scale of this story,” she says.

Confident that she wanted to bring this real-life story to the screen, Leone next wanted to rope in a storyteller who could further elevate the material. Enter Motwane. “We met several times over the past year to discuss different ideas. When we discovered this biopic, we felt Vikram would connect with it as well. We were all captivated when we heard it. The story is so dynamic and gripping that you’ll be surprised it’s true.”

With Motwane at the helm, will she headline the series? “We can’t say that yet. Right now, production is the focus. We have several great stories in our mind,” says Leone, as Weber adds that they want to develop it as an international web series. He shares, “We are at the beginning. The only challenges so far have been agreements. There will be much more starting now. We’re looking at this as a global project.”

Faith over fear — this principle has guided filmmaker Rohan Kanawade up to this point. His maiden feature film, Sabar Bonda, won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema: Dramatic category at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Despite the win, the director wasn’t sure whether his romantic drama would be picked up for a theatrical release. Today, his faith in the movie has trumped his fear as actor and producer Rana Daggubati is bringing Sabar Bonda to theatres. “I didn’t know it would be this quick,” he chuckles.

“I know it’s very difficult to get a theatrical release nowadays. So many of my filmmaker friends have made their movies and they aren’t getting distribution. So, it was scary when we were making Sabar Bonda. But with all these people joining it, the release will be stronger,” he says, happy to have the support of filmmakers Vikramaditya Motwane, Nikkhil Advani, Nagraj Manjule, and actor Sai Tamhankar who have come on board as executive producers.

Starring Bhushaan Manoj and Suraaj Suman, the Marathi movie revolves around Anand who falls in love with Balya when he visits his ancestral village during the mourning period of his father’s demise. With Kanawade giving us a tender queer romance, we ask him about the love stories that influenced him in his childhood.

“My dad used to take us to watch films all the time. So, I used to watch all the Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan films. I cried when I watched Kuch Kuch Hota Hai [1998],” he recalls. 

But if there was a film that aroused his curiosity about what goes on behind the camera, it was the Marathi classic, Maherchi Sadi (1991). “While all the women in the audience were crying for Alka Kubal’s character, I asked my father all about the projector and kept on looking at all those colourful rays coming out of it.” 

If the seeds of filmmaking were sown that day, they were further nurtured by Marathi filmmakers Jabbar Patel, Sumitra Bhave, and cinema legend Satyajit Ray, whose works Kanawade devoured.

“I realized how differently you can tell stories. There is not only one way to tell a story — I saw that in films made by these filmmakers. Sometimes if you feel jealous of other filmmakers, it inspires you to push yourself.”

Fear is another emotion he has come to terms with. “When you are writing something new, you have fears. But you have to force yourself to make what you want to.”

One would never expect stand-up comedian Sumukhi Suresh to sign up for a Hindi reality show. But she did. So, we caught up with her right before she left on this social experiment to know why. After The Royals, the comedian — who also wrote Pushpavalli (2017–2020) and CTRL (2024) — says she was keen to shake up her life. And Chhoriyan Chali Gaon made her “nervous.” In conversation with mid-day, Suresh talks about her daring decision, her plans to catch the heart of a gaon ka chhora, and her next script. Excerpts from the interview.

I’m doing television. Can you believe it? I’m genuinely very excited because it has been so long since I did something new and [something that makes me] nervous. Literally everyone I know has been surprised by my decision. Just a day [before coming on board], I was going through full-blown panic, thinking, what am I doing with my life? While everyone feels I am doing so many things, I don’t register it.

I said yes instantly. Because honestly, it is time. If I don’t shake up things and see what is there for me, I will get stuck. As stand-up comedians, we are so comfortable bombing and also doing well in our crowd that I don’t know — how can I even reach the next level? A lot of good comedians have done their fair share of things. Like Vir [Das] has done movies, stand-up, then there is Zakir [Khan], who has done his own TV show. Be it Tanmay [Bhat] or [Gursimran] Khamba, they’ve all explored. So, I believe it is time to see what is out there for me to understand what kind of artiste I am.

This scared me the most. Look at all the contestants, everyone is so comfortable in their skin here and my skin is the only different one here. So, I thought of trying it. Even if I fail, it’s fine. But I want to make sure that I do it well and see if my personality can be something that is interesting to watch.

So yes, I know the bathroom woes are going to be raw, and I am scared. I haven’t carried toilet paper like others — guess I will take someone’s help. I don’t think too much. I will manage with the Indian washroom or whatever there is. I have been doing lots of squats in the gym because I didn’t know anything about the show. All I know is that it is going to be physically gruelling. I have been working out, but nothing like the femme fatales like Krishna [Shroff] and Erika [Packard]. Plus, they all know acting. In front of them, I am like a two on 10, but I’ll at least look good. As for the heat, I am from Nagpur, so it’s fine. All my skincare is sorted. I am carrying my clothes, and most importantly, my coffee. That’s the one thing I am attached to and want. This is going to be intense and insane. If I don’t lean into it completely, then I am not doing it for the right reason. It is going to be like the boot camp that refreshes me. Maybe, I’ll come back as a brand new person.

Everyone’s really startled. But to be fair, some of them have said they will see it and [are sure] it will be entertaining. The comics have been wishing me luck and adding, ‘This is going to be terrible.’ I feel like Tanmay will avoid this. He avoids triggers.

I already have plans. As everybody knows, I’m as Hoemonal [her stand-up show] as a fox. And I’m not an elitist at all.

Well, I’m done with my Hoemonal tour in India. I’ve closed my India tour, but I’m doing shows in the UK and then the US. I’ve written two interesting movies. One is a revenge comedy, the other is a frothy family comedy. I’ve also written dialogues for a movie that he’s [Vikramaditya Motwane] directed already. It’s too good and fun — it is a lust comedy.

Getting Sourav Ganguly’s stamp of approval even before he has stepped into his shoes must be a huge boost of confidence for Rajkummar Rao. In June, the former cricketer, counted among India’s most successful skippers, called Rao “the right person” to portray him in his in-the-works biopic that will be helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane. He had added, “I don’t think anyone else can play me better than him.” Armed with this tall praise, the actor is set to begin training for the Ganguly biopic by October.

Ganguly’s words have brought relief as well as a sense of responsibility to Rao, who says, “I am relieved to hear that Dada [Ganguly] thinks I can portray him correctly on screen. It’s an extremely challenging role and a big responsibility. I’m nervous, but I will do my best not to let him down.”

The yet-untitled biopic was originally scheduled to roll by the end of July. However, Motwane and Rao will now take it on the floors only in January 2026. Reason? The filmmaker wants the script, currently in development, to be perfected down to the last detail — one that does justice to the sportsperson’s storied career.

The leading man explains, “Everybody is taking a lot of care in recreating Dada’s life for a theatrical experience. We have pushed the shooting to next year as we needed some time for the prep. It’s a big responsibility to play one of our most iconic heroes in cricket.”

This won’t be the first time Rao will hit the pitch for a movie. The actor played a failed cricketer-turned-coach in Mr & Mrs Mahi (2024). For the role, he had undergone cricket training and spent time with professional cricketers.

Tell him that will come in handy, and Rao disagrees, pointing out, “While I know how to play cricket, being a left-handed batter is a different ball game altogether. The muscle memory is all about being a right-handed batter. So, I need some time to practise. I have deliberately not met Dada yet. I want to meet him when we fully get into prep mode.”

While the biopic is slated for a December 2026 release, this year looks equally exciting for Rao, who is ready with his first production, Toaster, along with actor and his wife Patralekhaa. His mantra behind the banner is simple. “We want to produce stories that are unique in nature, [and don’t follow] the herd mentality.”

There is much interest in the Sourav Ganguly biopic as it not only focuses on one of Indian cricket’s most successful skippers, but also marks Rajkummar Rao and filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane’s reunion after Trapped (2017). But there is still time before they take the movie on floors as it’s currently in pre-production. That has left Rao with enough window to begin work on his next, directed by Aditya Nimbalkar.

mid-day has learnt that the Netflix film is a dark comedy centred on a murder. The shoot is expected to begin this month. A source revealed, “It will be shot at 1 Aerocity in Marol, and Film City in Goregaon, Mumbai. Aditya has charted out a two-month shoot. Rajkummar was so impressed by the script that he also came on board as a co-producer.”

The film marks his second production after Toaster, which is slated to drop on Netflix this year.

Another insider shares that the yet-untitled film is far removed from Nimbalkar’s last release, the gritty Sector 36 (2024). “This film offers a new take on the murder mystery genre, with lots of quirky elements. It’s a black comedy.”

The makers are apparently eyeing an early 2026 release.

The Hindi film industry is infamous for perpetuating the culture of silence. But this time around, it has responded swiftly to allegations of Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah’s inappropriate behaviour. mid-day has learnt that the cinematographer has been dropped from Shefali Shah’s yet-untitled film, which is slated to roll this week.

This development comes after independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh, on May 29, cited the testimonies of multiple women and called Pratik “emotionally abusive” and “manipulative”. Taking to Instagram Stories, Singh revealed that the women’s testimonies stated that Pratik behaved like a “predator” and would often solicit or send unsolicited nude pictures of himself. Soon after Singh’s allegations came to light, it was reported that Pratik, five years ago, was investigated by the Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective (IWCC) after a young cinematographer had complained against him for soliciting a nude picture. 

An insider reveals, “In light of these serious accusations, the team of Shefali’s film has decided to drop him. The makers are looking for a replacement, and the project will roll in a few days.”

This may not be the only project to take action against the cinematographer. It has been heard that Pratik’s association with the Sourav Ganguly biopic, helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane, has also been put on hold. An internal inquiry has been ordered on the matter.

“After the Cannes première of Homebound, Pratik flew to the UK for the biopic’s recce. But now, an Internal Complaints Committee [ICC] has been formed to investigate the claims against him before any decisions about his involvement are made. The pre-production on the project continues as scheduled.” Before this, Pratik worked with Motwane on Jubilee (2023) and CTRL (2024).

With the episode putting the spotlight on women’s safety in the film industry once again, the IWCC has taken cognizance of the allegations. “Considering a complaint was registered with them against Pratik in 2020, the IWCC has promptly taken note of the matter. It has asked female cinematographers to come forward to share their experiences, if any, with Pratik. They are looking into it seriously,” says a source. 

Two women from different parts of the entertainment industry also reached out to mid-day and shared their accounts of alleged misconduct by Pratik. The accounts mirror the cinematographer’s supposed pattern of initiating contact on Instagram or dating apps, with conversations soon turning “lewd”, and involving sending unsolicited or soliciting nude pictures and sexual voice notes.   

Pratik has yet to respond publicly to the allegations. He deactivated his Instagram account shortly after the accusations came to light. 

Dharma Productions, which backed Homebound, issued a statement after Pratik Shah was accused of inappropriate behaviour.

It read, “We have a zero tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment towards any individual working with us in any capacity, and we treat sexual harassment cases very seriously. Mr Pratik Shah was a freelancer on Homebound, and was working on it for a limited period. His engagement with us has been completed. During this limited period, our internal committee for POSH didn’t receive any complaints against him from any cast or crew on Homebound.”

Actor Abhishek Banerjee-led thriller, Stolen, is finally arriving home following its acclaimed international film festival run. But the film’s origin can be traced back to 2019, when debutant director Karan Tejpal shared with producer Gaurav Dhingra a story about two boys who were mistaken to be child lifters.

“Karan showed me some videos of two Assamese boys from Mumbai, who had gone fishing in Karbi Anglong, in Assam. They were mistaken to be child lifters, and then lynched [by a mob]. Karan wanted to explore the idea and shoot it in one take. That got me excited,” says Dhingra, who has also co-written the film.

At the same time, the producer was working on a separate series about missing children in India. “While this was going on, one of the stories we found, for the series we were doing, was about missing children being picked up from a bus station. Both the Karbi Anglong and the child lifting stories merged, and gave birth to Stolen,” he says, adding that it took them almost two years to write the script.

The time spent, however, was worth it as every actor they approached gave their nod after reading the first draft itself. Banerjee’s confirmation came in three days, shares Dhingra.

“We had just seen Paatal Lok. I felt Abhishek had a lot of range. He read the script the very next day. Usually, you need to give a lot of narrations. I was shocked because I thought it would take at least six months. But Abhishek said he wanted to take a day to read it again and respond. Two days later, he said he wanted to do it. It was that simple,” he shares.

Heaping praise on the actor, Dhingra says, “Abhishek is fantastic. We couldn’t ask for a better person.”

Another rarity that has happened with Stolen is the coming together of four top Bollywood filmmakers — Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Kiran Rao, and Nikkhil Advani — as executive producers. How difficult was this feat to achieve? Dhingra says he actually didn’t have to do anything.

“Everything is in the power of the material. We did a screening in Mumbai, and called some friends from the industry. Nikkhil and Vikram saw the film and were blown away. They asked me what I needed. I said that I was trying to sell the film. But then the industry was down. Later, Anurag called me, and said that he had heard much about the film and wanted to see it. Kiran, who saw it last, [was someone] I knew [as an assistant director] from Swades [2004], and Mangal Pandey [2005]. Earlier this year, I brought them together to present the film so that the audience sees their credibility and makes the film bigger. I’m so grateful. It’s extremely rare that such level of filmmakers come together to push a film.”

Gaurav Dhingra, Kiran Rao, Nikkhil Advani, Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane

Wishes do come true, it seems. A fortnight ago, when filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane posted a picture of Konkona Sen Sharma and Radhika Apte on Instagram, the comments section was flooded with fans expressing their wish to see them on screen together. Now, mid-day has learnt that the two powerhouse performers have indeed joined forces for Motwane’s segment in the third instalment of Lust Stories.

A source reveals, “This is a casting coup. Radhika and Konkona have long admired each other’s work. With Vikram at the helm of a fantastic script, this felt like the perfect opportunity for them to come together.”

While this is the director’s first brush with the popular Netflix anthology, the actors are not new to this world. Apte had featured in Anurag Kashyap’s segment of Lust Stories in 2018, while Sen Sharma directed an acclaimed short, featuring Tillotama Shome and Amruta Subhash, in Lust Stories 2 (2023).

Another insider tells us that Abhishek Banerjee of Stree fame has also joined the cast. “Abhishek is a new entrant to this universe. The shoot will commence soon,” adds the insider.

Can lives change overnight? Paramvir Singh Cheema believes so. The actor, who featured in Tabbar (2021) and Chamak (2023), broke out this January with Black Warrant. He says that ever since Vikramaditya Motwane’s prison drama dropped on Netflix, he has received multiple congratulatory messages from directors and actors.

“I got a message that read, ‘Hi, this is Arjun Kapoor.’ I thought it’s fake. But then, it really was Arjun. A lot of directors messaged to appreciate my work. I was not expecting this to happen,” he smiles.

In the Zahan Kapoor-led series set in the 1980s, Cheema plays a fellow jailer adjusting to his new role while tension brews in his hometown in Punjab. The actor reveals that he auditioned with the scene that sees him worried about his family in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984.

“When I auditioned with that scene, I told Vikram sir, ‘I have to do it. It’s important that the right person plays this role.’ Hailing from Punjab, I’ve seen families getting separated, or someone leaving home and never coming back. [During the shoot], Vikram sir was happy with the way I portrayed my character’s outburst. I was worried [about a possible backlash] as my family is in Punjab and anything can happen these days. But then, Vikram sir made the scene so beautiful and human,” he shares.

It’s easy to see that Cheema consciously chooses stories that reflect his roots. “Identity is important to me. Every role I choose should show my identity.”

His upcoming works are testament to that. The actor brings the Punjabi music industry’s underbelly to the fore with Chamak 2, and the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war to the screen with Border 2. “I gravitate towards stories that bring out Punjab’s reality. People say you need guts to do this. Why do you need guts to speak about your lived-in experience? I want my stories to show the truth of our times.”

He hopes Border 2—starring Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh—will be his gateway to mainstream cinema. “The language of cinema is different. In Border 2, you can’t be subtle. I’ve been a fan of Border [1997]. So, when Border 2 came, I told myself I have to do this, even if it requires passing on something else,” says the actor, who has also bagged an Aanand L Rai film.

Earlier this week, Vikramaditya Motwane revealed to mid-day that his next is a sports biopic (You don’t have as much autonomy when dealing with OTTs, March 30). Now, we’ve learnt another interesting detail about the film. Industry insiders reveal that the director is in talks with Rajkummar Rao to front the project. If things work out, it will mark their reunion after their critically acclaimed survival thriller, Trapped (2016).

A source close to the project shares, “Vikramaditya has been working on a sports film, based on a real-life athlete. It explores a protagonist that is different from the underdog usually seen in sports biopics. Raj liked the core idea. Plus, he knows Vikramaditya will push his creative boundaries.”

In the next few months, the actor will be seen in Bhool Chuk Maaf, Maalik, and his maiden production, Toaster. The source adds, “The biopic will be a swift two-month shoot, the kind Vikramaditya is known for. That said, it will be preceded by intense prep of a few months.”

For Vikramaditya Motwane, 2025 began with his show, Black Warrant, winning praise. What added to his joy is that the prison drama gave its leading man Zahan Kapoor his big break. The creator-director is impressed that the actor is keeping a low profile despite the series’ success.

“I love that. Everybody presumes things about him, and wonders where this guy had been. They forget that he has been working in theatre for the last 10 years. I feel he’ll be judicious about the [projects] he’ll pick because he has a firm head on his shoulders,” says Motwane.

The Netflix prison drama was praised for its storytelling as well as performances. But Motwane believes there is more to learn from Black Warrant. The creator hopes that it can serve as a model for the making of web series in India.

He breaks it down, saying, “Satyanshu [Singh, co-creator], I and our team invested in the development process. We wrote a bible and two episodes, and then took it to Applause Entertainment. That way, you’ve already set the show’s creative tone. After Applause came on board, we made it and then took it to OTTs. This model offers a lot of independence and a correct creative approach.”

Most creators struggle to achieve such autonomy while dealing with streamers. It has become a talking point in the film industry, with many filmmakers echoing how their creativity is stifled by OTT giants. Does Motwane believe he would’ve enjoyed similar freedom if a streamer had come on board at an earlier stage?

“You don’t have this much autonomy when directly dealing with streamers. I’m not against the idea of a collaboration, but it has to be correct. Things can’t be made by committees. You need to support creators. During the feedback process, rather than telling us we’re wrong, tell us the alternative [to a scene]. When executives are offered a lot of material, they tend to look at everything in an instinctive way. That becomes counter-productive because you are seeing everything in the same way.”

Motwane rues that the industry is going through a lull, where “a lot of pitching is happening”, but not enough is graduating to production. He, however, has his hands full with various projects. “I’m writing a sports biopic,” is all he is willing to share at the moment.

From its characters and settings to the interplay of light and darkness, Black told a unique story with an exceptional cast. As the film marks 20 years, we reflect on the making of this cinematic masterpiece.

On the 20th anniversary of Black, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali says, "Black is a film that means a lot to me. I’m grateful for the love it has received from the audience, and for the incredible performances of Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Ayesha Kapur, and Shernaz Patel, along with all the talented technicians who made it so special. It’s overwhelming to see that, even after 20 years, Black still touches people’s hearts.”

The film's writer, Bhavani Iyer, revisits Black, a film that marked her screenwriting debut. Bhavani Iyer says, “Sanjay involved me in every part of the filmmaking process. On set, he'd ensure that I had a chair next to him. I couldn’t have asked for a better start in the film industry.”

Over the years, she wrote films like Lootera, Guzarish, Raazi, and Sam Bahadur, but when she started working on Black, she was still in her 20s, and says, “Sanjay never tried to manipulate my writing. There was never an attempt to do anything that was not true to the writing. And that spoiled me for life because that is what I look for in all my collaborations since I found it in that film. The way Sanjay stuck to the script is something that helped me understand how important writing is and how crucial the script is.”

Bhavani Iyer made her screenwriting debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black. Narrating the story of how Black came about, she recalls, "I knew Vikramaditya Motwane; he had assisted Sanjay before. Sanjay had just finished Devdas, and he wanted to meet writers and explore different subjects. Sanjay spoke to me about two subjects he wanted to explore - one was a remake of Balika Vadhu, and the other was a biopic based on the life of Helen Keller. I found the Helen Keller idea very exciting. I had not watched too many films in my life - I was very young and in my 20s at the time. I had also read William Gibson’s play The Miracle Worker (about Helen Keller). That was the play Sanjay wanted to base the film on. My first meeting with him was on March 28, and by April 15, I had my first draft ready for him to read. Things escalated quickly, and by December that year, we were already shooting the film."

There were some issues with the rights, so the story was fictionalized. Bhavani says, "Sanjay involved me in every part of the filmmaking. On set, he'd ensure that I had a chair next to him. I could not have asked for a better start in the film industry."

Bhavani Iyer shares that the characterizations were strongly defined in the first few days of writing.

She says, "Both Sanjay and I agreed with my suggestion that the teacher should be slightly unlikeable. He (Amitabh Bachchan's character, Debraj Sahai) is politically incorrect. He doesn't have a filter. He takes charge. I also felt that a teacher working with someone with special needs can't have too many filters, as they need to take charge of the pupil. The film is set during a time when there were not many schools for children with special needs. The teacher is in a phase of his life when he is retiring. What happens is that as we age, we don’t really care about the world or what people think. So, Debraj's character is at a stage where he doesn't care about anything but the job at hand - that kind of lends eccentricity to him. I also wanted him to be a poetry lover, quoting poetry. We kept exploring him through writing, and then Mr. Bachchan came in and gave him a completely different life altogether."

Bhavani recalls that she thought it would be interesting to tell the story as a relationship between a teacher and a student as it’s not a subject that has been explored much in our films. She says, “Sanjay also loved the idea. We decided to make the gender of the teacher male, as it would give us more opportunities to explore the teacher-student dynamic. That worked out beautifully. We felt that if we wanted to make the film in English, the family had to be anglo-Indian.”

However, she says that it could not have been just a story of a student and a teacher; it would have become too linear. From the beginning, she was clear that there comes a point when the student becomes the teacher.

She says, "The freedom of words that the teacher gave to Michelle - he needed to lose those words. I have seen people with Alzheimer's in my life, so I knew what it does. I knew what it can do to people, especially those with such a felicity for words. Whether it's a teacher or a writer, for them to lose words is devastating - I know that. So, I needed Michelle’s triumph of graduating to be bittersweet. There is a gasp of light when she recognizes that movement - when Debraj touches the graduation hat, which was once the dance of failure but now turns into the dance of victory. I feel that, many times, you just need the right teacher or the right push to realise what you're capable of.”

Because of the snow, landscape, and the visual narrative that Sanjay Leela Bhansali wanted for the film, Shimla was chosen as the setting for the story. "The story had to be set in a place that is surreal and has an element of magic realism - like the scene where Michelle finds her teacher completely covered in snow," she recalls.

She says, "I think we benefitted in Black from some incredible casting and performances, with actors who brought much more to the characters than one could have imagined."

The film has a number of dialogues about darkness and light. Sharing her thought process behind it, Bhavani says, "There is a scene where Debraj locks Michelle in a room and the lights go off. Here she has the advantage, like he says - 'Without light, what's the use of sight?' Constantly, the idea was between lightness and darkness, and that was the thought because that’s the world Michelle inhabits. Even the title was Black because it needed that, right from the phonetics, to draw the audience into the world that is hers, which we wanted them to know and experience. Even in the visual setting, Sanjay did his best, and so did the DOP Ravi K. Chandran. Darkness and light were constantly endeavoured throughout the film - whether it was the white snow, the white corridors of the hospital, or the black walls of the house. The monochromatic theme was something we constantly endeavoured, whether it was in the visuals or clothes."

"Both Debraj and Michelle have qualities that I think are somewhat borrowed from my own life. The teacher that he is, is a lot like my dad - the teacher that my dad was. My dad was a very gentle person as opposed to Debraj. All that I know about my craft and the art of writing is what I learned from my father, and that is reflected in Michelle’s speech when she talks about how she grew from strength to strength, all thanks to her teacher," says Bhavani Iyer.

Talking about writing the character of Michelle, she says, "Michelle, to me, is someone whose handicap doesn't define her. She's not just a deaf and mute girl - she is a woman with a purpose, and she wants to achieve something, which, in her case, is graduation. It didn't matter to her that she had a handicap. She needs to achieve what she has set out to do."

She shares, "Shernaz (Patel) brought the mother's character the quiet strength, which is what we wanted. We didn't want the mother to be overbearing because the father was a tougher man, like some fathers who are not given to expressing love. He may love the child, but at this point, the child is an inconvenience, and he doesn't know any other way to resolve this other than sending her away. So, we needed the mother to be quiet and strong. Shernaz lent such gravitas to the character; you could see her strength, and you could see that she was unflinching and unshakeable."

Sabyasachi Mukherjee won the National Award in 2005 for Best Costume Designer for this film. “Black is a period film set in the 1960s. The plot necessitated my using a lot of monochromatic colours like grays, blacks, beige, browns, khakis, and indigo. I deliberately worked towards lending a definite colourlessness to the film,” he said during the release of the film in 2005.

- Halfway through the schedule, the original set of Black was destroyed in a fire at Film City. To maintain continuity, the entire set was meticulously rebuilt with every detail carefully recreated.

- Almost everyone working on the film, spent a couple of months learning ASL (American Sign Language)

- The film won three National Awards. Amitabh Bachchan for Best Actor, Sabyasachi Mukherjee for costume and the Best Feature Film

Watching Kennedy at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival with Vikramaditya Motwane, little did Rahul Bhat know it would pave the way for his next with the filmmaker. Today, as the actor is receiving wide praise for his performance in Motwane’s Black Warrant, he recalls how the filmmaker offered him the part. 

“When he saw Kennedy in Cannes, he really liked the film. On returning, he offered me Black Warrant. I believe the work I did with Anurag [Kashyap] influenced him,” says Bhat.

The actor worked with Kashyap on Ugly (2014) and Kennedy. Having teamed up with two of the finest filmmakers in the country, did he find any similarity in their vision?

“They have unique voices, but they are creatively the same—from the way they treat their actors, to creating an atmosphere so that there is immense scope for creativity. Also, Vikram bohot mehnat karta hai! When I told this to Anurag, he was laughing. It doesn’t mean Anurag doesn’t work hard, but Vikram is always on his toes,” he grins.

In a career spanning over two decades, Bhat has done only 10 films. Despite limited work and little social media presence, which unfortunately seems to influence casting today, he has Kashyap and Motwane projects on his résumé.

“I want to tell the newcomers that they must stop being social media wannabes. These directors are passionate about their cinema. They don’t care if you are Shashi Kapoor’s grandson or Rahul Bhat. They want to know if you can be trusted to get the character right. You could be their brother or son, but they won’t cast you if you don’t suit the character. They don’t cast you looking at how many paps are clicking you.”

In a space of two weeks, the Indian audience was treated to two different releases. Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine As Light made history by making Payal Kapadia the first Indian to score the Best Director nomination at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, while Pushpa 2 – The Rule rewrote history at the Indian box office with its stupendous collections. Yet, only one of them finds a place in theatres. On Tuesday, filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane called out the Allu Arjun-starrer for dominating screens across multiplexes, leaving no room for Kapadia’s gem to “breathe” or “find an audience”.

With All We Imagine As Light set to be re-released in select theatres, Motwane’s post has brought the question out in the open: Do mainstream entertainers sideline independent films, making it difficult for them to survive?

Trade expert Girish Wankhede strongly disagrees with Motwane. “All We Imagine… released on November 22 and had a two-week run. One understands that such a film needs institutional push, but any film needs to show 40 per cent occupancy for it to be carried forward. It couldn’t fill the occupancy requirement; its lack of screens has no connection with Pushpa 2. Since Pushpa 2 is showing 80 per cent occupancy, it is preferred,” reasons Wankhede.

If one looks at the screen count, it is skewed. Pushpa 2 – The Rule is running in 4,500 screens across the country; in contrast, All We Imagine… is expected to be re-released in 200 screens on Friday. But trade expert Akshaye Rathi says that films like the Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam-starrer require alignment of all channels, especially in today’s unpredictable market.

Rathi says, “The makers of Pushpa 2 were in discussion with cinema owners for eight months before the film was released. All We Imagine’s distributors should’ve engaged with the exhibition sector and figured a way to make it reach the masses. For instance, Cinepolis is doing a week-long Japanese anime film festival in January, and it will be robustly promoted. We need to engage to make space for each other. No one wants to kill independent cinema because for theatre owners, people who appreciate such cinema are also [a source of income].”

Weighing in on the debate, filmmaker Onir says that indie films have been shortchanged for long in this country. He, however, asserts that the onus is not on exhibitors alone; he believes everyone, from the media to the audience, should do their part to support small films. “All We Imagine... didn’t get funding in India. Even the media didn’t talk about it. Not enough viewers watch indie cinema whereas the masses make sure that the [mainstream] films work,” he notes.

Onir says that change must begin from the top. “Has All We Imagine... been made tax free? Why are ministers not watching it? There has to be government support. Multiplexes have bled during the pandemic. So, now they are trying to recover money. Every producer will want their film to make money. So, whom do you blame? It’s a vicious cycle.”