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Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in ‘Friendship.’ Photo:Spencer Pazer/A24 Meet Craig Waterman, the world’s most socially awkward suburbanite. The fact that he’s played by Tim Robinson — co-creator of the brilliant sketch show-slash-meme-generator I Think You Should Leave — tells you everything you need to know from the jump. Craig’s wife Tami (Kate Mara), a cancer survivor clearly still in love with her firefighter ex-boyfriend, is perpetually embarrassed by him. Though to be fair, her husband has a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Talking to her support group, Tami confesses her fear that she’ll never experience sexual release again in her post-remission state. When Craig is asked how he’s doing, he assures the assembled that, “I’m orgasming fine!” Full disclosure: This is only the seventh most cringeworthy thing you’ll hear him say over the course of the next 100 minutes. His son (Jack Dylan Grazer) thinks he’s a dweeb. The guys at his corporate job, which involves finding new ways to get people addicted to apps (“We prefer the term ‘habit-forming’”), barely tolerate him. Craig is the poster boy for a certain kind of middle-aged male. You definitely know this guy. You’ve seen him buying two-for-one beige khakis at the mall, getting way too excited over weeknight specials at Chili’s, or rocking out way too hard at a Third Eye Blind show. But hey, whatever, Craig isn’t moping his way through life. The gentleman wears his sense of existential defeat like an off-the-rack suit. He’s orgasming fine! Then a package meant for their new neighbor arrives at Craig’s doorstep. He walks it over. And that’s when Craig meets Austin. It becomes apparent within a few seconds that this dude is, like, awesome. He’s a weatherman at the local news station. He rocks a truly astounding Burt Reynolds mustache. He collects prehistoric tools, forages for mushrooms, and has his own catchphrase (“Stay curious, Craig Waterman”). He’s in a band! Called Mayor Nichols Sucks! The name of which directly trolls the town’s mayor, because that’s so fucking hardcore! Austin looks and acts like a milder version of the Paul Rudd character in Anchorman, i.e. the one who was man enough to rock Sex Panther cologne. Which is probably why the powers that be cast Rudd in the part. That and star power, sure, but go with us here. We’re barely into Act One, and already, Friendship is setting you up for a cross-comic dynamic: Imagine I Love You Man as filtered through I Think You Should Leave, and that’s the bullseye that writer-director Andrew DeYoung’s feature debut is aiming for. And despite the fact that it’s Rudd’s character who starts actively courting a bromance — Robinson’s every-schlub isn’t looking for mid-life friendship, but he’s not not looking for it, either — it’s the ITYSL sensibility that’s the guiding light here. DeYoung has said he’d crafted his script with Robinson in mind, though you’d have thought that the star and his sketch program’s writing staff personally penned most of the scenes themselves. Part of what makes Robinson’s Netflix show so consistently hilarious is the way his characters double down on the wrong reaction, turn minor fixations into all-consuming obsessions, escalate their anger to overthrow a situation’s over-the-top absurdity. It’s also got the kind of 21st century cringe-comedy voice that forges die-hard fans or disbelievers. You either find the idea of a session musician hijacking a country ballad with a breakdown of the undead’s personal economy (“The bones are their money/In our world, bones equal dol-lars!”) totally side-splitting, or you stare confusedly at those who do. Friendship, at its best, nails that signature vein of humor to a T — it’s almost like a lost I Think You Should Leave sketch extended to feature length. That’s good news for those who need a fix in between seasons. It’s also a problem overall. There’s enough glorious weirdness threaded throughout this peanut butter-meets-chocolate combination of Judd Apatow-type setups and the kind of comedy that results in Robinson berating himself with a bar of soap in his mouth to justify a lot. A handful of random WTF moments are capable of inducing zero-to-full-giggle-fit reactions; an impromptu rendition of Ghost Town DJs’ hit “My Boo” by Austin’s sensitive-guy wolf pack is worth it just to hear Rudd croon, “If your game is on, give me a call, boo.” The Adult Swim vibe is strong with this one. Tim Robinson in ‘Friendship.’ Photo: A24 But the whole of Friendship isn’t as attractive as the sum of its disparate parts, and you wonder if a more concise, focused version of this look at the self-consciousness of dudes trying desperately to bond wouldn’t have hit better. There are a half dozen or so oddball non sequiturs — that self-inflicted soap-in-mouth punishment, a coffee cup filled perilously to the brim, the world’s most horribly banal psychedelic vision quest, rage over spoilers about “the new Marvel that’s supposed to be nuts!” — that would have been instant classics as stand-alone set pieces on Robinson’s show. Here, they’re just highlights in between long stretches of uncomfortable dead air. It’s a movie pre-designed to be turned into a supercut. From Rolling Stone US.

  Music composer Alokananda Dasgupta created the soundtrack to the horror series ‘Khauf.’ Photos: Rajeshwari Dasgupta, Prime Video Growing up in Kolkata, composer Alokananda Dasgupta was first introduced to horror not through films but through Bengali literature. “I couldn’t read English at the time,” she recalls. “As a person, you’re trying to make sense of life as a child by losing yourself inside fantasy stories or forcing yourself to feel fear.” For the 1980s-born artist, the horror genre offered a kind of “beautiful escapism”—a way to safely explore fear. The Bengali stories she gravitated toward weren’t your typical haunted house tales, like Goosebumps. They were instead set in daytime hostel environments; they turned scorching summer afternoons in Kolkata into something quietly unsettling. “It made those afternoons eerie,” she says, noting how these stories first sparked her fascination with the contrast between light and shadow. That same sense of disquiet and atmosphere came rushing back when she read Smita Singh’s script for Khauf, the Prime Video horror anthology that was released last month. “The script reminded me of things I’d read,” she says. “I haven’t come across too much of that category coming from India. So this was something new. I last loved [2018 Netflix series] Ghoul and [2018 horror movie] Tumbbad, but other than that, I haven’t seen anything.” Dasgupta, known for her work on shows like Sacred Games and thrillers such as Trapped, joined Khauf as composer for the directorial debut of cinematographer and writer Pankaj Kumar, who is best known for his work on Ship of Theseus, Haider, and Tumbbad. The reception to Khauf has been encouraging, she says. “It’s a very good reminder to everyone that there is a section of the audience that you have to cater to,” she adds. “You can’t just brush them off as niche.” At a time when Bollywood’s comedy-horrors have been making a dent at the box office, Khauf pairs psychological and supernatural with a dose of important social commentary. As an avid fan of the genre, Dasgupta believes Indian cinema has rarely managed to do horror right. For that to change, she says, there needs to be deeper attention to the technical aspects of filmmaking, particularly mise en scène and design. “I’m not talking about just it being top-notch in terms of money,” she clarifies. “I’m talking about top-notch in terms of attention to these details.” She adds, “Secondly, just trust the audience and thereby hold back, create restraint, and show what is needed. We have seen the more is more [approach], not the less is more [approach].” She shares these thoughts with conviction, confident that “there is a huge audience for different styles of horror” in Indian cinema. On Khauf, it was the visual storytelling that drew her in. “Every frame is like a painting, so it creates a certain world,” she says. “I’m a huge fan of the horror genre, but not particularly the other kinds, which are in-your-face and have too many jump scares.” The score, now streaming on major platforms, enhances the tension and haunting mood of the series, often leaning into subtlety. The opening title track, “Dread Of The Night,” layers guitars with a hair-raising violin, clarinet, and more to set the tone. In preparation, Dasgupta immersed herself in a wide spectrum of horror film scores—from It Follows to 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front and even the recent Nosferatu. These works, she says, “created that atmosphere of sheer dread.” She also references Rosemary’s Baby, The Wicker Man, the original 2003 Danish film Midsommer, and the music of The White Lotus—a playlist of sorts that she and the creators of Khauf exchanged to understand the emotional and cinematic universe they were building. “It’s for you [the composer] to understand, almost like the playlist of the showrunner or the maker and what are they thinking and what is the world they are in,” she explains. With that foundation, her mission was clear. “I was looking to create intrigue,” Dasgupta says. She connected deeply with Madhu, the character played by Monika Panwar, and felt compelled to contribute her own voice to the story—not just as a composer, but as someone with something personal to express through horror music. Her aim was to find the right balance between melodic, ambient, and atmospheric sound. “My instruments chose themselves,” she says. The score features a mix of bass clarinet, low brass, and prepared cello, each contributing distinct textures. Chennai-based violinist Vignesh brought further depth, experimenting with thumping and scraping the instrument’s body to produce eerie effects. The original score also includes contributions from composers Aditya N. and Himanshu Prakash, with mastering by Keshav Dhar. One standout motif features a flute, inspired by a clinic in the series named Ruhani Dawakhana, or spiritual pharmacy. “It was very inspiring to me,” she says. “It was a very beautiful and poetic name that took me back to reading those [Bengali horror] stories.” While horror still struggles to find a consistent audience in India, Dasgupta notes that horror music—especially ambient, minimalist scores—faces an even steeper climb. Yet she remains hopeful. “Let it be released, even if it’s an ambient, understated score. Let it be out there,” she says, with quiet conviction. Watch Khauf on Prime Video.  

  Khwaab, Divyam Sodhi. Photo: Utkarsh Masand Vocalist Divyam Sodhi and composer-producer Khwaab go from strength to strength as collaborators on “Kya Kahein,” a song that deals with the difficulty of finding the right ways to express oneself amid an “overflow of emotions.” Sodhi and Khwaab have been collaborating right from their days of releasing the single “Bohot Bechain” in 2021. Sodhi says their bond grew over admiring “new, yet honest” music. He adds, “We connected over our passion for honest storytelling. Khwaab’s take on production has always been refreshing and I was always looking to work with someone who’ll understand where I’m coming from.” Through both its song and music video by filmmakers Pencils & Frames, “Kya Kahein” explores the difficulty of articulating emotions when a deep connection is forged. With visual cues that hark back to pre-digital India, two boys (played by Sodhi and actor Rutwik Deshpande) form a bond while seated on opposite sides of a river, sharing food, stories, and games. As one bids a bittersweet farewell to home, another is left in the lurch. Hailing from Karnal in Haryana, Sodhi felt the video should tell a small-town story. The song was written during a “reflective phase” in mid-2024, according to Khwaab, with lyrics penned by writer Tanmay Maheshwari. “We wanted to capture that unspoken feeling of love—the words you can’t say but feel deeply. It went through multiple iterations until we found the right balance of vulnerability and simplicity. We wanted it to sound timeless, and once we felt that, we knew it was ready,” the producer says.   With the timelessness, there’s also an unmistakable nostalgia in the sound, bearing Sodhi’s distinctive ghazal-informed vocal texture. The singer says he’s drawn to the evergreen nature of simplicity in songs, which is what drove “Kya Kahein.” He adds, “We believe the essence of a song lies in its rawness—whether it’s a heartfelt lyric, a subtle melody, or a genuine emotion.” Khwaab adds that while they’re “constantly evolving” to try different sounds, there’s a soft spot they have for “the elegance of old-school music.” The producer explains, “How it lingers and evokes feelings long after the song ends—that’s the kind of impact we strive for.” “Kya Kahein” follows the duo’s 2024 album Haal-e-Dil, which spawned the millions-streamed song “Piya” with lyricist Likhari. Khwaab notes that the “dream project” of the album allowed them to become really good friends and continue building on its legacy. They also went on a country-wide tour as part of the gig series Darkroom Sessions in November 2024, previewing Haal-e-Dil prior to its release. Khwaab says, “We’re just getting started! We’ve been playing live gigs all across the country and to hear people sing songs back to us, feels amazing!” After a few shows in Mumbai and New Delhi earlier this year, Sodhi and Khwaab perform in Bengaluru on May 10. The writing, of course, never stops between the duo. Sodhi says, “We’re working on new music constantly and want to be able to perform our music to a large audience across India. Hopefully, we’ll be able to take our live set to more cities in India and music festivals around the world!”

  Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s new home is a six-storey bungalow in Bandra, named after Ranbir’s grandmother, Krishna Raj Kapoor. Valued at ₹250 crore, it stands as the most expensive celebrity residence in Mumbai. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, who became parents to their baby daughter Dua, will be moving into their new house in Bandra. It is a sea-facing quadruplex, spanning from 16 to 19 floors of the building. Hrithik Roshan bought reportedly bought a sea-facing property in Juhu in 2020 and the work is still going on as he wants to merge 14th, 15th and 16th floor into one apartment. Meanwhile, the actor has shifted to a rented apartment.

Arvind Swami, a well-known actor and director, has actually left an enduring mark on Tamil and Hindi movie theater. The star’s personality poster from Anupam Kher’s directorial Tanvi The Great is revealed where he will be seen playing the function of Significant Srinivasan. Anupam Kher shares Arvind Swami’s first appearance as Major Srinivasan from his directorial Tanvi The Great Recognized for his effortless charm and nuanced representation, Swami will be seen playing a very essential duty in the movie. The makers previously announced Iain Glen, Boman Irani and Jackie Shroff signing up with the cast together with Shubhangi. Talking about the function Arvind Swami shared, “It was such a pleasure to work with Anupam as a director. This subject is so close to his heart and I am glad that I could play a small component in this project. This is a movie about hope, empathy, determination and the victory of the human spirit. It has such a gifted actors with amazing efficiencies drawn out by a supervisor with terrific sensitivity and perceptiveness. Honoured to have belonged of this.” Anupam Kher took to his social media sites to share Arvind’s first appearance and stated, “Very first time I saw #ArvindSwamy in Roja and I was blown away by the young and dynamic star’s efficiency. Then obviously I viewed him in the film Bombay. And for me, that was the arrival of a special star on the Indian movie’s horizon. It was much later we did a film- ‘Saat Rang Ke Sapne’ I discovered the most reputable and credible buddy for life.” Kher continued, “So there was nobody else that came to my mind when I wished to cast a star for the function of #MajorSrinivasan for #TanviTheGreat. #MajorSrini as he’s called in the movie is giant of strength, courage and fearlessness. Arvind’s performance made me really feel happy. Just like the INDIAN military makes all of us feel- SAFE, PROTECT and DIGNIFIED. Thank you Swamy ji (as I call him) for your relationship, confidence in me and your luster. You are not just a wonderful actor yet a great friend also. Your personality of #MajorSrini will be kept in mind for several years to come. Jai Hind! #Gratitude.” Directed by Anupam Kher, with music by Oscar-winner M.M. Keeravani, Tanvi The Great is created by Anupam Kher Studios and NFDC, in association with Lower Middle Class Firm. The release date will certainly be revealed soon. Tags : Anupam Kher, Arvind Swami, Bollywood, Bollywood News, First Look, First Look Revealed, Tanvi The Great Section Title

When you hear Boundary, the two things that come to your mind are Sunny Deol and the track Sandese Aate Hai. While producer Bhushan Kumar along with companions JP Dutta and Nidhi Dutta have actually tick-marked the initial box by casting Sunny Deol for Border 2, the latest we hear is that they have actually got the rights for famous melody Sandese Aate Hai from the initial owners. Bhushan Kumar’s accomplishment bargain establishes Boundary 2 buzz skyrocketing; safeguards iconic Sandese Aate Hai tune to fuel the flick buzz Extremely reliable sources have confirmed that T Series, in a regular adjustment deal, have actually obtained the civil liberties of Sandese Aate Hai 2.0 for an amount of Rs. 60 lakhs. “Sandese Aate Hai is even more of a national tune, and Boundary will certainly constantly be incomplete without Sandese Aate Hai. Bhushan Kumar and his group went for it to safeguard the rights to the track, and left no stone unturned in securing the same,” a resource educated Bollywood Hungama.” Bhushan Kumar understood precisely what he was chasing. He recognizes the emotional value of Sandese Aate Hai for each Indian. It’s not just another track; it’s an anthem of nationwide pride.,” the source tells better. An additional source close to the manufacturing residence added, “This isn’t simply a monetary investment. For Bhushan Kumar, it has to do with maintaining the legacy and psychological connect of Border. Expect a modern yet emotional rendition that will resonate with today’s generation while recognizing the initial classic. The tune will certainly not just use nostalgia; we are planning something really special that will certainly provide goosebumps to target markets of any ages. Bhushanji’s vision is clear – make Boundary 2 memorable.” Border 2 is presently on floors and is slated to launch on Republic Day 2026. The film is routed by Anurag Singh and stars Sunny Deol, Varun Dhawan and Diljit Dosanjh in lead.