Streaming giant Netflix has come under criticism for ‘defaming Hindus’ in India.

Ramesh Solanki, member of the Shiv Sena’s IT cell has filed a police complaint at Mumbai’s LT Marg police station against the OTT giant.

Solanki shared a copy of the letter on his official Twitter handle calling for a ban on the popular content platform.

His complaint alleged that shows like “Sacred Games”, “Leila”, “Ghoul” and the comedy talk show “Patriot Act” hosted by Hasan Minhaj “attempt to paint Hindus and India in bad light.”

Further stating that “almost, every series on Netflix India is with the intention to defame the country on a global level. It is with deep-rooted Hinduphobia that the platform is portraying the nation in a bad light.”

Solanki even cited reasons for making such claims. Drawing on Anurag Kashyap’s directorial “Sacred Games Season 2”, he said that it shows Hindus responsible for all crimes happening in the world, including US killings.”

The letter accused the Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi starrer to have demeaned the “Guru-Shishya parampara with overtly sexual gestures.”

Giving examples from “Leila”, “Ghoul” and “Patriot Act”, Ramesh asked that the licenses of teams’ responsible for such content be cancelled.

He signed off by stating, “One cannot allow an incorrect generalisation based on bogus rhetorics trying to defame a religious minority i.e. Hindu in countries other than India. (sic)”

Solanki sent a copy of the complaint to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai’s police commissioner.

Following the controversy, #BanNetflixInIndia became a Twitter trend with many netizens supporting claims made by Solanki, while others challenging his stance.

Earlier, Delhi spokesperson for the BJP, Tajinder Singh Bagga, had files a police complaint against filmmaker Anurag Kashyap for “intentionally hurting Sikh sentiments by adding a scene which disrespects Sikh religious symbol Kada” in “Sacred Games Season 2”.

A first trailer has just been released for “The Cave”, which is titled “Nang Non” in Thai.

The movie coming to cinemas in November recounts the story of the 12 boys and their team’s assistant coach who got trapped by rising floodwaters while exploring Tham Luang Cave on June 23, 2018. 

But the focus quickly zeroes in on the rescuers who battled doubts, uncertainty and daunting physical obstacles to find and then extract the whole “Wild Boars” team safely after more than a fortnight while the world followed the mission on television and online.

Waller seized on the perspective of foreign rescuers like Jim Warny, an expert cave diver who assisted with the mission and understood both the Thai context and the international attention riveted on Chiang Rai.

“This is most certainly the biggest film I have directed,” Waller told an interviewer at this spring’s Cannes Film Festival, where a trailer was screened.

“But, having provided production support for Hollywood films, I knew it was quite possible for Thai crews to create that sense of scale. We had hundreds of extras and an extensive art department, and I think we were able to give an accurate impression of what it was actually like to be at that cave at that time.

“But of course, this was also a very personal and very human story of the heroes who risked their lives, not even knowing for a long time whether the kids were still alive. And, while the story ended happily, it was not without tragedy. The former Thai Navy Seal, Saman Kunan, made the ultimate sacrifice, losing his life while engaged in the rescue.”

Asked if he felt great pressure in tackling such an emotionally charged story, Waller acknowledged there was “a lot of interest from Hollywood”.

“Hollywood does what it does very well, but I was worried that, if it was left entirely to Hollywood to tell the story, it would probably be dramatized in a way that might not be entirely authentic to the real events. I really wanted to be able to keep the authenticity and reality.

“The true story was so emotive, so exciting and so dramatic that it didn’t need the addition of Hollywood stars and effects. For this reason, we used some of the original divers in the film. We stuck very closely to the truth. If you really want to see the real story, our version certainly delivers this.”

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The clips were shot by the crew of Fox Movietone around 1929, during the reign of King Rama VII. In addition to their historical importance due to the inclusion of sound, the four clips also show rare images of a royal puppet performance and a traditional Thai music ensemble. They also captured a lively, eccentric scene of a woman dancing to accordion music while children watch on.

The last clip shows a navy private sweet-talking to a young woman, before cutting to a scene of what looks like a party in an elegant mansion where young couples danced to jazz music.

The clips were preserved at the archive of the University of South Carolina. The Thai Film Archive, a public organisation, found out about them last year and requested a new digital scan of the clips from the US archivists for preservation in Thailand. The clips to be shown on September 9 feature high-quality image and sound.

The screening will be accompanied by a talk featuring music historians.

The sound technology introduced to Siam by the crew of Fox Movietone would later lead to the development of sound film in Siam. The first Thai sound film – a feature film – was “Long Tang” (“Going Astray”), made by the Wasuwat brothers in 1932.

“The First Sound Recorded on Film in Siam” will take place on September 9 at 3.15pm at the Thai Film Archive, Buddha Monthon Sai 5 Road, Salaya, Nakhon Pathom. Admission is free.

Co-produced with China Movie Channel (CMC), “Master” is the fourth installment in the Chinese language martial arts anthology that made its debut back in 2016.

Directed by Si Xiao Dong (“Detective” and “State Mission”),it stars Shi Junzhe (“Tycoon”), as the titular lead, China’s National Martial Arts Champion Fan Weipeng as Mun Sing and Yin Ran (“The Next Magic”) as Ching-Ho’s wife, it was shot in Mandarin in Xiangshan though viewers in Asia will be able to watch it dubbed in English with local language subtitles when it premieres on HBO.

The film is set in the early 19th century at a time when Britain encouraged Chinese opium use to turn around the trade deficit with China. In Canton, Wong Ching-ho, the head of a Guangzhou martial arts alliance decides to take action and burn down an opium warehouse. Local officials turn a blind eye or fear of causing a public riot. Mun Sing, a Kung Fu master from out of town, is recruited by the opium suppliers to challenge the local martial arts houses. Eventually Wong Ching-ho develops the “Nine Dragon Fist” and defeats Mun Sing. Wong Ching-ho become a hero and helped locals build rehabilitation facilities in Guangzhou.

Starring Hailee Steinfeld, “Dickinson” audaciously explores the constraints of society, gender and family from the perspective of rebellious young poet, Emily Dickinson (played by Steinfeld).

Set in the 19th century, “Dickinson” is a coming-of-age story that finds Emily Dickinson to be an unexpected hero for our millennial era.

Created, written and executive produced by Alena Smith and executive produced by Hailee Steinfeld, “Dickinson” also stars Jane Krakowski, Toby Huss, Anna Baryshnikov, Ella Hunt and Adrian Blake Enscoe.

“Dickinson” will debut this fall exclusively on Apple TV+, which the company is billing as a new home for the world’s most creative storytellers.

The RCB Film Club’s 2019 Movie Series returns next month with the Malaysian film “Rise”, one of the activities being organised by the Malaysian embassy in Bangkok to make the country National Day. It will screen on September 14 at 4pm at RCB Forum on the second floor of River City Bangkok

The film follows the lives of six characters of different ethnicities, cities, professions and social status. What binds them together is their love for their homeland, especially at the time of their crucial Elections in 2018. The highlight of the film is the reporting on the last Malaysian elections and in particular, the sensational win of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who appears at the end of the movie

It is a unique film that combines politics, patriotism and personal choices in a multi-racial, multi-lingual country.

The wide array of characters in the drama includes a Muslim-Malay student in London, a Chinese-Malay restaurant worker in Singapore, a classical Indian dancer and polling agent at odds with her rigid father, a policeman confused by the lure of corruption, a businessman moved by the plight of illegal workers and a journalist trying to uncover the truth.

The film is directed by three filmmakers from different ethnic communities: Malaysia-Malay, Chinese and Tamil/Indian. Many issues are dealt with and cover the fields of education, business, politics and an inter-racial society. The characters not only represent their independent cultures but also speak their own languages with dialogue switching between Malay, Chinese, English and Tamil, which add to the unique flavour and strength of the film.

“Rise” was one of last year’s most eagerly anticipated movies and was well-received by the multi-ethnic country. It offers ample proof that a diverse nation can be a homogenous one.

The film screening is courtesy by WebTVAsia and supported by the Embassy of Malaysia, Bangkok who will provide Malaysian snacks and drinks after the screening.

Dato Jojie Samuel, Ambassador of Malaysia to Thailand, will introduce the film.

Admission is free.

For reservations, email clubmovie2019@gmail.com.

The two films that rank first and second are Wolf Warrior 2 and The Wandering Earth. All three are totally “Made in China”: they are directed by Chinese directors, shot by Chinese video teams, as well as based on novels written by Chinese authors. And they have made the most money in the Chinese market.

That phenomenon reflects, first of all, that Chinese audiences are increasingly more interested in their own stories than in foreign ones.

The three Chinese films are familiar and the tale of Ne Zha is among the most popular stories in China. In an age when people can easily gain access to foreign culture, it is natural for stories of their own domestic culture to be more appealing.

Besides, unlike the ticket sales champion and its runner-up, Ne Zha tells a story that is an integral part of traditional Chinese culture. But instead of simply telling the story once again with modern technology, the new film has rewritten the story so it better reflects the values of modern society.

The somewhat violent parts in the old story, as well as the parts that promote personal revenge, have been deleted and replaced by scenes that promote sincerity toward each other.

That’s partly why Ne Zha’s daily ticket sales rose day by day in the first few days. It has appealed to the hearts of the modern audiences with values acceptable to them. No wonder they have given it high-approval and are willing to recommend it to others.

In other words, Ne Zha’s success lies, to a large extent, on its ability to make traditional Chinese culture relevant to modern society. Ne Zha has not been screened overseas yet, but there is ample reason to believe the film will be able to move the hearts of overseas audiences, as on social media networks there are already comments anticipating its arrival.

There are plenty of stories like that of Ne Zha which can appeal to modern audiences if well told in a modern way.

Even more daring is Kim’s attempt to do so with an occult film — a genre that has been a hit and miss when it comes to Korean movies.

“During my visit to France, I saw a statue of an angel suppressing the devil. (The statue) embodied an enormous struggle, which got me thinking (about the possibility) of making a (film) universe in Korea like Marvel or the “Conjuring” universe, in which (characters) can fight,” the director said during a press conference for the film in Seoul on Wednesday, explaining how he came up with the idea for the flick.

Kim said he discussed the possibility with Park Seo-joon, the main lead of the film, with whom he had worked on the 2015 hit “Midnight Runners.” They shared the vision of starting a cinematic universe.

Park plays the role of a mixed martial arts fighter, Yong-hu, who has lost faith in the world after losing to his father in his youth.

He discovers a scar of unknown origin on his hand and seeks help from Father Ahn, an exorcist and priest from the Vatican, played by Ahn Sung-ki. They team up to find a “bishop of the evil,” Ji-sin, played by Woo Do-hwan.

Playing his first big screen role in two years, Park, 30, said he put a lot of thought into playing Yong-hu, a character with a dark side.

“I’ve played many characters that are upbeat and positive, but this is a type of character I’ve always wanted to play. … There were a lot of question marks on how I would appear on screen visually, and in terms of portraying (the character),” he said.

Ahn, whose acting career spans over six decades, joked that this role was one that “only he could play,” perhaps a nod to the role of an exorcist priest he played in the 1998 “The Soul Guardians.”

Coming out of a years-long hiatus, he said he wanted to meet as many viewers as possible through the new film. “I felt like I could demonstrate a tremendous energy for my age,” he said.

Playing his first big screen role, Woo said his character has a “reason for being evil.”

“The most charming thing (about my character) was that he is quick to figure out what other people are like, because it is his job to dazzle and deceive them,” he said.

Whether the film will go on to build a cinematic universe remains to be seen.

“I think there are plenty of elements in our movie to create a universe. But we still need characters, or heroes. This movie sets up a lot of the necessary characters,” said the director.

One such element could be the presence of Ahn. “Ahn is like Nick Fury (of the MCU),” Kim said, hinting that the veteran actor would continue appearing in his film universe to be built up in upcoming movies.

“The Divine Fury” opens in theaters tomorrow (August 22)ใ

Executive produced by actresses Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, who star alongside Steve Carell, “The Morning Show” explores the high-stakes world of morning news and the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning. Told through the lens of two complicated women working to navigate the mine field of high-powered jobs while facing crises in both their personal and professional lives, “The Morning Show” explores ego, ambition and the misguided search for power.

The cast also includes Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Nestor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Bel Powley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Desean K. Terry, Jack Davenport and Janina Gavankar. The series is written by Kerry Ehrin and directed by Mimi Leder, both of whom also executive produce

“The Morning Show” will debut in autumn l exclusively on Apple TV+, a new home for the world’s most creative storytellers.

The screening will follow by a post-film talk by Tom Waller, a Thai filmmaker of Irish descent and one of the producers of “Soi Cowboy”, and Dr Wikanda Promkhuntong, a film scholar from Mahidol University. The talk will focus on the way Thailand is seen, captured or represented by foreign filmmakers – from “The Man With the Golden Gun” to “The Hangover II” – and how truthful, distorted or exoticised the image of the country is on the big screen.

Waller is the director of several films such as “Sop Mai Ngiab” (“Mindfulness and Murder”), “Petchakat” (“The Last Executioner”), as well as the upcoming “Nang Non” (“The Cave”), which tells the story of the rescue mission of the 13 boys trapped in a Thai cave. Dr Wikanda is an expert in film history and film tourism.

“Soi Cowboy” is an eccentric take on the story of a Thai bar girl and a Danish man. And though the film isn’t really about the red-light district of the title, it trains its observant eyes at the strange dynamics between a local woman and a foreigner, superimposed under a meta-cinematic lens.

The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2008, and the screening at the Thai Film Archive will be on 35mm. The screening will start at 1pm at the Thai Film Archive, followed by the discussion at 3pm. Free admission.

For more information, visit Facebook.com/ThaiFilmArchivePage/