After taking the domestic box office by storm, filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor’s latest directorial Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (2021) is now streaming on Netflix.
Within a day of its release on the streaming giant, netizens have flooded the internet with appreciation posts for handling a delicate subject with utmost panache. The film stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Vaani Kapoor in leading roles.
Abhishek Kapoor, who won the critics over with his entertainment-packed drama with a hard-hitting subject at its core, has now taken down the internet as the mass audience goes gaga over the film. Urging the revolutionary filmmaker to make more of such movies, a user wrote, “What a refreshing and progressive approach to cinema. Wish we get to witness more such tales. @ayushmannk hats off to your choices. @Vaaniofficial you're just lovely. @Abhishekapoor please make more such films.”
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While saluting Abhishek Kapoor, another user wrote, "A salute to @Abhishekapoor for having the nuts to even think of pulling off such a subject in a mainstream.”
Many proclaimed Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui as the best film of 2021 and hailed the maker for handling the sensitive subject with grace. While a user said, “A sensitive topic handled so brilliantly. This is how stories are told,” another wrote, “Such a sensitive topic dealt so well ...Even I have been knowing, reading and listening about it! But actually, could see and understand the real emotions through this movie! Top-notch!”
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Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, directed by Abhishek Kapoor, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Vaani Kapoor, hit the big screens on December 10, 2021, and became a massive hit among the audience and critics. Looking at the initial trends on the streaming platform, the drama is set to break several viewership records, it seems.
Keep visiting this space over and again for more updates and reveals from the world of entertainment.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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