After working with the legendary Oscar-nominated filmmaker Majid Majidi and National Award winner Sameer Sanjay Vidwans, Shareen Mantri and Kishor Arora’s Namah Pictures has joined forces with successful filmmaker Pa Ranjith of Sarpatta Parambarai (2021) fame for a new film, titled Birsa.
The upcoming project will mark Ranjith’s debut in Hindi cinema. While much has already been said about the Ranjith directorial, the makers are prepped to take the film on floors by the end of this year. The team has extensively toured Jharkhand and Bengal to trace Birsa's remarkable life and are lending final touches to the script. The action drama will be shot extensively at hitherto unseen locations and bring to the big screen verdant landscapes and deep jungles as never seen before.
Talking about his Bollywood debut, filmmaker Ranjith said, “I could not have chosen a better project for my first Hindi film. The process of scripting and research behind the film has been a very enriching process. I have gained inspiration from Birsa's life and his conviction for freedom and autonomy. Would also like to thank the producers for their patience during the process of research and scripting.”
Speaking about the film, producer Shareen Mantri said, “We, at Namah Pictures, love to tell stories that engage, entertain, and inspire. The team has undergone intense research for the film and we aim to bring alive Birsa's story on a colossal scale.”
Producer Kishor Arora added, “Birsa Munda’s story of revolution personifies courage in every way. We are thrilled to collaborate with Ranjith for his Bollywood debut as a director and cannot wait for the film to go on floors this year!”
Birsa is Ranjith’s Hindi debut after the Tamil blockbuster sports action film in 2021, Sarpatta Parambarai, and is naturally, highly anticipated by fans across the country. The biopic will be based on the life of Birsa Munda, a tribal leader from Jharkhand who stood up to British colonial oppressors in the 19th century.
Meanwhile, Namah Pictures also has the emotional thriller LOST, directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, starring Yami Gautam and Pankaj Kapur, on the horizon. In the pipeline for the production house is also a Kartik Aaryan starrer, slated to go on floors soon. Namah Pictures is also creating a series based on the autobiography of India's bandit queen, Phoolan Devi.
Keep visiting this space over and again for more updates and reveals from the world of entertainment.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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