Ayushmann Khurrana is unstoppable! After delivering three superhit films in 2019, namely Article 15, Dream Girl and Bala, the actor is set to offer an interesting line up of movies in the coming year as well. The National Film Award-winning actor will kick-start 2020 with the release of his much-awaited movie Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan.
The film features Khurrana in the role of a small-town man who falls in love with another man. This is the first time in Bollywood when a rising star has taken the risk of playing a homosexual man in a mainstream film.
Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan has already excited audiences’ curiosity, thanks to the theme and its animated teaser which the makers revealed a couple of months ago. If you too have been waiting for the movie with bated breath, the good news is that the makers have decided to prepone its release date. Earlier scheduled to roll into theatres on 13th March, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan will now release on 21st February. The makers announced the new release date with an intriguing first look of Khurrana.
Talking about the same, producer Aanand L Rai says, “It is a complete family film and we want to meet the audience soon. We have now decided to release the film in the month of February, which is also the month of love.”
Adding to that, producer Bhushan Kumar says, “We are interchanging both the release dates of our films – Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan and Anurag Basu’s next. Aanandji and Anurag both have been very supportive with the change. both our films are interesting and cater to families across all ages. We are ready to give our audiences a complete adventurous ride with both these films.”
Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is a sequel to the 2017 film Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. The sequel is helmed by Hitesh Kewalya.
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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