With close to half-a-dozen films on her platter, Taapsee Pannu is one of the busiest actresses around. She is currently shooting for filmmaker Aakash Bhatia’s Looop Lapeta with Tahir Raj Bhasin.
Looop Lapeta is an adaptation of the successful German thriller Run Lola Run (1998). The team is currently shooting in Goa, where an unusually different romantic scene was filmed between Taapsee Pannu and Tahir Raj Bhasin recently in an open ground.
Talking about the scene, Pannu says, “This is the first time that I have shot a romantic scene with an action scene’s set-up — harnesses, rigs, and mid-air elevation. Had I been an onlooker, I would have also been fascinated to just watch it happen. My character, Savi, is practical and a no-nonsense girl. The man she is in love with adds colour to her life and becomes the anchor she needs. It’s like a fire-and-ice combination, and when they meet, the visual had to be captured in a unique way. Like the rest of the film’s visuals, even the romantic sequences look striking. Shooting this scene was surreal. I have never done anything like this. It was aesthetically and beautifully shot. Love is the backbone of Savi’s character, and she is trapped in a predicament to salvage her mess-ridden boyfriend.”
Bhasin, who is known for films such as Mardaani (2014) and Chhichhore (2019), describes his experience of shooting the scene as a romantic stunt. “We literally hung out and kissed! Satya, my character, is passionate and irreverent. His romance with Savi is a cocktail of both these traits. When I first read the script of Looop Lapeta, Satya and Savi felt like Yin and Yang — different and yet two parts of a whole. I have had a great time playing out this romance on screen. It’s a roller-coaster adventure that shuttles between mad attraction and visceral implosions; precisely what makes their relationship so connected, comical, and yet, relatable,” he says.
Apart from Looop Lapeta, Taapsee Pannu will also be seen headlining such films as Haseen Dillruba, Shabaash Mithu, Rashami Rocket, and Dobaara.
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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