There were reports that Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah will be teaming up for Suresh Triveni’s next and on Thursday (12) the film was officially announced. The movie has been titled Jalsa.
Vidya took to Twitter to make an announcement about the film, and inform her fans that the shooting of the film has kickstarted. She tweeted, “Beyond excited to reunite with #SureshTriveni and to team-up with the brilliant @ShefaliShah_ to create something special! 2022 mein #Jalsa hoga! #JalsaBegins Filming @TSeries @vikramix @Abundantia_Ent @ShikhaaSharma03 #BhushanKumar #KrishanKumar #PrajwalChandrashekar.”
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Vidya and Sureh have earlier worked together in Tumhari Sulu (2017) which was a hit at the box office. Jalsa is produced by T-Series and Abundantia Entertainment, and also stars Rohini Hattangadi, Iqbal Khan, Vidhatri Bandi, Gurpal Singh, Surya Kasibhatla, and Manav Kaul.
While talking about the film, Triveni said, “It is my absolute pleasure to collaborate with T-Series and Abundantia Entertainment on Jalsa and to work with my fantastic crew and cast led by Vidya and Shefali. With Jalsa, we hope to engage, thrill and entertain movie-watchers with a unique tale of powerful characters and precarious circumstances.”
Vidya Balan stated, “I’m very excited to collaborate again with Suresh. Tumhari Sulu was a one-of-a-kind, fun experience and I look forward to us creating something special with Jalsa. Jalsa is an edgy but human story and I can’t wait to firstly start work on and then share it with the world. I’m also delighted to reunite with Abundantia Entertainment and T-series on the back of Sherni and look forward to working with Shefali who I have admired for long as also the rest of amazing cast and awesome crew.”
Shefali Shah said, “I am so excited to be a part of Jalsa. It is a story with such a unique perspective that when Suresh first told me about it, I knew I just had to do it. I’m also excited to work with Vidya, whose work I have deeply admired. It’s also wonderful that I’m working with producers like Abundantia Entertainment and T-Series, two companies that are at the forefront of curating interesting and engaging content.”
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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