Sukanya Boruah on her international debut with 'Not a Hero': It makes every struggle worth it

(Photo: Sukanya Boruah/ Instagram)

Mumbai, (IANS) Actress Sukanya Boruah has made her international debut at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) with her first film, “Not a Hero”.

The project recently premiered at the prestigious film festival on 14 February 2026, where it got a Special Mention in 'Crystal Bear for the Best Film in Generation Kplus', by Generation – Youth Jury.

Elated about adding another feather to her cap, Sukanya shared, "To have our film premiere in Berlin, especially at Berlinale, was overwhelming in the most beautiful way. I was so glad that I later realized this was my debut film. Sitting there with the team, watching months of hard work unfold on screen in front of an international audience, was emotional, humbling, and powerful all at once. It felt unreal."

She went on to add that there is something magical about hearing the first reactions in a theatre like that.

"It makes every struggle worth it," said Sukanya.

Made under the direction of Rima Das, “Not a Hero” explores the lives of young people trying to find their place in the world.

Aside from directing it, Rima Das has also written, edited, and produced this Indian-Singaporean coming-of-age drama.

With Sukanya Boruah playing Pahi in the film, the project further has Mrinmoy Das as Rio and Bhuman Bhargav Das as Mivan, along with the other cast.

The camera work for “Not a Hero” has been looked after by Rima Das and Aditya Varma, whereas Pallab Talukdar has provided the tunes.

Sukanya has made quite a wave through her work in Assamese cinema, along with music videos, and TV series, including “Nima Denzongpa” on COLORS TV and “Sakuntala” on RANG TV.In addition to her acting career, Sukanya has also appeared in several prominent advertisements for top brands such as Coca Cola, Caprese, Samsung, Nestlé, Nykaa, Usha Fan, and Skybags. Sukanya Boruah on her international debut with 'Not a Hero': It makes every struggle worth it | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → March 07, 2026

Maggie Gyllenhaal reveals her inspiration behind 'The Bride!'

(photo AI/IANS)

Los Angeles, (IANS) Actress-director Maggie Gyllenhaal has spoken up on her source of inspiration for her upcoming film ‘The Bride!’.

The actress was inspired to direct after seeing a tattoo at a party, reports ‘Female First UK’.

The 48-year-old actress and filmmaker has helmed the new Gothic romance movie and explained how it came about after she saw a man with a tattoo of the Bride of Frankenstein on his arm and decided to watch the original 1935 picture that starred Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester.

Maggie, who made her directorial debut with ‘The Lost Daughter’, told SFX magazine, "I was at a party, and I saw a man with a tattoo on his whole forearm of the Bride of Frankenstein. And I was like... huh! It just hooked me. I saw this tattoo, and I was like, 'Have I ever seen that movie? I know the image’. I was doing press in LA, and I went back to my hotel room and looked her up online. Then I watched the movie”.

As per ‘Female First UK’, Maggie felt that the fact that she hadn't seen Bride of Frankenstein gave her a fresh sense of perspective as she embarked on making the movie.

The actress said, "Throughout this process, the feeling of coming to something new and fresh has been a part of my experience. I came to her very open and curious, without much history attached, aside from the general way that she exists in our cultural mythology”.

The actress was particularly struck by the fact that Lanchester's Bride has only minimal screen time in the film.

She explained, "Well, Elsa Lanchester doesn't speak, which I found really interesting, especially when she's the titular character. You're kind of expecting that the movie is going to be about her, and it just isn't. But then when she does come on screen, she's undeniable. She has very few actual minutes of screen time as the Bride, and yet somehow she makes this lasting impact. I think it has to do with her so clearly being disobedient and not willing to fit in a box. Like, she's just saying 'No' from the moment she wakes up to this pretty f***** situation that she finds herself in”.

Maggie shared that she and lead star Jessie Buckley didn't set out to imitate Lanchester's look, but it ended up that way.

The actress said, "Jessie and I were involved together for a long time. Before the Actors' Strike (in the summer of 2023), we were working, thinking, sharing images and poems and songs. Then we have this big break where we can't work, and we're just gathering information alone”."We really felt no responsibility to imitate the original Bride of Frankenstein. "We didn't think of it that way at all. But by the time we got the look finished, she does have that little bit of a wink to the Bride's hair. We loved the idea that electricity dyed all of her hair white: the hair on her head, her lashes, her brows”, she added. Maggie Gyllenhaal reveals her inspiration behind 'The Bride!' | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → March 01, 2026

Jaafar Jackson on playing Michael Jackson in biopic: It was a calling

(Photo : IANS/michaelmovie/insta)

Los Angeles, (IANS) Debutant Jaafar Jackson said that playing his late uncle and King of Pop Michael Jackson in the upcoming biopic Michael is his "calling". He went on to share that he had never even thought about an acting career until the project came along.

In a new behind-the-scenes video for the movie, the 29-year-old, who is the son of Michael's older brother Jermaine Jackson, said: "I never dreamed to be an actor or even thought of playing him. But I knew it was a calling.

"Embodying Michael, I really had to earn the role and prove to the filmmakers that I was capable of becoming Michael. Essentially, it was starting at the roots and finding the authenticity."

Jaafar praised the "love for Michael,” who died in 2009 aged 50, that surrounded the project, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

He said: "I felt that love for Michael every day on set from the crew and the cast. Everybody had that love and wanted to put their heart and soul into it."

Producer Graham King and director Antoine Fuqua couldn't be happier with their lead actor's performance.

Graham said in the clip: "Going through this process of who can play Michael, how do you even start with that? And then, of course, I meet Jaafar Jackson."

Antoine added: "Day one, all I could think of was, 'Can Jaafar really pull this off?' Man, when the music started and he hit those first few moves, I mean, this guy killed it. I looked at Graham and Graham looked at me, I was like, 'Who is this guy?!' He has the desire — like Michael — to be the best."

Michael follows Michael Jackson’s journey from The Jackson 5 to record-breaking solo stardom, driven by perfectionism, family pressure and artistic genius. The biopic traces the making of music history while examining the personal battles behind the legend.

The upcoming film also stars Miles Teller as Jackson’s longtime attorney and advisor John Branca, Colman Domingo and Nia Long as Jackson’s parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, and Larenz Tate as the founder of Motown Records, Berry Gordy.

Meanwhile, Laura Harrier plays Suzanne de Passe, a pioneering female music executive, alongside Kat Graham’s Diana Ross and Kendrick Sampson’s Quincy Jones, who produced Jackson’s three most successful albums: Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad.Michael was initially due to release on October 3, 2025, but was pushed back to April 2026. Jaafar Jackson on playing Michael Jackson in biopic: It was a calling | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → February 14, 2026