ITV

Category: Hindi

  • Salman’s ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ gets hate mails

    Salman’s ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ gets hate mails

    MUMBAI: Films being targeted by religious extremists is nothing new. After ‘PK’, it’s the turn of yet-to-be released Salman Khan’s film ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’.

     

    The film which is slated to release on Eid 2015 has already angered a certain section of the society. And apparently, the star as well as the director of the film, Kabir Khan, have received hate mails from many religious extremists stating that they will boycott the film because it propagates “Love Jihad”.

     

    The director refuses to surrender and has decided not to make any changes to the film which traces the love story of a Muslim guy and a Hindu girl or its name.

  • Dharma earns Rs 100 crore opening weekend in 2014

    Dharma earns Rs 100 crore opening weekend in 2014

    MUMBAI: Dharma Productions had a busy 2014 with a romance hat trick in the first half of the year – Hasee Toh Phasee along with Phantom Production, 2 States along with Nadiadwala Grandsons & UTV; and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania in July.  With its last release Ungli, Dharma has become a production house with probably the widest range of film varieties this year.

     

    All the films had something unique about them – right from a romedy with a fresh storyline, to a bestseller adaptation, to a tribute to legendary Bollywood love stories. Whereas, Ungli was film from a genre unknown to Dharma until now. This year, Dharma also became the launchpad for three more promising directors – Vinil Matthew (Hasee Toh Phasee), Abhishek Varman (2 States) and Shashank Khaitan (Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania). Ungli was Rensil D’silva’s second outing with Dharma.

     

    With the audience accepting all these films with open arms, Dharma Productions is set for an exciting line-up in next two years. It will be exploring multiple collaborations and giving an opportunity to many new talents.

     

    Here’s to the youth power.

  • Excel Entertainment collaborates with Hollywood studio for ‘Three Stories’

    Excel Entertainment collaborates with Hollywood studio for ‘Three Stories’

    MUMBAI: 2015 is going to be one lucky year for Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment. Having a lot on its platter, from Dil Dhadakne Do and Bangistan set for release to starting preparations for Rock On 2 and Raees, the production house seems to be on a roll.

     

    Adding to the kitty, it has signed a co-production deal for its next film – Three Stories with a popular Hollywood studio, Relativity Media.

     

    Aiming at an international audience, this California based film studio will be helping Excel Entertainment in the mainstream release of the movie. Relativity Media has previously produced films like The Bourne Legacy, Magic Mike among others.

     

    Directed by ad filmmaker Arjun Mukherjee, the film in question stars Sharman Joshi, Shefali Shah and Pulkit Samrat. The actresses’ names are still being kept under wraps. Sidhwani who is excited about taking the film to a global audience stated that Three Stories is an emotional tale with elements of humour. It is being said that the story revolves around three chawl residents in Mumbai who are trying to deal with the situations in an urban society.

     

    It is slated to go on floors in January 2015. 

  • Poster of ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ launched in Kolkata

    Poster of ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!’ launched in Kolkata

    KOLKATA: Director Dibakar Banerjee along with his lead actor, Sushant Singh Rajput, released the first look poster of the upcoming film Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! at the Great Eastern Hotel in Kolkata (now The Lalit Great Eastern Hotel).

     

    The film Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is set in the back drop of World War 2 and it captures the Calcutta (now Kolkata) of that time. The motion poster was also released as a fitting tribute to a World War II air-raid in the war-torn history of Kolkata.

     

    Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! is an upcoming Hindi crime thriller film directed by Dibakar Banerjee and produced by Aditya Chopra in association with Yash Raj Films and Dibakar Banerjee Productions. The film is based on the detective character Byomkesh Bakshi created by the Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay and the film is titled ‘Detective Byomkesh Bakshy’ to make it more contemporary. The film stars Sushant Singh Rajput, Anand Tiwari and Swastika Mukherjee in principal roles. The film is scheduled for release on 10 April 2015.

     

    Dibakar Banerjee told the media, “In late 1942 and early 1943, Calcutta was the last frontier of the British Empire, holding out against the Japanese invasion of Asia. As Japanese bombs were falling on Calcutta dockyard, around The Great Eastern Hotel, history was being created and Calcutta stepped on to the world stage. It’s right here that Byomkesh’s first adventure catapulted him from anonymity to dangerous fame. I can’t imagine a more fitting place to launch the first look of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! than this hotel and right on this day in 1942, this would have been full of chaos and mayhem as bombs fell around it seventy years ago!”

     

    Shooting for the film began in early 2014, and ended in May 2014.  A part of the movie has been shot in Kolkata and Mumbai. Some scenes were shot in an abandoned mill in Mumbai’s Byculla region.

     

    “Shooting locations of the film in Kolkata was finalized in February 2012. Shooting did take place in Lalbazar, Presidency University, Coffee House and Bow Barracks. The cast was shooting for the film in Agarpara in January 2014,” said a cast member.

     

    Dibakar Banerjee has paid attention to every detail and he further said that every aspect of his film brings back the bygone era.

     

    “The planes seen on the poster of the film are the exact replica of the real Japanese planes which were used during the bombing in 1943. The planes at that time looked very different from the way the planes look today. Japan had done an aerial bombing attack on Calcutta and this is the central theme of the film,” he concluded.

  • An ‘Ugly’ Box Office

    An ‘Ugly’ Box Office

    MUMBAI: Ugly is poor below redemption at the box office with collection figures staying limited to lakhs throughout its opening three days and managing to end its first weekend with a little over Rs 1.5 crore.

     

    PK is enjoying a bumper run. Having opened to mixed response and tepid opening collections, the film came into its own on its first Sunday with almost 33 per cent leap over its first day figures. The film is making the most of Christmas holidays though late shows do show the effect of severe winter in North and other parts of India.

     

    Having collected Rs 89.5 crore for its opening weekend, the film remained steady through the next four days to take its first week total to Rs 175.2 crore.

     

    There are some protests against the film from religious organisations but that is a storm in the tea cup looking at the way it is collecting.

     

    Badlapur Boys has collected Rs 7.5 lakh in its second week to take its two week total to Rs 97.5 lakh. Action Jackson has managed another Rs 30 lakh in its third week taking its three week total to Rs 58.65 crore.

  • Priyanka Chopra is the new face of Pakistani mobile

    Priyanka Chopra is the new face of Pakistani mobile

    New Delhi: Even though there are tensions on other fronts, cultural and commercial links continue to thrive between India and Pakistan.

     

    Pakistan’s QMobile has now selected Priyanka Chopra who will be marketing a newer brand for LINQ Smartphones.

     

    QMobile already has a 50% market share in the local market that makes it the number one mobile phone seller in Pakistan. Out of this entire share, a big chunk belongs to lower end mobile phones. With growing competition in the smartphone domain, QMobile is continuing its journey by influencing the minds of its fans through top notch celebrities.

     

    With Priyanka Chopra on board, QMobile is confident about generating a positive impact in the market.

     

    Before this, the company has brought three top notch Bollywood Kapoors – Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor – and Pakistani singing and acting fascinations Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar and Shan in their television commercials. They have also presented Shahid Khan Afridi in their ads.

     

    An official statement from the company says, “The genius behind QMobile, CEO Zeeshan Akhtar, is venturing out to embark upon new journey with premier Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra on board”.

     

    The mastermind’s keen marketing sense has allowed him to sign a beauty truly representative of this new range.

  • Top 10 Bollywood actors to look out for in 2015

    Top 10 Bollywood actors to look out for in 2015

    MUMBAI: The past year in Bollywood gave us several groundbreaking performances by celebrated actors as well as debutants.  With the year coming to an end, here’s a roundup of some of the hottest actors to look out for in 2015. Check out the list of top 10 actors who are sure to rule the industry in the upcoming year.

    Deepika Padukone:

    Apart from numerous brand endorsements and appearances, Deepika Padukone tops the list with many exciting projects lined up for release next year. Deepika will essay the title role in Shoojit Sircar’s Piku opposite legendary Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani as Mastani. Last but not the least she also has Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha opposite Ranbir Kapoor in her kitty.

    Kangana Ranaut:

    Kangana Ranaut received numerous accolades for her film, Queen, winning millions of hearts with its simple story. Kangana also won the best actress award drama category for the film in the recent Stardust Awards. Taking the entertainment quotient one notch higher, she will be seen in a double role in Aanand L. Rai’s Tanu Weds Manu 2 in 2015.

    Vidya Balan:

    Vidya Balan is geared up for some ambitious releases in 2015. Mahesh Bhatt’s Humari Adhuri Kahani which stars Vidya alongside Emraan Hashmi and Rajkumar Rao is an anticipated romantic drama. The actress, who is known for her unique choice in roles, was last seen in Bobby Jasoos this year.

    Shraddha Kapoor:

    In 2015, Shraddha Kapoor will be shaking legs with Varun Dhawan in the upcoming dance based film, ABCD 2. Currently, the actress is enjoying the Vegas schedule of the film that promises to deliver cutting edge VFX and outstanding choreography.

    Arjun Rampal:

    Social media platforms have been buzzing with compliments for Arjun Rampal’s look in his upcoming film Roy. Portraying the role of a complex filmmaker Kabir, fans are totally loving his new look and the role. With Roy’s release, 2015 will see the actor playing a role that he has never done before.

    Taahir Bhasin:

    Taahir impressed the audience and critics this year with his powerful performance as the antagonist in his debut YRF film Mardaani opposite Rani Mukerji. In 2015, Taahir has an exciting project film titled Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Chitrangada Singh. Looks like 2015 will be promising for the young actor.

    Emraan Hashmi:

    Emraan Hashmi starred in Mr. Natwarlal and Dharma Productions’ Ungli this year. Even though these films did not do well, his future projects in 2015 like Mr. X and Hamari Adhuri Kahani are in the list of the most awaited films of the coming year.

    Abhishek Bachchan:

    With his last super-hit release, Happy New Year, Abhishek Bachchan surely witnessed a successful year in 2014. In 2015, the actor has interesting projects to look forward which includes All is Well along side actress Asin.

    Jacqueline Fernandez:

    Jacqueline Fernandez is riding high on success with the blockbuster KICK and 2015 is touted to be a great year for the actress with films like Roy, Brothers and Definition of Fear among others. Jacqueline will be seen in a double role in her upcoming film Roy and her first international debut Definition of Fear is a horror film directed by James Simpson. These films are sure to keep the actress on her toes for next year.

    Nargis Fakhri:

    Nargis Fakhri was praised this year for her item song in KICK and for her quirky performance in Main Tera Hero alongside Varun Dhawan. In 2015, she will be making her Hollywood debut with her upcoming film Spy with Jude Law. Nargis will also be seen in a Tamil film Saahasam.

  • ‘Ugly’…Horribly so!

    ‘Ugly’…Horribly so!

    MUMBAI: Ugly defies slotting. The closest it comes to in genre is 20th Century Hollywood noir thrillers shot in low lights. While the film adopts this pretentious low light option to look intelligent, its content lacks grossly in thrill of any kind. The film is a saga of double-crossing and backstabbing among friends and family members. But the content in the film has nothing to do with the film’s main story: that of kidnap of a 10 year girl.

    Ronit Roy is the top cop married to the girl he loved in college. It was a love triangle, with Ronit, Tejeswini Kolhapure and Rahul Bhatt, now a full time struggler wanting to make it as a star. Rahul seems to have been the lucky one who marries Tejaswini. The couple get one girl child who is usually witness to the violence between Rahul and Tejaswini who are eventually divorced. Ronit, by virtue of being next in line, marries her. But their marriage is cold with Tejaswini having turned an alcoholic.

    Saturday is the day for Rahul to meet his daughter, Kali, and as usual he takes her out. Rahul goes up to meet his casting director friend, Vineet Kumar Singh, leaving Kali in the car when Kali goes missing. She has been kidnapped. Initially, the film is all about finding her but soon turns in to blame game and finally into all the characters wanting to exploit the situation to their own advantage.

    Producers: DAR Motion Pictures, Phantom Films.

    Director: Anurag Kashyap.

    Cast: Ronit Roy, Rahul Bhatt, Vineet Kumar, Singh, Tejaswini Kolhapure, Surveen Chawla, Siddhanth Kapoor, Girish Kulkarni.

    Since nobody trusts anyone else they all suspect each other of the kidnap and don’t bother to check other possibilities. Ronit, being a cop, uses his office to tail and record the conversations of others including his wife, Tejaswini. He as well as his staff are completely devoted to this task. Rohit and Vineet are put behind bars and tortured in Ronit’s backroom. He has a motive since the court has restricted his visits to Kali to once a week only.

    A missing ad is put in the newspapers and Tejaswinis’ crook brother, Siddhanth Kapoor, decides to take advantage. He calls up his sister demanding 50 lakh ransom to return the girl and Tejaswini asks her father, the only moneybag around, for 65 lakh, keeping her share in the ransom! Tejaswini gives her 15 lakh to her friend, Surveen Chawla, who happens to be Rahul’s current girlfriend. Surveen, an ex-item girl is married to a filmmaker who is useless in bed. 

    Surveen thinks she can use the 15 lakh left with her and she absconds with Rahul and Vineet. The latter is killed by Rahul in a frenzy, and Tejaswini decides to shoot Ronit even as Kali’s rotting body is lying dumped in a public place, the stink of which nobody smells until police does!

    Script, direction as well as other aspects are negative in this senseless film. The characters don’t fit in our kind of films or mind-set. The film has been designed to be gloomy and drab with planned exposure of Mumbai’s poverty ridden locations and garbage so much so even the ACP Ronit’s office is in some dilapidated housing board tenement.

    Ugly is a pretentious, bad film.

  • Amitabh Bachchan receives the 2nd Yash Chopra National Memorial award

    Amitabh Bachchan receives the 2nd Yash Chopra National Memorial award

    MUMBAI: The second Yash Chopra National Memorial award was held at JW Mariott in suburban Mumbai on 25 December 2014.

     

    The award has been instituted by the renowned statesman and MP, T Subbarami Reddy in the memory of late illustrious director, Yash Chopra. The second Yash Chopra National Memorial award went to the living legend Amitabh Bachchan for his phenomenal contribution to the Indian film industry.

     

    The ceremony was held in association with ITA president and GR8! TV magazine editor, Anu Ranjan and ITA and GR8! producer, director and the sheet-anchor, Shashi Ranjan. In association with the Ranjans, Reddy, who has been a close associate and a very dear friend of Yash Chopra, wanted to perpetuate his memory and commemorate Chopra’s outstanding contribution to the world of art and Indian cinema.

     

    The jury constituted of notable names such as Simi Garewal, Hema Malini, Anil Kapoor and Reddy himself and they unanimously decided that the prestigious honour should go to Amitabh Bachchan.

     

    Last year, the award was conferred upon Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar for her monumental contribution to the sphere of music in the country.

     

     The ceremony was conducted in a very dignified way and included the presence of distinguished personalities as Governor of Maharashtra, Vidyasagar Rao, honourable former Union Minister, Susheel Kumar Shinde, honourable Union Minister, Prakash Javadekar along with Videocon Industries Chairman & Managing Director, V N Dhoot and a host of celebrities from TV & Films.

     

     Celebrities who attended the event included Pam Chopra, Jaya Pradha, Simi Garewal, Bhagayhree and her husband Himalaya, Madhoo, cricketer Mohammed  Azharuddin, Arjan Bajwa,  Ellie Aviram,  Ramesh Sippy and Kiran Juneja, Poonam Dhillon, Ramesh Taurani, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Raj Kumar Barjatya, Satish Kaushik, Mukesh Rishi, Manish Paul, Mazher Syed and Mouli Ganguly, Shashank Vyas, Tina Dutta, Karan V. Grover,  Munisha Khatwani, Karan Sharma and Digangana Suryavanshi. 

  • Another Pakistani actor enters Bollywood

    Another Pakistani actor enters Bollywood

    MUMBAI: After Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, one more Pakistani actor is set to make his debut in Bollywood.

     

    Shehroz Sabzwari will be seen in Riingo Banerjee’s upcoming film Luv Story.

     

    The 29-year-old actor was chosen by producer Shamik Basu after watching his Hum TV Awards performance. Sabzwari will be playing a challenging role of a slightly mentally off character and will undertake workshops to prepare for his character.

     

    The project will start early next year.

     

    The film, which also stars Riya Sen, Zarina Wahab, Aryann, Bidita Beg and Mukesh Tiwari among others, revolves around three friends – Luv (Sabzwari), Madan Chetri (Aryann) and Kushali (Beg), who grow up in an orphanage in Kalimpong and the dynamics of their relationships. Wahab’s character adopts Luv after her son’s death.