ITV

Category: Hindi

  • Eros seeks to protect stakeholder interest, files case against US short-sellers

    Eros seeks to protect stakeholder interest, files case against US short-sellers

    MUMBAI: Eros International Plc has filed a lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court against Mangrove Partners, Manuel P. Asensio, GeoInvesting, LLC, and numerous other individuals and entities.

    Eros International Plc, which has an extensive library comprising over 3,000 Hindi, Tamil, and other regional language films, acquires, co-produces and distributes Indian films across all available formats such as cinema, television and digital new media.

    The lawsuit alleges the defendants and other co-conspirators disseminated material false, misleading, and defamatory information about Eros and are engaging in other misconduct that has harmed the company. The lawsuit also names various “John Doe” defendants who will be identified and joined as the case unfolds, an Eros press release stated.

    The complaint alleges that Mangrove Partners and many, if not all, of its co-conspirators held substantial short positions in Eros stock and profited when its share price declined in response to their multi-year disinformation campaign. Eros seeks damages and injunctive relief for defamation, trade libel, civil conspiracy, and tortious interference, including but not limited to interference with its customers, producers, distributors, investors, and lenders.

    The filing of this lawsuit marks another important step in Eros’ vigorous defense of itself and the company’s stakeholders. On 25 September, 2017, Eros also reported that the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed a putative securities class action, with prejudice, that was originally filed in November 2015 and arose from a series of baseless accusations that the Eros complaint alleges were disseminated by short sellers.

    The company previously announced that it retained Michael J. Bowe, a partner of Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, to investigate and pursue all available legal remedies against those responsible for these blatant attempts at market manipulation. The counsel is continuing its investigation, the release added.

  • Judwaa 2 hopes to entertain

    Judwaa 2 hopes to entertain

    *Judwaa 2 came after a long gap that was filled by mediocre and non-entertaining films. There were no films in the last few months which could draw out the families from home to watch a film.

    Two weeks before Diwali was not the right time to release a film but, to counter that, there was also a long holiday weekend with Dussehra on Saturday and Gandhi Jayanti holiday on Monday.

    The film rode on the brand equity of the 1997 original, Judwaa, starring Salman Khan in dual role. Salman even helped promote Judwaa 2 through its promos. The film took a decent opening last Friday with Rs 155 million as Saturday improved by bounds as expected, and so did Sunday as the film put together Rs 579 million for its opening weekend.

    Gandhi Jayanti holiday may have have proved to be a major boost to the film’s collections.

    *Sanjay Dutt’s comeback film, Bhoomi, has flopped. The film could add little to its opening weekend, and had just made about Rs 95 million for its first week.

    *Haseena Parkar proved to be another disaster. One wonders at the choice of such subjects to make films! Films and Rani Laxmi don’t work but someone somewhere thought a film on Haseena Parker will work? The film managed to collect Rs 63 million in its first week.

    *Newton proved to be surprise packet as its choice as the Indian entry for the Foreign Language Oscar coincided with its Friday release. Two other films to release on the same Friday, Bhoomi and Haseena Parker, being way below par, Newton got a boost as the people’s first choice. The film, which was poor on day one, picked up to end its first week with collections of Rs 112 million.

    *Lucknow Central managed to add just about Rs 75 lakh in its week two to take its two week total to Rs 110 million.

    *Simran added Rs 13 million in its week two to take its two week total to Rs 158 million.

  • Judwaa 2….Rides on long weekend

    Judwaa 2….Rides on long weekend

    Ideas are in short-supply. Shortcuts are the norm. And, as a producer of repute, if you are getting a package deal to make some quick money, why not?

    Producer Sajid Nadiadwala digs into his own archives and comes up with a remake of his own film ‘Judwaa.’ Since remakes are an accepted norm, David Dhawan, the director of the original Judwaa, comes as a package deal with his son, Varun, in the lead.

    Judwaa, Sajid and David’s 1997 film was a comic laugh riot. Salman Khan was in his element playing a dual role and David was known to be an economical director who, trained at FTII as an editor, was known to pre-edit his films.

    Judwaa 2 continues the age-old formula where twins are separated at birth for whatever reason. The character of Sachin Khedekar and his wife, Prachi Shah, have twin boys, Varun Dhawan in dual role. One of them is kidnapped. The upbringing of the two is poles apart.

    Prem grows up in London in the lap of luxury in a protected life. Raja is raised by a fisherwoman in Mumbai. Raja grows up to become an extrovert and confident one, Prem is a softy who takes to music.

    How the two brothers eventually come together and the pieces fall into their respective slots and the villains tackled is the obvious plot.

    Romantic angles have to be drawn. Prem has been paired with the character Taapsee Pannu while Raja meets his match, played by Jacqueline Fernandez, on a flight.

    The best part of the film, which makes it tick, is that these are reflexive twins in that whatever one does, other follows or, whatever one undergoes, the other sufferers it too. So, even while both are away from each other unaware of their existence, this provides for some fun.

    Since this is the remake of the 1997 Judwaa starring Salman Khan, the comparisons are inevitable, especially since the film is still fresh in mind of the moviegoer. While lacking in originality, Judwaa 2 also can’t find new or contemporary gags.

    Varun Dhawan tries his best and comes across convincingly as the ‘tapori’ while, as the simpleton, he finds the going tough. Fernandez and Pannu have nothing much to do except during songs and to add glamour.

    As for direction, Dhawan adheres mostly to the original, also his own work. The length here, 150 minutes, looks stretched, especially in the second half and needs some trimming. Music benefits with the use of two songs from the original Judwaa, composed by Anu Malik.

    Judwaa 2 is a light entertainer which is what the moviegoer prefers. The film gets a long weekend as Saturday is a Dussehra holiday followed by Sunday, and Gandhi Jayanti holiday on Monday.

    Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala.

    Director: David Dhawan.

    Cast: Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Taapsee Pannu, Anupam Kher, Pavan Malhotra, Rajpal Yadav, Sachin Khedekar and Prachi Shah.

  • Viacom18 showcases strong women characters content: Ajit Andhare, buys Mithali biopic rights

    Viacom18 showcases strong women characters content: Ajit Andhare, buys Mithali biopic rights

    MUMBAI: With a phenomenal record of being the highest run scorer in one-day internationals averaging above 51, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, Mithali Raj, has had a remarkable journey on field. An inspiration to billions of young girls in the country, her life is now all set to be documented on the silver screen. The rights of the film have been acquired by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio that backed content driven films like Queen, Manjhi, Drishyam, Mary Kom, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and the recent hit, Toilet Ek Prem Katha. Viacom18 Motion Pictures COO Ajit Andhare says, “Viacom18 Motion Pictures has always been the pioneer in showcasing content with portrayal of strong women characters right from Queen to Kahani to Mary Kom. We are proud to be collaborating with the young and inspirational Mithali Dorai Raj, a name single-handedly responsible in bringing about a shift in the way women’s cricket team was perceived in our country.” Raj is the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket and the only woman cricketer to surpass the 6,000 run mark in ODIs. She is also the first player to score seven consecutive 50s in ODIs. Raj is the first Indian to have lead the national team to an ICC ODI World Cup final twice – 2005 and 2017. An Arjuna awardee, Mithali was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2015, India’s fourth highest civilian award for her contribution towards the sport of cricket. Raj says, “I am extremely happy on this association with Viacom18 Motion Pictures. Hoping that this movie inspires more people especially young girls to take up sports as a career.” The association between Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Mithali Raj has been facilitated by Medallin Sports director Varun Chopra, who says: “Mithali remains to be an inspiration for multitudes for many years now and her story on the silver screen will keep motivating generations.”

  • Indifference of movie-goers

    Indifference of movie-goers

    *Bhoomi was chosen to be the re-launch vehicle of Sanjay Dutt on his return from serving a jail sentence. The subject could not have been a romance considering his age and the receding hairline. And, Munnabhai scripts are not something you picked off the shelf!

    Omung Kumar earned fame with his direction of Mary Kom and, one must say, that very little of it he merited for his contribution to the film, most of it was media gifted which is to say, he has been overrated.

    Omung’s next was Sarbjit, which he also produced, which was a rank bad film. It seemed have been made with the intent of encashing Aishwarya Rai’s face forgetting most of the time about Sarbjit.

    But, for the sake of Sunjay Dutt, the idea of Bhoomi, a father daughter story worked.

    Considering all things, the director, Omung Kumar, made partly right decision, to cast Dutt according to his age, as the father of a girl of marriageable age. But, the rest of the decision was disastrous. That was to fall back on old-fashioned 1980s films churned out from South where the ‘izzat’ of wife, sister, bhabhi was compromised by the villains. The true hero was then expected to save his family honour.

    It made simple thrill seeking audience happy. Movie going has come a long way since.

    Bhoomi has turned out to be bad film with the opening response showing indifference of movie goer. The opening day was poor at about Rs 20 million with the Saturday and Sunday remaining stagnant as the film closed its opening weekend with Rs 66 million.

    *Worse choice for a maker was to opt for Haseena Parker. This shows a total lack of imagination let alone creativity. When creativity is nil, one looks for such short cuts just to stay afloat in the industry. After all, a film is made for the all India audience! And, how would they identify with a South Mumbai small lane woman who cashed in on the name of her brother, Dawood Ibrahim? Not many earlier and not now after the film.

    Shraddha Kapoor mouthing Urdu dialogue with a stuffed mouth comes across as a comedy! The film opened with poor collections of Rs 11 million, failing to improve much over the weekend and collecting Rs 41 million.

    Newton, an odd film about an honest officer wanting to conduct free and fair elections in a Naxal affected area, as expected, has an indifferent opening, but the release of the film coincided with the film’s selection as India’s choice for entry at the Oscars. And, that boosts the footfall for the film over the weekend with big leaps. The film, which opened at Rs 9 billion on Friday, had a huge jump in collections on Saturday of Rs 25 million and Rs 32 million on Sunday giving it a decent weekend of Rs 66 million.

    *Lucknow Central, a poor idea poorly executed, fails miserably. With a poor opening weekend of Rs 72.5 million, the film could manage to add just three crore for the next four days to end its first week with a total of Rs 103 million.

    *Simran, counting on yet another one-woman show from Kangana Ranaut, like Queen, had just about everything going wrong for it. From the script, to the characterisation of Kangana, to direction, just about everything.

    The film let the Kangana fans down as it ended its first week with a tally of Rs 145 million. It is another thing that had the film succeeded, it would have given some standing and credibility to the director Hansal Mahta, too.

    *Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi has collected Rs 13 million for its one week. (The film’s weekend collection was Rs 7 million, and not 700 million.)

    *Poster Boys collects Rs 15 million for week two taking its two week total to Rs 122.5 million.

    *Daddy added Rs 11 million in its week two to take its two week total to Rs 75 million.

  • PVR watermark and trained staff help detect piracy, says Sanjeev Bijli, targets 1000 screens by ’20

    PVR watermark and trained staff help detect piracy, says Sanjeev Bijli, targets 1000 screens by ’20

    NEW DELHI: It had always been a favourite meeting place until it closed down over a decade ago, and it was sorely missed. The Chanakya cinema was the only theatre in Chanakyapuri — the capital’s diplomatic enclave — and so it exhibited either English or blockbuster films. But, an unseemly dispute with the New Delhi Municipal Corporation forced the lease-holders to shut shop.

    However, the theatre has reopened in a new avatar – and helped the PVR Cinemas touch the 600-screen mark with PVR Cinema CMD Ajay Bijli confident of touching the 1000-screen mark by 2020.

    The property was later acquired on a 15-year lease by DLF who have developed it as a shopping complex and PVR developed a part of it as a three-screen theatre.

    PVR joint managing director Sanjeev Bijli told Indiantelevision.com that around 3.5 per cent of the budget of the PVR chain has been set aside for publicity and promotion. In a brief talk on the sidelines of a press meet to unveil the new theatre, he said, answering a question relating to piracy, that every frame appearing on the screen carried the PVR watermark and so piracy could be easily detected.

    Bijli also said that the staff had been trained to keep a watch on viewers using mobiles to ensure the screen image was not copied. He said the tagline ECX meant Enhanced Cinema Experience — a greater emphasis on the latest sound technology, and silver screens which ensured a better viewing experience.

    In its new incarnation, PVR ECX Chanakya unveils the most opulent cinema format in India with its 4K projection system, next-generation 3D-enabled screens with ultra HD picture quality and Dolby ATMOS surround-sound system in all auditoriums. The new cinema also offers Quick Tix, PVR’s digital ticketing solution to promote cashless transactions and reduce ticket-wait times. The cinema also offers an automated F&B kiosk Quick Bites for the first time ever, wherein patrons’ can either pick up their order from the counter or get it served on their seat.

    Being a PVR ECX property, there is special emphasis on ambience manifested by a deep focus on design, colours and lighting in each cinema. Designed by the Madrid-based STUDIO GRONDA, the revamped PVR ECX has magnificent lobby spaces, custom-made chandeliers, prime marbles, dynamic auditorium lights, and unparalleled technological integrations.

    Sanjeev Bijli said the chain had started out in 1997 after an agreement between Priya from India and Village Roadshow of Australia, and begun with Anupam PVR in Saket in South Delhi and grown in 20 years to its present capacity and along the way acquired the Cinemax and DT chains.

    Earlier, at the press meet, Ajay Bijli regretted that the cinema had been treated as a luxury item despite fact that ticket prices varied between Rs 125 and Rs 550 and the blended tax under GST had been fixed at 28 per cent despite a demand for keeping it low at 18 per cent.

    PVR CEO Gautam Dutta said that the marketing and consumer support had helped the keep its rates steady. He said that adequate publicity would be given to show timings when the rate was as low as Rs 125 to ensure consumer support. He said art and technology make for good cinema and, with the tastes of the consumer changing, it was important to keep ahead of the curve.

    To a question, he said that both English and Indian blockbuster films would be screened at Chanakya, now.

    Ajay Bijli said that 21 other screens were ready for launching in other places but the clearances for the Chanakya heritage property came early, and so this was the first to touch 600 screens.

  • Haseena Parkar….Who!

    Haseena Parkar….Who!

    Director Apoorva Lakhia seems to be getting excited about all the wrong ideas. Last time, he watched the 2004 Hollywood film, Man On Fire, came back jet speed to India and launched a Hindi ‘remake’.

    By the time he launched his movie, Ek Ajnabee, the original had fallen flat. Instead, what Lakhia could have done was adapt the book, Man On Fire, written by AJ Quinnell in 1987. The movie had left out all the best parts of the story.

    This time, he has dug out the life of Haseena Parkar (Sharddha Kapoor), post her brother, Dawood’s (Siddhant Kapoor) departure from India. Along with an important man from Dawood’s coterie, she continues with collection and extortion business of Dawood. Her brother, Dawood, may have left Mumbai, but his enemies were still around. Soon, Haseena’s husband, Akur Bhatia, is killed.

    This is about all that the writer-director have on their hand which is not enough, and it shows her becoming woman of power to facing the law. The film ends up glorifying Parker, and one wonders how she merited a film be made on her or her story be told!

    If the makers think casting Shraddha and Siddhant, the real brother and sister, was some sort of a coup, it was no such thing.

    However, what was funny was and advertorial in newspaper supplement which claimed: Sharddha-Siddhant shed tears on the sets of Hasena Parkar! What kind of a childish promotion is this?

    There is nothing to write home about performances. Shraddha tries to justify the role of Haseena and there is nothing to compare if she is living up to the original.

    Also, whoever had played Haseena would not have made much difference as one can’t take a liking to negative character for no reason. Rest don’t matter.

    Haseena Parkar will prove to be liability.

    Producers: Nahid Khan.

    Director: Apoorva Lakhia.

    Cast: Shraddha Kapoor, Siddhant Kapoor, Ankur Bhatia.

  • Bhoomi….80s revisited

    Bhoomi….80s revisited

    Bhoomi, directed by Omung Kumar, is a throwback to the 1980s era when the villain and his cohorts would rape a hero’s sister and he would take revenge against them. Except that, in Bhoomi, it is the daughter of the character of Sanjay Dutt, played by Aditi Rao Hydari, who is raped the night before her wedding and after surviving another rape and an attempt to kill her, she first breaks down completely as does her father but eventually systematically kills all the bad men.

    The biggest plus point of Bhoomi is that this film marks the return of Sanjay Dutt and that too playing his age. Time has added a few wrinkles and gravitas to his personality but this is vintage Dutt, the larger-than-life hero. On the minus side is that the script offers nothing new in terms of action and reaction.

    Dutt and Hydari lead a peaceful existence in Agra where Dutt has a shop that specializes in mojris and Hydari is a wedding planner cum mehndi expert. She is in love with a local doctor — played by Sidhanth Gupta, and their wedding is due to take place in a few days when the film opens.

    Another boy is also in love with her and when she spurns his advances, he and two thugs (Sharad Kelkar is one) decide to rape her. She tells her to be husband about the rape and the wedding is cancelled.

    They get no justice when they file charges against the perpetrators, and are all set to try to build their lives again when their hopes come dashing down with the constant humiliation they have to face. After a point, they have no choice — but retaliate.

    Small town India is the new locale for films but, while most are quirky, Bhoomi explores its narrow-mindedness. Dutt and Hydari share a warm camaraderie and this elevates the film. But, it is needlessly violent and sometimes crude and this will make it more of a single screen film that a pan Indian one.

    Dutt underplays the grieving father while Hydari tends to ham in dramatic sequences. Kelkar is a fitting successor to earlier villains. Kumar directs ably.

    Though the film is just 135 minutes long, the incessant padding of scenes before it gets down to business, i.e. revenge, makes it seem longer and that drags down the film.

    Bhoomi may be Dutt’s comeback film but the opening response reflects no such enthusiasm on the part of moviegoer.

    Producers: Bhushan Kumar, KIshan Kumar, Omung Kumar.

    Direction: Omung Kumar.

    Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Aditi Rao Hydari.

  • It’s a dull period for films

    It’s a dull period for films

    No happy news for either the exhibitors or the trade in general, so far. The poor run of films continues and, releasing new films in this dull period, adds to the woes.

    The week saw the release of four films in Simran, Lucknow Central, Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi and BA Pass 2. While there were no hopes from Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi and BA Paas 2, whatever little was expected was from Simran while Lucknow Central had lost its novelty value to Qaidi Band, a recent film on a similar theme.

    Lucknow Central, the film about jail inmates forming a music band needed strong musical score where it was found lacking. Also, for drab film that it is, the length of almost 2 and half hours made it unbearable. And, that too watching no presentable face on the screen except the sole glam face of Diana Penty.

    Simran held some promise on the fan following Kangana Ranaut created due to her brave stand she has taken against the mighty ones in the industry if not for the film’s content. Hansal Mehta, the director, who usually makes films from real life events, tried fiction this time and ended up choosing a story about a negative protagonist. Kangana’s character in the film lacks in logic that a woman can be nasty who revolts against everybody for no reason.

    Last week’s releases, Poster Boys and Daddy remained poor failing to get enough footfalls. The collections remained hopelessly low.

    *Lucknow Central had a poor opening of about Rs 18 million on its opening day. The film showed a negligible rise on Saturday and Sunday to end its opening weekend with a total of Rs 72.5 million. The film’s prospects Monday onwards look dim.

    *Simran had an average opening day of Rs 25 million, showed a decent raise on Saturday but remained stagnant on Sunday to take its opening weekend total to Rs 93 million.

    *BA Pass 2 sinks without a trace. Mostly, no audience, no show status.

    *Patel KI Punjabi Shaadi, in the making since 2014, is a damp squib. The film was released sans due promotion and the result is utter waste of two very talented actors, Rishi Kapoor and Paresh Rawal. The opening day collections were very poor remaining in lakhs: 25 lakh for the opening day and will end its opening weekend with about Rs 700 million.

    *Poster Boys, a remake of the Marathi film, Poshter Boyz, fails to match up to the original. Despite the Deol brothers in the cast, the film remains below par even in their strong areas, Delhi and Punjab. Having opened to poor houses, the film could manage barely Rs 107.5 million in its first week.

    *Daddy, another Don biopic on the life of Arun Gawli, fails. The films on underworld, even the Mumbai dons, don’t work and Daddy joins the list. The film collects Rs 64 million in its first week.

    *Badshaho adds Rs 105 million in its second week to take its two week tally to Rs 649 million. The film needs to do the business of about Rs 1 billion to recover.

    *Shubh Mangal Savdhaan has done well in its second week by adding Rs 104 million and taking its two week total to Rs 327 million.

    *Bareilly Ki Barfi adds Rs 13.5 million in its fourth week to take its four week tally to Rs 332.5 million.

    *Toilet Ek Prem Katha collects Rs 50 lakh in its fifth week taking its total business to Rs 1.3 billion.

  • TV and film exporters’ council plans ‘content certification’, elects Ultra’s Agrawal and Shemaroo’s Gada

    TV and film exporters’ council plans ‘content certification’, elects Ultra’s Agrawal and Shemaroo’s Gada

    NEW DELHI: The Indian Council of IMPEX for Films and TV Programmers, at its Annual General Meeting, has elected Sushilkumar Agrawal, Ultra Media and Entertainment CEO, as the president.

    Film producer Gordhan Tanwani has been elected as the vice-president, Shemaroo Entertainment director Hiren Gada was elected as the honorary secretary and Ashok Jain as the honorary treasurer at the meeting held in Mumbai.

    The Indian Council of IMPEX For Films and TV Programmers – earlier known as Indian Film Exporters Association – promotes the trade of import and export of Indian and foreign films and television programmes globally. The main focus of this council is to help, safeguard and encourage general welfare, development and prosperity in India & worldwide

    One of the primary tasks before Agrawal is to create a unique platform wherein the Indian member-owners of films, TV and digital content will be able to seamlessly offer these to various countries worldwide. In this platform even the foreign content owners will be certified members of this council, which in turn will help them to offer their content to Indian members in a lucid and transparent way.

    The Council will initiate a certification process which will authenticate the content being sold, hence ensuring credibility in the entire transaction worldwide.

    The council will actively participate in a maximum number of film festivals and film markets, which will help in giving a bigger opportunity for the council members to showcase and promote their respective content globally.