Category: Hindi

MUMBAI: Amitabh Bachchan-promoted AB Corp is venturing into cartoon films besides lining up productions in Marathi and Gujarati.

The company has tapped Toonz Animation for two films and Turner International for one.

With Toonz, AB Corp will be making 1+1+0 0, a 90-minute 3D film that revolves around twin princess who belong to another planet but connect with and help save the Earth. The film will have Amitabh Bachchan lending his voice. 

The second is an animated feature, Gatture.

AB Corp is also making a Santa Claus film with Turner International.

The company is also producing a Marathi film (yet untitled) with noted director Umesh Kulkarni at the helm. The film will explore a contemporary theme about the spiritual way of looking at life and will go on the floors in the middle of this year.

Recently, film folks in Gujarat were happy to note that ABC Limited was intending to produce a Gujarati film. This after Amitabh Bachchan was made the brand ambassador of the State.
 

MUMBAI: Going by the critical acclaim their film Ishqiya got last year, Shemaroo Entertainment and Vishal Bharadwaj Pictures have announced the sequel of the film.

Said Shemaroo Entertainmenr director Hiren Gada, “ The yet untitled film, to be directed by Abhishek Chaubey, will have the same cast and crew. Right now the film is in the scripting stage and once it is locked, we will think of incorporating a few other names as the script demands. In all probability, the film will go on the floors in the middle of this year.”

It is said that several production houses had approached Chaubey to direct the sequel. He too was in talks and wanted to make a sequel to the film with John Abraham. But nothing worked out.

Chaubey took a long break to decide his next film. Once he firmed up his mind, he decided to go ahead and direct the Ishqiya sequel.
 

BANGALORE: Looking at the success it had on the national level with Bollywood cinema and a Tamil film in co-marketing, Godrej Appliances has gone a step further and tied up for in-film promos and a co-marketing tie-up with the soon to be released Kannada film ‘Kool-Sakkat Hot Magga’.

‘Kool – Sakkat Hot Magga‘ is the first directorial venture of Kannada superstar Ganesh whose film ‘Mangaru Male’ broke all the box office records in 2006, and was the first in India for any language to be screened for continuously one year in a multiplex. It was remade in Telugu as ‘Vaana’ and in Bengali as ‘Premer Kahani’. 

The big names associated with ‘Kool – Sakkat Hot Magga‘ include cinematography by Ratna Velu (movie Robot); editing by Anthony (of the My Name is Khan & 3 Idiots fame) and songs by Sonu Nigam, Shreya Goshal, etc.

“Our efforts have always been to offer something exciting and interesting to our consumers. We all know that movies are a religion in India. So this summer, we have done an exclusive tie-up with one of the most anticipated Kannada blockbuster, for the first time in the industry, to give our customers a never before kind of gratification on purchase of a home appliance. The theme of the movie ‘Kool’ connects with the youth beautifully and hence we found this movie a great fit with our brand and consumers”, said Godrej Appliances senior general manager Ramesh Chembath.

“No funds will be paid upfront to the film’s makers, but we are both spending a fair amount of money for co-promotion of the film. There is a lot of in-film mention of Godrej Appliances products in the film. We have a dialogue in the movie during which Ganesh tells a friend that the tagline ‘Design by curiosity’ is his tagline, not that of Godrej Appliances,” explained Chembath further.

The Godrej Eon-Kool Summer Dreams Offer is a unique opportunity for consumers to: to play a role in the next home production of Ganesh; meet Ganesh and dine with him at a meet and greet event; win free movie tickets to ‘Kool- Sakkat Hot Magga‘ and watch the movie with the star cast; win free Timex watches and Kool lunch-ware.

South India is a big market for Godrej Appliances and contributes about 35-37 per cent, while Karnataka contributes about 10 per cent to its revenues.

JWT and Leo Burnet handle the creative duties while Mindshare manages the media buying for Godrej Appliences.

MUMBAI: Navin Nischol, the popular film and television actor, died today of a heart attack in Mumbai.

The 65-year-old had made his debut in 1970 with the hit film Sawan Bhadon. He was also known for his role in the television serial Dekh Bhai Dekh.

Nischol was the first gold medalist from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and had starred in many hit films like Buddha Mil Gaya, The Burning Train, Victoria No. 203 and Khosla Ka Ghosla.

Many actors have paid their respects to Nischol on the micro-blogging site Twitter. His co-star in Khosla Ka Ghosla, Anupam Kher, wrote: “Navin Nischol was a good man. Aloof but helpful. We shared some nice moments during Khosla ka Ghosla. Sad he is no more. RIP.”

Diya Mirza, who shared screen space with Nischol in the past, wrote: “Actor Navin Nischol played my father in Rehna Hain Tere Dil Mein… Saddened by the news of his demise… RIP.”
 

MUMBAI: Cinemax has announced the launch of the 5th chapter of its annual Marathi Film Festival in Maharashtra, which will showcase seven select movies of recent times.

The festival commenced with a special screening of the much acclaimed film ‘Pangira‘ with its entire star cast in attendance.The Marathi Film Festival will be celebrated across all Cinemax locations in Maharashtra – for theatres in Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik as well as Malegaon.

This week long festival will showcase Marathi cinema‘s most popular contemporary movies across various genres. These encompass comic blockbusters such as Huppa Huyya and Ideachi Kalpana, Paaradh, Lalbaug Parel, Chal De Dhar Pakad and Manya – The Wonder Boy in the drama genre and the internationally acclaimed Mee Sindhutai Sapkal.

Said Cinemax CEO Sunil Punjabi, “Cinemax has a strong-hold in Maharashtra and we have always been in the fore-front of promoting regional cinema. Cinemax is the only multiplex to host such a festival across the state, and the success for this festival is clearly
evident as we step into our fifth year of celebrating Marathi cinema. Such initiatives reinforce our connect with our patrons and we are sure this festival will be enjoyed by all.”
 

MUMBAI: The Directorate of Film Festivals, a media unit under the Information & Broadcasting ministry, has set in motion the process for inviting entries for the 58th National Film Awards for 2010. The deadline for submission of entries has been kept for 7 April.

The awards (Swarna Kamal and Rajat Kamal) will be presented in three sections – feature films, non-feature films and best writing on cinema. 

In case of feature films, there are 30 different awards that include: best feature film, the Indira Gandhi award for best debut film of a director, award for best popular film providing wholesome entertainment, the Nargis Dutt award for best feature film on National Integration and awards for films in regional languages.

Non-feature films carry twenty two different awards that has best non-feature film, best debut non-feature film of a director, best Anthropological/Ethnographic Film and best biographical/historical reconstruction/compilation film. In addition, there is also a National Award for Best Writing on Cinema which consists of two different awards – Best Book on Cinema and Best Critic.

The National Film awards aim at encouraging the production of films of aesthetic and technical excellence and social relevance contributing to the understanding and appreciation of cultures of different regions of the country in cinematic form, thereby also promoting integration and unity of the nation.

Only films certified by Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) are eligible for entry in these awards.
 

MUMBAI: In a move that will allow people at large to view Dev Anand’s 1961 classic Hum Dono in colour, the government of Maharashtra has exempted the film of entertainment tax.

The exemption will bring down the ticket prices of the coloured film that is running in theatres for the last seven weeks. 

It is said that a review committee saw the film recently, liked it a lot and made it tax free.

The classic about love and sacrifice, starring Dev Anand, Nanda and Sadhana, was the last black and white film from Navketan in which he played a double role for the first time.

The film is remembered for its songs like ‘Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya‘ and ‘Abhi na jaao chhodkar.‘

MUMBAI: To press for the reduction or abolishment of entertainment tax in the state, single-screen theatres in the state will go on a one-week strike from 25 March.

Cinema Owners and Exhibitors‘ Association president RV Vidhani says, “Yes, we are going on a strike because we want to protest against the huge entertainment tax that we pay. We are paying 45 per cent entertainment tax whereas in many states it has been abolished.”
 
Said Eros Theatre manager Murli, “We want the government to abolish or at least reduce the entertainment tax. It has become very difficult for us to survive and the government should understand that.”

It may be noted that compared to the earlier number of around 1,080 single screen cinema halls in Maharashtra, there are only 650 left.

MUMBAI: Hyderabad-based DQ Entertainment has firmed up a slate of three 3D movies at a global budget of $25-30 million each.

There will be one release each year starting 2012. The Jungle Book is set for release in 2012-13, followed by The New Adventures of Peter Pan for 2013-14 and The Phoenix and the Flying Carpet for 2014.

The slate will be led by the flagship property of DQE, The Jungle Book 3D TV Series-sold in 160 countries and greenlit for a second season after being broadcast on networks such as TF1-France, ABC-Australia, BBC-UK, Disney-SE Asia, ZDFTV-Germany, TVO-Canada, EBS-Korea and others. The stereoscopic pilots received appreciation at feature film forums and will be presented at the feature film markets at Cannes and AFM to appoint sales agents and distributors worldwide.
 
The Jungle Book based on the original writings of Rudyard Kipling has been adapted by great writers from UK and USA for 21st century kids. The film will be released in high quality stereoscopic 3D.

The New Adventures of Peter Pan, to be released in 2013, will see Peter Pan back in timeless Neverland and 21st century London. The feature will showcase the fight to save Neverland not only from the evil Captain Hook but from many more ‘unimaginable evils‘ that now inhabit magical Neverland.

The Phoenix and the Flying Carpet, originally written by Edith Nesbit, will come to life as a 3D Stereoscopic Feature film. The adventures of the five children will involve the millennial phoenix, a bird of awesome vanity, and a magic carpet. The phoenix and the children make a number of expeditions around the world from China to Arabia and India.

Said DQE Chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti, “At DQE , there is enormous excitement after completion of The Prodigies, 3D Feature Film, to move forward rapidly for the development of The Jungle Book, Peter Pan and Phoenix and the Flying Carpet – 3D Stereoscopic feature films.” 

MUMBAI: Coinciding with the Ficci Frames 2011, scheduled to be held in Mumbai from 23 to 25 March, a five-day Australian Film Festival of India (AFFI) has also been planned in the city.

The film festival is an effort by a few Australian film professionals who wish to promote Australian films and distribution networks in emerging and traditional markets of India, Middle East and South America among others.
 
Averred Ficci Entertainment‘s director Leena Jaisani, “We are delighted and welcome the collaboration with An Australian Film Initiative‘s Australian Film Festival in India. Australia and India, with Frames in particular, have shared warm and increasingly beneficial relations in the area of films and media with many Australian speakers and delegates participating in Frames since it began in 2000. With AFFI and the knowledge series, Frames hopes to further strengthen the association with Australian film and media industries and welcome many more professional delegates.”

The key highlights of the festival would include a premiere of a latest Australian film, retrospective of internationally-acclaimed Australian director Bill Bennett, knowledge series and master classes by Australian film professionals and a financial grant for development of an Indo-Australian screen project.

“AFFI is a brilliant and much needed initiative and I am enormously thrilled to be a part of it. A Bill Bennett retrospective for our inaugural event is a fantastic way of introducing the essence of Australian cinema to the Indian production industry and the broader Indian audience,” said AFFI co-director and veteran Australian film critic Peter Castaldi in a statement.

While the film screenings will be held on 26 and 27 March, the knowledge series has been integrated with the Ficci-Frames 2011.
THE AFFI is soon set to become an annual affair.