Category: Hindi

PANAJI: Centenaries of five unforgettable cinema talents – Ashok Kumar, B.R. Panthulu, Motilal, Nadia and Raja Paranjpe – are being observed by screening of some of their films at the ongoing International Film Festival of India.

The section was inaugurated with the screening of Bandini featuring Ashok Kumar, in the presence of Amit Kumar, son of the late eminent singer and actor Kishore Kumar, and Ashok Kumar’s grand-daughter. Anuradha Patel.

The thespian was not only a gifted actor but also an accomplished painter and a homeopathic practitioner.

At a press meet, Amit Kumar said the family proposes to hold a series of events to observe the golden era and centenary of Ashok Kumar. Remembering her grandfather, Patel said a fresh biography on the late Ashok Kumar is in the offing.

She also said as part of the centenary celebrations, a special music concert by his nephews Amit Kumar and Sumit Kumar will be organised. The concert would be a tribute by them to their late uncle who was the original rap singer with the song ‘Rail Gaadi’.
 

MUMBAI: Vishal Bhardwaj has decided to film an adaptation of William Shakespeare‘s Hamlet.

To make a perfect casting, Bharadwaj wants Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in the adaptation. If all goes according to plans, Roshan will play the Prince Of Denmark while Rai Bachchan would play his Ophelia.

Like the earlier adaptations, Hamlet too would be very dissimilar to the original.
Hamlet would be Vishal‘s third Shakespearean adaptation after Maqbool that was an adaptation of Shakespeare‘s Macbeth and Omkara that was Bharadwaj‘s take on the Bard‘s Othello. The director had always maintained that he would do three Shakespearean adaptations in his career.

It may be recalled that in the past too, Bharadwaj had approached both Roshan and Rai Bachchan but things couldn‘t fall in place.

Previously Hrithik-Aishwarya have worked together in Dhoom 2 (2006), Jodhaa Akbar (2008) and the latest Sanjay Leela Bhansali film Guzaarish.

MUMBAI: The National Film Archive of India (NFAI) has decided to preserve the films of Madhur Bhandarkar – Chandni Bar, Page-3, Corporate, Traffic Signal, Fashion and Jail. These films will now find space in government‘s archival data for Indian films.

After Bhandarkar handed over the copies of all his films to the NFAI today, NFAI director Vijay Jadhav said, “Madhur Bhandarkar‘s films are very popular and widely seen. His films are very much in demand for various film festivals and they also arouse a lot of interest in students and youngsters. I would like to thank Madhur Bhandarkar for his kind gesture and I respect his understanding for the value of Film Preservation.”

Commented Bhandarkar, “I am very happy that NFAI is preserving my films. I feel it is of a critical importance that we preserve our films. Our industry has some very respectful and milestone work which is left just like that, but if it is preserved it can be viewed at any time in the future and hence our work gets an everlasting life. Familiarizing foreign audiences with Indian Cinema and to make it more visible across the globe is another declared objective of the archive.”

The NFAI safeguards the heritage of Indian Cinema for posterity and acts as a centre for dissemination of a healthy film culture in the country. Promotion of film scholarship and research on various aspects of cinema also form part of its charter.
 

MUMBAI: Eros International Media has announced the worldwide release of its live action animation film, Toonpur Ka Superhero, on 24 December.

Produced by Krishika Lulla and Kumar Mangat and directed by ad filmmaker Kireet Khurana, the family entertainer is an exciting story of a reel life hero who accidentally lands in a world of cartoons and transforms into a real life hero.

Said Eros International Media managing director Sunil Lulla, “Children with their families will enjoy watching their favorite actors Ajay and Kajol along with some charming new cartoon characters of the Toonpur world. I am sure that this fun and adventure-filled family entertainer will win the hearts of our audiences.”
 

MUMBAI: With an aim to woo the international buyers, filmmakers from Saarc nations will participate in National Film Development Corporation’s (NFDC) Film Bazaar 2010 with their films.

“To continue the age old tradition of improving trade relations between the Saarc nations, NFDC has invited projects from these countries this year,” NFDC officials stated. The officials claimed that for the very first time film projects from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be part of Film Bazaar.

In yet another highlight this year, Film Bazaar will organise industry screenings for filmmakers for the first time to showcase their films to potential producers, distributors, agents, buyers and representatives of international film festivals.

The state-of-the-art screening facility will have multiple screens of 12-seater theatres and will have digital and 3D compatible projection to portray their work in its complete essence. “This will also help the international buyers to make informed and quick decisions on the various projects they are interested in. These theatres have been set-up in collaboration with UFO Moviez,” an official added.

Film Bazaar 2010 will be held from 23 to 26 November on the sidelines of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2010 in Panaji.

The Film Bazaar has grown and gained wide popularity since its inception in 2007. Last year, over 350 delegates from 22 countries had attended Film Bazaar.

MUMBAI: After being screened at several international film festivals, Shemaroo Entertainment’s Ishqiya has now been selected to be screened at the 10th River to River Florence Indian Film Festival to be held at Florence in Italy.

Comments Shemaroo Entertainment director Hiren Gada, “We are glad to know that our efforts are recognized worldwide. The film has travelled across the boundary of language and culture differences and has been appreciated in every festival it has participated in.”

The film has earlier participated at the Munich International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, IFFL, Bollywood and Beyond, The Indie Fest, 34th Cairo International Film Festival and Dainik Jagran Film Festival.

The Florence Indian Film Festival is scheduled to be held from 3 to 9 December.
 

PANAJI: Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today assured the film industry that she would pursue, with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the various demands relating to tax-burden on the film industry.

Speaking after inaugurating the 41st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Banerjee said Indian films could today stand on an equal footing against films from any other part of the world.

She said Goa has provided a bridge between Indian and international cinema.

Guest of honour and eminent film maker Yash Chopra said it was unfortunate that the government tended to treat the film industry as mere entertainment and not as the major foreign exchange earner and a contributor to the national exchequer. The government, therefore, continues to burden the industry with more and more taxes.

Minister of State for I&B CM Jatua said cinema promoted co-operation and understanding, while Goa CM Digambar Kamat said Goa had emerged as a major film destination in the past few years. He referred to the involvement of film societies and said a special jury has been formed to award young film journalists.

In a brief address, film actor Ajay Devgn described the festival as a ‘Mahakumbh’ of cinema. 

SM Khan, director in the directorate of film festival, said the 41st IFFI had opened up competition across all continents and had attracted films from 61 countries. The total award money for the five awards had been enhanced to $200,000.

After the lightning of the lamp assisted by Riya Sen, several film personalities were felicitated. They included Divya Dutta, Manoj Bajpai, Rajkumar Hirani and Malayalam actor Jayaram.

After the cultural programme of classical dance and music, the opening film West is West was screened.

The programme was anchored by actors Aftab Shivdasani and Gracy Singh.
 

MUMBAI: Hollywood director Ang Lee would be one of the main attractions of the ongoing IFFI, according to senior officials of Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) that is one of the two organisers of the 11-day event.

There will be a total of 47 films in Indian Panorama out of which 26 will be features. Anant Mahadevan‘s Mee Sindhutai Sapkal will be the opening film. In the non-feature film category, the opening film would be Leaving Home, a film based on the musical band Indian Ocean. The band will also perform at the festival.

Debutante director Anusha Rizvi‘s critically acclaimed film and India‘s official entry to the 83rd Academy Awards,[Peepli Live] will have a special screening at the festival.

Films of two recent Dada Saheb Phalke winners, VK.Murthy and D Ramanaidu, will be screened in the Master Stroke section.

Important films of Motilal, Nadia, Ashok Kumar and Raja Paranjpe would be screened as part of ‘centenary tributes‘.

This edition, being held up to 2 December, will also commemorate the golden jubilee of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).
 

PANAJI: An exhibition of Wall posters and Photographs organised by the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), Pune, was inaugurated here by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Ministry S Jagathrakshakan.

The exhibition is being held as part of the 41st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2010 opening today. The exhibition is being displayed at the Art Gallery, Kala Academy, Panaji.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jagathrakshakan noted that the Exhibition gives an insight into the devotion and dedication of these awardees, and also highlights their special attributes. 

Interspersed with relevant write-ups and informative captions, this Exhibition will present the diverse and rich heritage of Indian film culture. Also present on the occasion were Dadasaheb Phalke awardee D. Rama Naidu and Ministry Secretary Raghu Menon.

NFAI organises screenings of classics as well as set up Exhibitions of Wall posters and other memorabilia which take the audience on a nostalgic trip down the memory lane of Indian Cinema. Five Indian classics will also be screened in the Restored Classics from NFAI programme at the Festival. The NFAI recently launched a Digital Restoration Project where rare Indian films are restored digitally with a view to safeguarding the content for posterity.

NFAI, a media unit under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, had been organising retrospectives of major Indian and foreign film personalities at IFFI. It has also organised live music shows of Indian Silent Films and presented the pre-cinematic gadget, the Shambharik Kharolika (The Indian Magic Lantern), last year.
 

NEW DELHI: The Kannada film, Kanasembo Kudureyaneri, by renowned filmmaker Girish Kasarvalli, which is a part of the Indian Panorama of the 41st International Film Festival of India, has won the top awards at Asiatica Film Mediale Film Festival in Rome.

Kanasembo Kudureyaneri has won the Best Film of 2010 award given by the International Jury and also the award of the jury set up by the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema.

Kasarvalli who is in Rome told indiantelevision.com that both the Juries were highly appreciative of the film.The film has already won several awards overseas.

The film is the story of Irya, the gravedigger of the village, who can foresee events. Whenever he sees Siddha, his guru, in a dream, someone in the village is sure to die. But Irya is shattered when one day he realises this power has vanished. This is reaffirmed when his wife’s dream too fails. All this puts his work as a gravedigger into a jeopardy.