Category: Hindi

MUMBAI: After making a television serial on Maharaja Ranjit Singh, actor turned politician Raj Babbar is making a film on the Sikh ruler naming it The Lord of Five Rivers: Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

According to Babbar, youngsters remember Ranjit Singh as someone who had lost his one eye and who brought back the Kohinoor diamond to India. But there were many pages of his life waiting to be told.

Ranjit Singh was not like other rulers who only killed people and dictated. He also was an efficient strategist. He ruled for nearly 47 years, even seven years more than Akbar, and brought many reforms in the society. In his entire rule, not even a single capital punishment was awarded.

His kingdom was the most secular where there were Muslims, Hindus and Christians holding significant positions and he was the first to start the practice of paying salaries to army men.

MUMBAI: The Bangladesh government has once again decided not to allow exhibition of Indian films in cinema halls across the country.

Cinema owners, however, say that the trend in Bangladesh was in favour of Bollywood fare. People watch pirated versions of Indian releases on DVDs while the popularity of domestic films falls in comparison.

Bangladeshi actors don‘t want the ban to be lifted, as they claim that at least 25,000 jobs could be lost as a result.

In order to protect the local film industry, the ban was first enforced in 1972.
The decision to renege it was announced by the Commerce minister. It was taken to help cinema owners and boost occupancy.
 

MUMBAI: Subhash Ghai-promoted Mukta Arts has sold the satellite telecast rights of its almost entire movie library to Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) for Rs 200 million, a clear indication that acquisition prices are getting corrected barring the recent Bollywood blockbusters.

Zeel will get 29 movies to telecast for five years from the dates on which the current satellite rights expire.

“We have sold almost 90 per cent of our library to Zeel. Many of these movies were already with Zeel and are contract extensions. We will get the entire payment of Rs 200 million this fiscal,” says Mukta Arts consulting CEO Ravi Gupta.

In 2007, Mukta Arts had sold telecast rights for 12 movies to Zee in a deal worth Rs 220 million. Ghai had then stated that he would expect to rake in Rs 400 million from the movie library over a five-year window.

Mukta Arts will receive the payment of the entire amount during the current financial year.

The films made by Mukta Arts include Karz, Khalnayak, Hero, Ram Lakhan, Karma, Pardes, Saudagar, Taal, Yaadein,Bombay To Bangkok, Good Boy Bad Boy, Khanna & Iyer, Sham Ghanshyam, Apna Sana Money Money, Jaan, 36 China Town, Trimurti, Socha Na Tha, Aitraaz, Karma, Ek Aur Ek Gyarah, Badhai Ho Badhai, Rahul, Kalicharan, Joggers Park, Aitraaz, Iqbal, Black & White, Yuvvraaj, Paying Guests, Hello Darling, Right Yaa Wrong, Kisna, Valu Sanai Chaughade (all Marathi).

Mukta Arts plans to release two movies this year. While Hollywood Darling, made on a budget of Rs 100 million, will be released in the first quarter of this fiscal, Rituparno Ghosh‘s Nauka Dubi is expected to hit the screens in the subsequent quarter.
 

MUMBAI: The eighth Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IIFLA) has declared winners of its 2010 awards.

The winner of the Grand Jury award is Laxmikant Shetgaonkar‘s The Man Beyond The Bridge (Paltadacho Munis) while Dilip Mehta‘s Cooking With Stella received a honorable mention in the category.

While Nishta Jain‘s At My Doorstep was named winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary, Deepa Bhatia‘s Nero‘s Guests received a honourable mention. Ritesh Batra‘s Gareeb Nawaz‘s Taxi won the Grand Jury Prize for best short film with Anjoo Khosla‘s Wahid‘s Mobile Bookstore receiving a honourable mention.

The Audience Choice Awards went to Paresh Mokashi‘s Harischandrachi Factory for narrative. Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam‘s The Sun Behind The Clouds: Tibet‘s Struggle For Freedom annexed it for documentary and Terrie Samundra‘s Kunjo for the short film category.

Said IFFLA executive director Christina Marouda, “This year‘s festival has been a great opportunity to celebrate the work of known Indian filmmakers and introduce a new generation of talents as they enter a global filmmaking community.”

“The 2010 award winners have proven to captivate IFFLA‘s audience with their unique and varied vision. Through its eight year history, IFFLA has established itself as an important annual event through which one can chart the evolution of the convergence of the Hollywood and Indian entertainment industries,” Marouda added.

The IFFLA Industry Leadership Award honoured Fox International Productions‘ president Sanford Panitch and Star India CEO Uday Shankar with a personal tribute from Shak Rukh Khan.

MUMBAI: PVR has launched a six-screen, 1349-seater multiplex in Ahmedabad.

Said PVR chairman and managing director Ajay Bijli, “The opening of our cinemas in Ahmedabad gives me great pleasure as we bring the unique PVR experience to this city. This is an important step towards our aspiration to become the number one cinema brand in the hearts and minds of Indians.” 

With this launch, PVR‘s total screen count has increased to 136 while the company has extended its presence to 18 cities across the nation.
 

MUMBAI: A Spanish version of the Hrithik Roshan‘s Kites is underway.

Confirming this development Reliance Big Picture CEO Sanjeev Lamba said, ‘Yes, we are indeed on the verge of closing a deal for a Spanish version of Kites. While the Hindi and English versions would cater to a mass audience across the globe keen to see Hrithik Roshan, we must not disregard Barbara Mori‘s fan following in the Spanish belt.‘

The only difference between the Hindi and English versions would be the length. Brett Ratner, who has edited the English version, took out all the songs and some of the scenes which were seen too Indian in spirit.

“Otherwise both versions are the same in spirit. Our western audiences don‘t have the patience to sit through lengthy foreign films. The English version is super-fast and snappy,” said Lamba.

The Hindi version is two-hour-ten-minute long while the English version is one-hour-30-minute long. The length of the Spanish version of Kites is expected to be the same as the English.

Reliance Big Pictures is now looking at releasing a larger number of prints of Kites globally than even 3 Idiots which opened with 1,700 prints in India. Kites is expected to top that figure with approximately 1,750 prints in India.

“We will release around 2,300 prints across the world. There will be 250 prints in the US and 100 in the UK,” said Lamba. The producers are looking at Kites as the Indian film that would finally crack the Western market.
 

MUMBAI: : Hrithik Roshan has been signed to play the lead in Skekhar Kapur‘s Paani.

Hrithik plays the role of a lower-class rebel, living in the Mumbai of the future, while American actress Kristen Stewart plays a rich girl living in a posh locality in the city. 

Stewart, who shot to fame playing Bella Swan in Twilight and its sequel New Moon, was approached by the director to play the role of a rich girl for his film based on the problem of water scarcity.

The film will have music by AR Rahman.
 

MUMBAI: Last of the Tattooed Head Hunters, a short English film about the Konyak Naga tribe, has earned the distinction to become the first film from northeast India to be screened at the 63rd Cannes International Film Festival that goes underway on 12 May.

Produced by Indrajit Narayan Dev and directed by Vikeyeno Zao under the banner Hawksbill Productions, the 15-minute film has been selected in the short film corner category of the festival. 

The short film shows the hunting practices of the Konyak Nagas, their home, customs and traditions which was prevalent till the mid 20th century.

Zao said in a statement that the entry into Cannes has created a landmark for the people of the northeast, Nagaland in particular. She also pointed out that the film was made to present to the world the tattooed head hunting Konyak tribes before they are gone forever.

MUMBAI: Ronnie Screwvala-promoted UTV Software Communications’ Motion Pictures division has concluded syndication deals worth Rs 707.5 million for its upcoming movies with satellite broadcasters and two music companies.

The syndication deals include television rights of three yet-to-release movies – I Hate Luv SLorys, Guzaarish and Tees Muar Khan, while the audio rights also include that of Raajneeti.

UTV, however, did not disclose the names of the channels or music companies.

UTV will release a slate of 10-12 movies this fiscal. The company will adopt a de-risking model, engaging in pre-sales as a strategy which will cover up to anywhere as high as 50 per cent of its film production cost.
 

MUMBAI: Of the five releases last Friday, none drew any kind of interest due to the final three Indian Premier League (IPL) matches except the Mahesh Manjrekar movie.

The films that failed to make a mark include City Of Gold, Apartment, Bird Idol, Kuchh Kariye and Muskurake Dekh Zara.

Says Fun Cinemas COO Vishal Kapur, “Among all the films, Pathshala did good business but the rest failed.”

Regarding the response to the 3D screening of the cricket matches, Kapur avers, “While it was full house for the finals in Mumbai, at other places it was 50 per cent occupancy. For the first semi-final, in which Mumbai Indians was involved, the occupancy in Mumbai was in the vicinity of 70 per cent while outside Mumbai, the occupancy was around 50 per cent. The other semi-final and the third place match drew around 50 per cent occupancy in Mumbai, while outside it was between 30 to 40 per cent.”

Observes Cinemax India senior vice president Devang Sampat, “When we started screening the IPL3, the response wasn‘t encouraging. We got only about 15 per cent occupancy. But during the last two semi-finals, the occupancy went up to 70 and 45 per cent respectively. The final saw an almost 100 per cent occupancy.”

All eyes now rest on Sajid Nadiadwala‘s multi-star cast Housefull that is the first big release after a two-month drought.