Category: Hindi

MUMBAI: With Republic Day round the corner, Shemaroo Entertainment has brought together three great Leaders – Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Sardar Patel – in a two-DVD pack titled, Great Leaders on the Path of Non-Violence.

The pack consists of a documentary on the lives of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela and the National Award winning feature film Sardar, starring Paresh Rawal.

The documentary of Mahatma Gandhi explores his struggle against the mighty British Empire and its colonies of South Africa and India. It shows various historic events like – the Dandi March and Non-Cooperative Movement that he initiated.

The documentary of Nelson Mandela shows his struggles, his triumphs and the adversity which ultimately drove him to greatness as an African leader.

The biographical epic on Sardar Patel concentrates largely on the last five years of Sardar‘s life, from 1945 to 1950 when he strode on the national scene, wresting India‘s Independence and integrating the nation.

The film deals with all the myriad and debilitating problems that India faced in its pre and immediate post Independence period, which turned out to be Sardar Patel‘s finest hour.

Avers, Shemaroo Entertainment Director Hiren Gada, “Through this two-DVD pack, Shemaroo has attempted to combine education and entertainment. We would like to give today‘s youth and school children an opportunity to understand the principals and philosophies of such great leaders whose accomplishments influenced, and will influence generations to come.”

MUMBAI: Fox Star Studios‘ Avatar has crossed the Rs 1 billion mark, a milestone no Hollywood movie has reached in India.

With a current gross collection of Rs 1.1 billion, Avatar is also the biggest ever 3D film in India. 3D amounted to 35 per cent of Avatar‘s total gross collections. Doing strong business across various centers in India, the movie has earned record collections at Imax and 3D theatres across India.

While collections from the English prints amount to Rs 505 million, the film has also earned Rs 260 million with its Hindi dubbed version and a further 240 million from Tamil & Telugu dubbed versions.

The film has also overtaken 3 Idiots in several parts of North and South India and is also giving strong competition to local superstar movies in South India.

Interestingly, the collections from single screens (49 per cent) is as high as the earnings from multiplexes (51 per cent ) which proves that the film has been appreciated by audiences all over.

Says Fox Star Studios India CEO Vijay Singh, “The phenomenal success of Avatar has been a trailblazer as viewers responded across metro cities as also smaller markets. The film‘s success also demonstrates Fox Star Studios‘ ability to successfully handle the marketing and distribution of big films. We eagerly look forward to the Oscar season.”

Agrees trade analyst Taran Adarsh, “Post Titanic, Avatar is the first Hollywood film that continues to work wonders at the box-office, even after several weeks of release.”

MUMBAI: The Whistling Woods International (WWI) instituted Maestro Award 2009 was awarded to director Rajkumar Hirani for delivering three exceptional films with strong social messages that have resonated with audiences worldwide.

The awards were initiated to felicitate professionals who‘ve had an impactful career in the artistic or technical fields in the industry, subsequently raising the bar for young filmmakers.

It is interesting to note that Hirani conducted the first Master Class of 2010 at Whistling Woods International (WWI), Asia‘s largest Film, Television, Animation and Media Arts institute. 

Hirani visited WWI to talk about his filmmaking experiences and learning the blockbuster of 2009, 3 idiots and the importance of pursuing education in what you love doing.

Talking to the WWI students about the important elements when making a film Hirani averred, “The most important thing is ‘scripting‘. If you have a good script, execution is simple. More time you spend on the script, you face fewer problems while making the movie. If you are spending a year fine-tuning the script, it is a good investment.

Pre-production and casting are also extremely critical. I advise students to plan in as much details as possible. Do all groundwork before commencing the shoot.” He also added, “Large film budgets are not necessarily a good thing. Lack of resources promotes innovation”.

Hirani had earlier directed films like Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai. He got his big break as film editor with Mission Kashmir.

MUMBAI: Within weeks of its theatrical release, Shemaroo Entertainment has released its latest 3D CGI animation film Pangaa Gang on home video.

Directed by Pankaj Sharma, the film deals with deforestation that is one of the contributing factors to the global environmental concern.

Pangaa Gang is set in modern times, in a beautiful place called Shantivan. The story follows the adventures of four kids with extraordinary powers, as they set out to defend their homeland, from unwelcome intruders.

Pangaa Gang exhibits friendship, action, emotions and is a fun filled ride with top of the line 3D CGI animation. Says director Sharma, “The film is one with a message. 

“Through regular interactions between children and animals we have tried to tackle issues of ‘deforestation‘ that is a topical subject. Most importantly, through this animation film we have taken a dig at people who cut woods without knowing what harm this would bring in to the people at large.”

On being quizzed as to why the film is being brought on home video just few weeks of its theatrical release, Sharma avers, “This is because of the multiplex strike last year.

“In fact Bal Ganesh 2 was to release after this, but since it released earlier and there was question of the film going beyond its stipulated period, we had to withdraw the film. Otherwise, the film got good a response.”

While the DVDs of the film are inclusive of board games and stickers, the VCDs come along with stickers.

The DVDs and VCDs of Pangaa Gang are priced at Rs 199 and Rs 99 respectively.

MUMBAI: Four Frames, director Priyadarshan‘s production house, has inked a $20 million deal with Woodpecker Pictures & Entertainment Ltd to produce two Hindi feature films.

The two films involving Woodpecker Pictures, the Indian subsidiary of US-based entertainment fund Woodpecker Holding Inc, will be directed by Priyadarshan.
As part of the deal, Woodpecker will be forwarding the entire investments for the productions. 

The first of the two productions will go on the floors in April with a start-to-finish 60-day schedule in Lucknow and abroad. The first project will be based on a hit Tamil film featuring four friends. The second will be another start-to-finish venture between September and December 2010.

Woodpecker is also in negotiations for a mainstream international movie with a top Hollywood cast to be shot in Mexico that Priyadarshan would be directing as part of the third project of this joint venture.

NEW DELHI: Can a word be considered acceptable as the title of a film but objectionable when used in a song number?

It would appear so, if one goes by the legal notice sent by Rakhi Sawant and ishQ Bector to the Central Board of Film Certification which had directed Pen India to mute the word ‘kamine’ from the song ‘Bhoot’ from the album ‘Jhagde’, produced by the duo under the firm ishQ and Faith Inc.

The legal notice sent through advocate firm Siddique and Associates has given the CBFC a time of seven days to respond to the notice, which points out that the Board had earlier ‘unconditionally allowed’ a film bearing the same name, ‘Kaminey’.

Terming the directive as ‘unjustified and absolutely biased act’, the notice, dated 14 January, says that legal action will be taken if no reply is received within the stipulated time.

Bector has written, composed and sung the songs and the notice says the duo was absolutely shocked at this ‘willful, unreasonable and unjustified act’ for which no reason had been assigned.

It has also been pointed out that while the word was permitted in the promos, the Board objected to its use in the video.

Referring to the certificate to the film, it is pointed out that this amounts to ‘absolute biasness and double standards’. Furthermore, it is stated that ‘untenable and ridiculous objections’ would make the video look ‘disjointed and inappropriate’ and affect the popularity and sales of the album.

The ‘mukhda‘ of the song goes ‘Kamine tera bhoot chad gaya re.’ “But after the word being bleeped out, our song looks completely disjointed. This has killed its impact and sabotaged our album sales,” says ishQ, who has also written the lyrics.

The duo’s advocate Rizwan Siddiquee says, “No act of commission or omission on the part of the Censor Board, or any officer representing it, should be arbitrary, unjust or in manner be biased or sexist. The Board needs to fully understand that its acts could willfully prejudice the fundamental rights of an aggrieved party and therefore it should act accordingly.”
 

MUMBAI: While 3 Idiots still continue to rock at the Indian box-office, the first three weeks of January has gone without a single film making a mark both with the audience as well at the box-office.

But with UTV‘s Chance Pe Dance, there was a ray of hope, primarily because the film was touted to be a tale of a talented struggler and secondly it was the first film when two teen heart-throbs Shahid Kapoor and Genelia D‘souza were coming together on the big screen.

The promos depicted the struggler in Shahid and nothing extra-ordinary was expected of the film except that people wanted to see the chemistry of the lead pair Shahid Kapoor and Genelia D‘souza.

A lacklustre attempt, supported by a weak script, the only factors that stand out in the film are Shahid and Genelia. Their chemistry is great and so is their performance. But the deplorable script doesn‘t lift the film beyond ordinary stuff.

At the box-office, the film had a lukewarm start domestically. The occupancy for morning and noon shows ranged between 15 to 25 per cent. The film doesn‘t look like having a good future.

The opening has come as a rude shock since Shahid‘s Kismet Konnection as well as Kaminey had a flying start.

All eyes now lie on Salman Khan‘s Veer. Going by the promos, the film holds promise to be a money churner.

But the ultimate reviewer is the audience!
 

MUMBAI: The Censor Board has passed Shemaroo Entertainment‘s Ishqiya without any cuts with an ‘A‘ certificate.

Set in western Uttar Pradesh, the film is a tale of romance between individuals caught in a web of crime, suspense, passion and deceit. Two thieves, Khalujan and Babban are on the run from their boss, Mushtaq (Salman Shahid).

They tend to seek refuge with an old friend but instead meet his widow, Krishna (Vidya Balan). As they plan their escape, their time spent together draws the duo to her, Khalujan with his vision of old-fashioned love and Babban with his lascivious heart.

The film, directed by Abhishek Chaubey, has Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Salman Shahid and Vidya Balan as the main protagonists of the film.

Says Shemaroo director Hiren Gada, ‘‘ Being an adult subject, we were expecting an ‘A‘ certificate. At the same time, we were expecting some cuts that would seem objectionable to the Board.

“But when we found that there was not a word on the language and neither was any cut effected, we knew that the Board was well aware of the language that was spoken in that region of UP.”

The film is set to release on 29 January.

NEW DELHI: It was a weekend of twin celebrations for Fox Star Studios India as James Cameron‘s epic action adventure Avatar not only won two Golden Globes for the best motion picture (Drama) and best director, but the film also grossed a total collection of Rs 950 million to become the highest grossing Hollywood film in India.

Avatar beat 2012‘s box-office collections to notch the No.1 position in India. Says Fox Star Studios India CEO Vijay Singh said, “It is a proud moment for Fox Star, as Avatar received two important honours at the Golden Globes and also became the No.1 Hollywood film in India. We believe that Avatar could close as the 2nd biggest film for 2009 after 3 Idiots.”

The weekend victories at the awards have now made Avatar a strong contender for the forthcoming Oscars in March.
 

NEW DELHI: Legendary cinematographer V K Murthy, the cinematographer of all of Guru Dutt‘s films, will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2008 for outstanding contribution to films.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs one million, a Swarna Kamal and a shawl.

Murthy would be the 56th recipient of the award that will be presented to him along with the awards for the best films for 2008 by President Pratibha Patil.

This is the first time ever in the history of the Dadasaheb Phalke awards that a cinematographer has been chosen to receive the nation‘s highest award in cinema.

Interestingly, the father of Indian cinema Dadasaheb Phalke after whom the award is named, was himself a cinematographer besides being producer, director and actor.

Murthy has provided some of Indian Cinema‘s most breathtaking visual moments. He broke new grounds, ushered in modern and highly sophisticated techniques, and brought in rich visual artistry into Indian cinema.

Murthy shot India‘s first cinemascope movie Kagaz Ke Phool and is also one of the pioneers of colour cinematography. His picturisation of the title song of Chaudavin ka Chand mesmerised the audience.

Classics like Kagaz Ke Phool and Sahib, Bibi aur Ghulam won him Filmfare Awards.

Born in 1923 in Mysore, Murthy earned his Diploma in Cinematography from SJ Polytechnic, Bangalore in its very first batch 1943-46. As a student, he also took part in India‘s freedom struggle and was jailed in 1943 and is a recipient of freedom fighter‘s pension. Having spent nearly five decades in Mumbai, the ace cinematographer is now based in Bangalore.

He was a recipient of the IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award at Amsterdam in 2005.