ITV

Category: Hindi

  • Hindi remake of Stepmom in anvil

    MUMBAI: A Hindi remake of Julia Roberts‘ 1998 drama Stepmom is on the cards. According to reports, Sony Pictures and Dharma Productions are going to co-produce the said project.

    The remake to be directed by debutant Siddharth Malhotra will feature Kajol, Arjun Rampal and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles.


    The film would be shot in Mumbai after producers discarded the original plan to shoot in Australia.


    Stepmom starring Roberts, Susan Sarandon and Ed Harris was the tale of how an other woman incorporates herself into the lives of her boyfriend‘s kids and ex-wife while trying to balance her successful career as a photographer at the same time.

  • Pink Panther 2 available on DVD and Blu-Ray

    MUMBAI: Steve Martin is back as the French police detective with the DVD release of The Pink Panther 2. Excel Home Videos and MGM Home Entertainment have announced the availability of the sequel to the 2006 worldwide hit movie, based on the 1964 original starring Peter Sellers.

    The DVD and Blu-Ray will be available for Rs 399 and Rs 1,199 respectively.


    Pink Panther 2 stars five-time Golden Globe-nominee Martin, who reprises the role of intrepid-if-bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau. He is accompanied by Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai, Yuki Matsuzaki, Emily Mortimer and Oscar-nominees John Cleese and Andy Garcia.


    The DVD contains gag reel, drama is easy ……comedy is dangerous and a dream team like no other.

  • Adlabs Films completes transition to Reliance Mediaworks Ltd

    MUMBAI: Adlabs Films, the Reliance ADA Group company, has completed its rebranding process to Reliance MediaWorks, effective from 5 October.

    The company announced Wednesday that it has received the certificate from the “Registrar of Companies, Maharashtra, registering the aforesaid change in name”.

    In September, the board had decided to change the name of the company, as Adlabs Films, the brand, was reflective of the company’s initial business as a film processing laboratory only. However, following the acquisition of a controlling stake by Anil Ambani in 2005, the company had seen growth in the scale of its operations across various inter-related businesses of exhibition, film and media services, and television software, the company claims.

    Reliance Mediaworks, the newly branded company has a presence in the film exhibition business in India and internationally. It has also has entered new segments of the film production value chain including digital post-production, digital cinema mastering, studios/shooting floors, film and TV equipment rentals, visual effects and image enhancement, film restoration BPO and other value added services, it said in a release.

    It also operates television venture, Big Synergy, which produces reality shows for major Hindi general entertainment channels.

    The company’s operations also include a wholly owned facility in Los Angeles, California – Lowry Digital – a premier digital restoration facility.

    As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, the brand Adlabs is with Manmohan Shetty, the founder of Adlabs Films who sold out to Reliance.

  • Pyramid Saimira partners RDB Group to produce films, TV shows

    MUMBAI: Chennai-based Pyramid Saimira Group has announced that it has roped in Kolkata-based infrastructure major RDB Group as a strategic partner for its production company.


    With RDB Group, which has presence in Eastern and Western India, Pyramid Saimira Productions International Ltd (PSPIL) will produce 28 films and 1785 hours of TV content for the fiscal year 2010-11, the company said in a filing to BSE.


    The company, which has scaled down and consolidated its business operations due to liquidity crisis, is also in the process of restructuring its operations. As a part of the exercise, the group has decided to “focus on its constituent parts sector wise”.



    Pyramid Saimira shares closed at Rs 26.50, up 4.95 per cent from its previous close.

  • CVO rolls out movie line-up for Diwali

    MUMBAI: Movie channel CVO has rolled out a special movie line up ‘Kal, Aaj aur Kal….‘ for the ensuing Diwali season. It will screen movies under the themes – ‘Musical Mondays‘, ‘Timeless Classics Tuesdays‘, ‘Action Dhamaka, ‘Wednesdays‘ ‘Jubilee Hits Thursdays‘ and ‘Laughter, the Best Medicine, Saturdays‘ – at 9 pm.

    While ‘Musical Mondays‘ will showcase films such as Dil, Aap Mujhe Achhe Lagne Lage, Zeher and Aayee Milan Ki Bela, Timeless Classics Tuesdays will feature films like Deewaar, Sadma, Golmaal and Anand. Films including Gangaajal, Aan – Men At Work, Dus and Garv – Pride & Honour will be telecast on Wednesdays at 9 pm as part of Action Dhamaka, Wednesdays.


    ‘Jubilee Hits, Thursdays‘ will include Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai, Omkara, Sanam Bewafa, Shiva and Tridev and ‘Laughter, the Best Medicine, Saturdays‘ will include films like Masti, Dhol, Golmaal – Fun Unlimited, Ramji Londonwaley and Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahi.


    Says CVO GM marketing and branding Sumeet Das, “At CVO, we always permeate variety in content. It is this USP that enables CVO‘s viewership to cut across all slices of socio-economic classes and make it a habit with most of the viewers.”

  • Eros partners with Baskin Robbins to promote ‘Aladin’

    MUMBAI: Eros International has tied up with Baskin Robbins to promote its upcoming film Aladin.

    As part of the initiative, three Baskin Robbins-Aladin ice-cream flavours have been launched.


    Also, a a special consumer-focused promotion activity has been unveiled wherein any consumer who buys a value scoop from Aladin‘s new range of ice creams, stands to win merchandise such as tattoos inspired on characters from Aladin and music CDs of the film.


    Commenting on this association, Graviss Foods executive director- Foods Division Pankaj Chaturvedi said, “IWe feel that launching ice creams named after film characters is a unique way to connect with our consumers who are largely youngsters.


    “An association with a family entertainer expands our audience to children as well. This alliance is keeping with our strategy to associate with popular films and television programmes as means to connect and interact with our wide target audience and offer continuous excitement and innovation at out outlets, all of which is required to build the Baskin Robbins ice cream brand and take it to newer heights,” he added.

  • Films from Big Pictures’ stable for two Intl film fests

    MUMBAI: This October two prestigious international film festivals, one each in Asia and Europe respectively, namely the Pusan Film Festival (PIFF) and the London Film Festival will experience a varied taste of Indian cinema through a varied slate of films Big Pictures.

    The 14th PIFF to be held from 8 to16 October in Korea will screen Malayalam film Kutty Srank (Sailor of Hearts) and Bengali film Abhomaan (The Eternal) in the ‘A Window on Asian Cinema‘ section on 9 October.


    The 53rd London Film Festival to be held from 14 to 29 October will screen Hindi film Well Done Abba



    on 18 October and Bengali film Janala (The Window) on 27 October in ‘World Cinema Category‘. Director Shyam Benegal is expected to attend the screening of Well Done Abba.



    Says Big Pictures COO Mahesh Ramanathan, “These selections make the Reliance Big Pictures portfolio of best in class world cinema titles the most consistent performer in the festival circuit. Over 30 festival selections across our 12 films is a trendsetting and unprecedented success ratio, hitherto not experienced in the Indian film industry.”



  • PVR Pictures to release ‘Taking Woodstock’ in India on 9 October

    MUMBAI: PVR Pictures is set to release ‘Taking Woodstock, the world‘s first ever full-length feature film based on the Woodstock Music Festival of 1969 directed by Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee in India on 9 October.

    As a tribute to the festival in its 40th anniversary and to celebrate the release of the film in India, PVR Pictures will be hosting a special premiere of the film on 7 October at INOX, Goa.


    The film has been inspired by one of the greatest and most pivotal moments in popular music history that gave birth to one of the largest music revolutions of all times.


    Speaking on the occasion of the musical release of the film, PVR Pictures Uday Singh said, “In our endeavour to bring world class movies and award-winning content to India, we are happy to present Ang Lee‘s Taking Woodstock. We would like to thank all our partners and media for the encouraging support. It is a big achievement that will help us immensely in giving an impetus in promoting quality niche films in India.”


    Musicians including Luke Kenny, Uday Benegal, Ranjit Barot and Anuradha Pal will be a part of this Woodstock celebration in Goa, along with Brian Tellis, chairman of Fountainhead Events who had taken part in the Woodstock Festival and DJ Black Jack who recently had an opportunity to meet Artie Kornfeld, one of the founding organisers of the legendary Woodstock Music & Art Fair held at Bethel in New York in 1969.


    Kingfisher Airlines and Taj Hotels have extended their support by coming on board with INOX to host this ‘exclusively themed premiere‘ in Goa.

  • 100th birthday of Shashadhar Mukerji celebrated

    MUMBAI: Shammi Kapoor and his wife Neela along with their son Aditya Kapoor attended the 100th birthday celebrations of veteran film producer, studio owner Shashadhar Mukerji held on floor No.2 of Filmalaya Studios on 29 September.

    The party was hosted by the family and staff members of Filmalaya Studios. Sons Ronu, Joy, Deb and Shubir along with Shibani Mukerji-Maulick, their only sister, who now stays in the US, looked after the guests till the wee hours of the morning.


    Sashadhar had two more brothers, film director Subodh Mukherjee and film producer Prabodh Mukherjee.

    Among the personalities who graced the event were music director Bappi Lahiri, Chitrani Lahiri, Bappa Lahiri, Ram Mukerji and Krishna Mukerji (mother of actress Rani Mukerji, actors Anand Balraj, Nimaai Bali,actresses Saahila Chaddha, Rituparna Sengupta, Rupali Ganguly( daughter of renowned director Anil Ganguly), producer- director Deepak Balraj, directors Anurag Basu and Raajiv Ruia and writer Sachindra Sharma, producer Aseem Bhattacharjee and his son Sanjay and many others.


    Sashadhar Mukerji was the brother-in-law of Ashok Kumar and Kishore Kumar being married to their only sister, Sati Rani. He was also instrumental in getting Ashok Kumar into films.

    Paying his tribute to Mukerji, Shammi Kapoor said, “After nine flops in a row, I got Tumsa Nahin Dekha which sky-rocketed my position as a dependable actor. All this was due to Sashadharda‘s blessing. Then when Filmalaya Studio got going. I got Dil Deke Dekho which was also a very big hit which in today‘s language means super-hit. The songs



    of both these films are remembered by my fans even today. I am honoured by the sons and daughter of S. Mukerji today, I feel humbled. My memories with S. Mukerji will never die.”


  • AIM-listed Eros firms up India IPO plans

    MUMBAI: AIM-listed movie studio Eros International has firmed up plans for a public float in India to ride the wave of a revival in the primary markets as capital overseas is drying up to fuel further growth.

    The company said today in a regulatory filing to the London Stock Exchange that it would list Eros International Media Ltd, its wholly owned subsidiary company in India.


    The company has appointed Enam, Kotak and RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) to act on the proposed Indian IPO (initial public offering). Eros is expecting to complete the exercise by the end of this fiscal year.


    Eros said it will not dilute more than 25 per cent equity in the company. “It is currently intended that any new funds raised by Eros India in the Indian IPO will not result in a dilution of the company‘s ownership in excess of 25 per cent,” it said.


    Eros is riding high on the two major successes, Kambakkth Ishq and Love Aaj Kal, and other regional films including Me Shivaji Raje Bhosale Boltoy, Tera Mera Ki Rishta and Kandasamy.


    Eros expects the fund raising to help a material reduction in the net debt by the financial year-end.


    For the fiscal ending March 2009, the company posted a net profit of $40.83 million on an income of $156.7 million.

    Eros International is the second AIM-listed entertainment company that is planning an IPO. Recently Hyderabad-based animation, gaming and VFX company DQ Entertainment announced its plans to list in India.