ITV

Category: Hindi

  • Anupam Kher to father Freida Pinto in Woody Allen film

    MUMBAI: Anupam Kher couldn‘t have asked for a better silver-jubilee gift.

    Kher who celebrated 25 years in films on May 25 received a mail from his international agent a day earlier giving him the news that he would be part of the new Woody Allen film to be shot in London later this year.

    “To be in a Woody Allen film is a dream-come-true for me. Last year, I had the privilege of working with Ang Lee and now Woody Allen. What more could any actor ask for in his 25th year in business,” Kher asks.

    Kher will be playing Freida Pinto‘s father in the film. “Even if it is just one shot I‘d be more than happy. I‘ve grown up watching Woody Allen‘s cinema. And look at my luck,” he wonders.

    The film features famed actors like Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts and Antonio Banderas.

    “I had kept the news away from the media. But it was Mahesh Bhatt saab who got on stage at the end of the Saaransh screening yesterday and announced that I had received a Woody Allen film as gift for 25 years in films,” Kher exclaims.

  • Big Cinemas forays into Netherlands

    MUMBAI: India‘s largest multiplex chain Big Cinemas with 202 screens across the country has partnered with Dutch firm Pathé Theatres in its bid to set up three screens in the Netherlands.

    Pathé Theatres B.V. operates a chain of 12 megaplexes in the Netherlands with a total of 102 screens.

    In the Netherlands, the company will roll out three Big Cinemas screens in Pathé Theatres‘ existing plexes in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Hague.

    According to Adlabs Films CEO Anil Arjun, “In our global strategy, Pathé is a perfect fit to bring Indian movies to Europe and other continents. After the Netherlands, we hope to explore other countries in Europe as well.”


    To cash in on the 7 lakh plus Hindi film buffs of Indian, Pakistani, Afghani, Turkish and Moroccan origin, Indian distribution houses prefer Pathé for exhibiting their films.


    Hindi films like Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Singh is Kinng, Jodhaa Akbar, Dostana and Om Shanti Om have grossed $130,000-200,000 in the Netherlands. “We believe that the admissions could be over 4 lakh annually. We are confident of breaking even within a year of initiating our operations in the country,” adds Mr Arjun.


    It may be interesting to note that in the last few years the R-ADAG company has acquired movie theatres in the US, Malaysia, Mauritius and Kathmandu.



  • FIAP grants accredition to MAMI Film Fest

    NEW DELHI: While electing three representatives of India‘s apex film chamber Film Federation of India to its executive committee, the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) granted accreditation to yet Indian fest – the Mumbai Academy of Moving Images (MAMI) Film Festival.

    While noted filmmaker and media magnate P V Gangadharan was elected first Vice President senior FFI member L Suresh and FFI Secretary General Supran Sen were elected to the Executive Committee. The elections were held at the Annual General Assembly of FIAPF in Cannes on 17 May.



    In a telephonic interview from Cannes, Sen said “this is not only a feather in FFI’s cap but also reaffirms India burgeoning presence in the world entertainment firmament. It is a reflection of the changing order in the international filmed oeuvre.”


    Sen also said that the main discussion of the Assembly related to copyright issues and the Indian delegates drew attention to its representation to the Indian Human Resource Development Ministry suggestions amendments in the Copyright Act and calling for stringent implementation of these laws.


    MAMI which is normally held in March will be held this year from 29 October in the western metropolis. This follows the change of guard at the top. The principal sponsor will now be Anil Dirubhai Ambani’s Reliance Group.

    Apart from being the apex body of Film Producers in the World, FIAPF is also the regulatory body for International Film Festivals and has so far accredited 50 major International Film Festivals including Cannes, Berlin and Karlovy Vary apart from the International Film Festival of India held in Goa every year.

  • Cinemax Q4 net slumps 56% to Rs 9.8 million

    MUMBAI: Multiplex operator Cinemax India Ltd has posted a steep fall of 55.66 per cent in its net profit for the quarter ended 31 March 2009, standing at Rs 9.8 million as compared to Rs 22.1 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.

    Revenue rose 34.92 per cent to Rs 334.2 million during the quarter under review, compared to Rs 247.7 millon a year ago. Total expenditure surged 61.5 per cent to Rs 350.3 million, as against Rs 216.9 million. Profit before tax (PBT) came down to Rs 2.1 million, as against Rs 37 million from the year ago period.


    Commenting on the results, Cinemax CFO Jeetendra Mehta said, “The company is pleased by the results and sees tremendous growth opportunities in the coming fiscal as the industry movements are in our favour. In spite of depression and tough times, we have done well and are able to offer dividends to our shareholders. As the ongoing strike is likely to end in the coming days, we will have better content and better profitability.”


    For the whole fiscal, the company has posted a net profit of Rs 110.5 million, a dip of 19.52 per cent, as compared to Rs 137.3 million in the previous fiscal. Net income from operations stood at Rs 1.45 billion as against Rs 1.02 billion in the year ago period , while total expenses rose to Rs 1.33 billion from Rs 826.8 million.


    The company has announced that it has 50 movies to launch within 30 weeks. At present, Cinemax has 25 properties with 74 screens while it claims that there are 300 more screens in the making.


    In the segment-wise results, the company earned a revenue of Rs 341.2 million from theatrical exhibition and entertainment in the fourth quarter of FY2009, as compared to Rs 229.8 million a year ago. The company suffered an operating loss of Rs 37.1 million from this segment in the quarter.


    Cinemax has also posted an operating loss of Rs 15.2 million in the distribution and production segment during the quarter under review.

  • Rushdie to play Hindu sage in film based on Midnight’s Children

    MUMBAI: Salman Rushdie is all set to make his big screen debut. He will play the role of Shri Ramram Seth — a mystic who floats six inches above the ground and hangs pictures of Vishnu‘s avatars on his walls in the screenplay adaptation of his own Booker-winning novel, Midnight‘s Children.
    The novel which also won the Booker of Bookers prize recently is to be directed by Deepa Mehta. The film will go on the floors next year.

    Sources reveal that Rushdie already had a narration of the film with Mehta and Shabana Azmi (leading lady) before Deepa announced that she would make the film at a film festival in New York last year.

    Though it is not known who will play the lead of character of Saleem Sinai, the narrator of the film, Shabana Azmi will play Jamila Singer (Saleem‘s sister) while Nandita Das would play Padma Mangroli (Saleem‘s girlfriend and the listener).

  • MPAA calls for increased protection of IP rights

    MUMBAI: Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) chairman and CEO Dan Glickman joined lawmakers in the US in calling for governments around the world to increase efforts to protect intellectual property (IP).

    Addressing a press conference of the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus (IAPC), Glickman noted that dealing with escalating IP theft was especially needed during these difficult economic times as the creative industries generate millions of jobs each year including 2.5 million created by the motion picture industry alone.


    Glickman said, “During tough economic times it becomes even clearer how important it is to protect those industries that are truly creating jobs and generating revenue. I appreciate the efforts of IAPC Chairmen Sheldon Whitehouse, Orrin Hatch, Adam Schiff and Bob Goodlatte as they recognise that our future place in the world will be determined less by the sweat of our brows and more by the value created with our minds – and that value is worth protecting.”


    The IAPC members released the Caucus’ 2009 Priority Watch List, which highlights five countries where piracy has reached alarming levels. This year the group identified Canada, China, Mexico, Russia and Spain. Canada has appeared on the IAPC Priority Watch List for several years and last month was elevated to the United States Trade Representative’s Special 301 Report’s Priority Watch List, as well.


    Glickman said that it was important to draw attention to the fact that Canada is lagging behind other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries on its response to the tremendous technological changes that have occurred over the past decade as well as in facilitating a legitimate market for digital content to flourish.


    Glickman also pointed to Spain, where internet piracy continues to go unchecked resulting in harm not only to US creators but also to Spanish artistes. “The U.S. motion picture industry is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to
    deliver creative content to consumers, particularly over the Internet. It is extremely important that U.S. trading partners have effective legislative frameworks for protecting creative content online and that they enforce IP rights in the digital environment,” he says.

  • Terminator Salvation takes a $13.37 mn opening

    MUMBAI: Opening last Thursday, Terminator: Salvation, grossed $13.3 million.
    Warner Bros is, however, optimistic that despite the slow start, Salvation will beat Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and will romp in $70 million in the first five days.
    With this prediction, Terminator Salvation shouldn‘t have a difficult time topping previous opening weekend figures for the franchise.

    The Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2: Judgment (1991) pulled in $4 and $32 million on their respective opening weekends. However, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, the black sheep of the series, did still better with a $44 million opening weekend and $433 million in worldwide ticket sales by the end of its run.

    Incidentally, analyst Steve Mason had predicted that the film will make $70 million in the first five days of release, falling short of Night at the Museum 2‘s expected $75 million.

  • NFDC home production ‘As the River Flows’ starts rolling

    MUMBAI: The National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) has commenced the shooting of its home production As the River Flows.

    The film, a socio-political thriller, talks of social conflicts and individual commitments in an age where being self centered is the norm. As the River Flows, written and directed by National award winning filmmaker Bidyut Kotoky, tells the story of a journalist named Abhijit Shandilya who is caught in a multi-layered world of intriguing happenings in the largest inhabited river island in the world, Majuli, in Assam.


    The cast of the film includes veteran actor Victor Banerjee along with popular actors like Sanjay Suri, Raj Zutshi, Nakul Vaid, Naved Aslam and newcomer Bidita Bag. The music of the film is being given by well-known singer and music composer Zubin Garg.


    The film is a bilingual film being made in Hindi and Assamese. While the Hindi version is named as As The River Flows, its Assamese version will be called Ekhon Nedhekha Nadir Shipaare.


    Talking about the new project, director Kotoky says, “Initially I had my apprehension regarding NFDC, considering the general conception associated with a government organisation. But I must say, my experience with them came as a pleasant surprise and can now claim that the NFDC still remains the best bet for a newcomer if you have a good story to tell.”

    NFDC, till date, has produced and financed more than 300 films in 15 Indian languages and has more than 15 international co-productions to their credit. Its catalogue includes some award winning films like Gandhi, Salaam Bombay, Massey Sahib, The Making of Mahatma and Train to Pakistan. The Corporation has worked with some of most acclaimed filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen, Mira Nair, Aparna Sen, Ketan Mehta and Girish Kasaravalli.

  • Inox FY 2009 net dips 8% to Rs 243.4 million

    MUMBAI: Multiplex operator Inox Leisure Ltd has announced a fall of 7.78 per cent in its net profit for the year ended 31 March 2009.

    While announcing its audited results for the fiscal, Inox said that the net profit for the company stood at Rs 243.4 million as compared to Rs 263.9 million in the previous fiscal.



    Revenue rose 9.39 per cent to Rs 2.26 billion, compared to Rs 2.06 billon a year ago.



    Operating profit for the same period stood at Rs 347.5 million, a dip of 13.51 per cent from previous fiscal’s Rs 401.8 million.


    The company has launched four new properties in the financial year 2009; Inox Faridabad, Inox Nagpur, Inox Bangalore and Inox Burdwan taking its tally of total screens in operation from 76 to 91. INOX Hyderabad, launched in May 2009 takes it total tally of multiplexes to 27 with 97 screens in 20 cities across India.



    Meanwhile the company said in a release that the content pipeline for 2008-2009 was comparatively weaker as compared to the year 2007-2008.



    In the segment wise results, the company earned revenue of Rs 2.25 billion from multiplex business while Rs 15.2 million came from film distribution. In the previous fiscal, the company posted a revenue of Rs 2.05 billion from its multiplex operations while film distribution contributed to Rs 61.6 million.



    Oerating profit from multiplex segment fell to Rs 250.9 million as against Rs 315.5 million in the previous year. In film distribution business, the operating loss increased to Rs 28.6 million as against Rs 3.2 million in the last fiscal.

  • Exim Bank, IOB to co-finance Venus’ ‘De Dhana Dhan’

    MUMBAI: In a first of its kind deal, Exim Bank and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) have collectively decided to co-finance Venus Records‘ De Dhana Dhan, the Akshay Kumar-Katrina Kaif starrer.

    The Rs 700 million film will get Rs 250 million from Exim Bank while Rs 100 million will come from the IOB. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film is expected to release in the third quarter of this year.


    Talking informally to indiantelevision.com Venus chairman Ganesh Jain said, “Recession does not affect good content. De Dhana Dhan is our highest budgeted film mainly because of the star prices which amount to around 40 per cent of the total costs.”


    Incidentally, Exim Bank, that forayed into film financing four years ago with films like Dhoom and Veer Zara, has so far disbursed close to Rs 330 million.


    On the other hand, IOB financed a few films of AVM Productions in the South such as the Rajnikanth starrer, Sivaji.