ITV

Category: Hindi

  • Stars to grace Iifa Awards

    MUMBAI: Time is witness. Every year Iifa sees a host of Indian celebrities as well as international film personalities attending the Iifa Weekend.


    This year too, it will be no different. The presence of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan along with Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutt and producer-director Subhash Ghai amongst others promises to make the Videocon Iifa Weekend 2009 special.


    Keeping the last year‘s trend alive, this year too Ritieish Deshmukh and Boman Irani are all set to play hosts to the Idea Iifa Awards and tickle the funny bones with their antics.


    The 10th Idea Iifa Awards promises some electrifying on-stage performances with Sonam Kapoor making her debut and Kareena Kapoor‘s



    mesmerising performance. John Terry and Frank Lampard will also grace the occasion.

    The Videocon Iifa Weekend will be viewed by 600 million people globally and is expected to pull in thousands of visitors across the world during this three-day event.



    The event will start on 11 June, while the prestigious Idea Iifa Awards will be given to the best in the Indian Cinema at a star-studded extravaganza on 13 June.

  • NFDC to conduct ‘Screenwriters’ Lab 2009′ for scriptwriters

    MUMBAI: In keeping with its endeavour of promoting the development of the Cinemas of India, the National Film Development Corporation Ltd. (NFDC) will conduct Screenwriters‘ Lab 2009, a 2-part screenwriters‘ workshop for writing and selling original Indian screenplays, in association with Binger Filmlab, the Locarno International Film Festival and the Entertainment Society of Goa.


    A 2-part workshop, Screenwriter‘s Lab 2009 is designed to prepare screenwriters‘ with original Indian stories for working with the international filmmaking market place. It aims at improving a completed screenplay in its final stages and to increase the international marketability of the same.


    The first session will be held during the Locarno International Film Festival, Locarno, Switzerland from 8 to 12 August where participants will get first-hand experience of the workings of the international film community and get to train with their screenplay mentors.


    In the second session at Film Bazaar, Goa from 24 to 26 November, participants will apply their training and pitch their revised screenplays to participants at the film market.


    The workshop will be conducted by Marten Rabarts, artistic director, Binger Filmlab, aided by experienced international guest mentors.


    To participate in the workshop, participants need to submit entry form along with screenplay in classic format, log-line, one-page synopsis along with screenwriters‘ CV in English.


    Interested applicants can register online at www.nfdcindia.com or can email to writers@nfdcindia.com for application forms. Applications must reach the NFDC before 10 June.

  • StudioCanal, Universal Music Group partner for 3D movie

    MUMBAI: Two of European media company Vivendi‘s divisions, StudioCanal and Universal Music Group (UMG), have announced a partnership for the upcoming 3D animated feature, Around the World in 50 Years, at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival.The film will be released globally in the fourth quarter of next year.


    As part of the agreement, UMG will handle all North American theatrical, DVD, television and non-theatrical rights of the movie which has all the hallmarks of classic family film. Moreover, UMG will also handle the soundtrack album on a global basis.


    The film, being positioned as a buddy movie, is directed by Ben Stassen Fly Me to the Moon and is being produced at nWave‘s Brussels studio.


    The announcement of the deal follows straight after the film‘s presentation to an exclusive, invitation-only audience at Cannes, as part of the international sales rollout. The presentation – which included almost 15 minutes of ‘immersion‘ 3D footage – was crafted and presented by former Dreamworks marketing executive, Peter Dunne who has signed on as an animation consultant for Studio Canal.


    StudioCanal CEO Olivier Courson said, “I am delighted about this partnership. We first approached our sister-company Universal Music Group about the soundtrack which is so critical for an animated film, but Doug Morris (Chairman & CEO) was so enthusiastic that he decided not only to come on board for the music but also to become our partner for US distribution.


    “We never even took the film to the market. This movie is another important step in our international production: 3D animation. We are happy to have partners within the Vivendi group who can bring together such a strong and diverse team of creative and marketing talent which this project deserves.”


    Morris says, “When Jolene Cherry (A&R, Universal Records senior VP) first brought the film to my attention, I realised what a true gem it is. It combines the most innovative technology available today with great storytelling to convey an important environmental message. We are thrilled to be working with Olivier and his team on this important project.”


    The soundtrack album to the movie will be created by Ms. Cherry and Vincent Herbert.


    StudioCanal executive VP international distribution Rodolphe Buet stated, “We are thrilled to have secured such a great home for Around the World in 50 Years. We have long recognised that international success in family entertainment relies on a great US release and this deal allows us to begin work right away with our partners in putting together a first-class marketing, licensing and promotional campaign for the film.”


    StudioCanal executive VP, international sales Harold Van Lier says, “With such a strong commitment from our US partner and our own distribution in the major part of Europe, our sales campaign has got off to a really strong start and I‘m confident that we will secure our other distribution partners very quickly.”

  • Prakash Mehra bids adieu to the world

    MUMBAI: Legendary Bollywood producer-director Prakash Mehra passed away yesterday after prolonged illness.
    The 69-year-old Mehra died of pneumonia and multiple organ failure.

    It was Mehra who cemented Amitabh Bachchan‘s career with Zanjeer in the early 70s as a angry young man that was followed by stupendous hits Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Laawaris, Namak Halal, Sharabi and Hera Pheri. Jadugar, their last film together in 1989, however, didn‘t do well.

    Mehra started his journey in the industry as a production controller in the late 1950s but he switched to direction with Haseena Maan Jayegi in 1968. However, his first success came in 1971 with Mela which brought together the Khan brothers — Feroz Khan and Sanjay Khan – for the first time on silver screen.

    Says Asha Parekh, who along with Dharmendra, worked with Mehra in the 1972 film Samadhi, “The news came as a shock to me, though I knew for some time that he wasn‘t keeping well. Prakashji was a wonderful person to work with. He was a director who knew all the intricacies of cinema. He was a man who believed in detailing everything. I for one have seen him rewriting the dialogues which he didn‘t like.”

    In his long career, Prakash Mehra produced nine films, directed 22 films and wrote eight films. He even wrote lyrics for Chameli Ki Shaadi and Laawaris.

    In 2006 Mehra was bestowed with the Lifetime Achievement award from the India Motion Picture Directors Association (IMPDA) for his commendable contribution to the industry as a Director.

    Two years later, in 2008, he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award from the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) for his role as a Producer.

    Mehra‘s health declined after his wife slipped into a coma. His conditioned further worsened after his wife‘s death. He was in the ICU and on ventilator following lung failure and infection.

    Said an industry insider, “Prakashji had a very good sense of music and songs


    . Most of the songs of his films were hits. O saathi re tere bina bhi kya jeena.”

  • Multiplexes take Rs 1.4 bn hit; Big Cinemas cushions losses with south paw

    MUMBAI

    : Multiplexes have taken a Rs 1.42 billion hit since producers have choked supply of their new Hindi movies from 4 April, according to Indiantelevision.com estimates.

    The hole in the pockets of plex owners has grown bigger as average occupancy rates have dipped to 11 per cent. For the first 15 days of the blackout phase, the average occupancy was 15 per cent.


    Among the national chain multiplex operators, Reliance ADAG‘s Big Cinemas has been cushioned somewhat with its wide presence in the southern region where the row has not erupted yet. The company‘s south Indian spread amounts to 23 per cent of its total base of 201 screens, with properties sprinkled across Mangalore, Pondicherry, Tenali, Thanjavore, Vellore, Madurai, Salem, Warangal, Sivakasi,.Belgaum, Coimbatore and Hyderabad.


    “No other national cinema chain in the country can boast of having such eclectic presence in the south. The southern markets have been performing handsomely with people relishing local content. With a large presence in the south, we have managed to counter losses faced elsewhere in the country,” says Big Cinemas COO Tushar Dhingra.


    In the other prominent multiplex chains like Inox, PVR, Fun, Fame and Cinemax, the number of screens are strongly skewed towards the northern and western parts of the country. These chains have, thus, not been able to capitalise on the boom in the southern markets.


    “The absence of Hindi movies has only upped the occupancy rates for regional movies,” says Dhingra.


    PVR‘s properties in Bangalore and Hyderabad contribute to 14 of their 108 screens in the country. While PVR in Hyderabad is flush with Telugu movies



    , PVR Bangalore is riding on an entire mix: movies in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and English. However its number of screens in the south stands at only about 13 per cent of its total screens.

    Inox‘s presence in the south, too, comprises properties only in Bangalore and Chennai and account for only about 10 per cent of their total number of screens. Fun Cinemas also has a thin presence in the south with properties in Hyderabad and Bangalore.



    Fame‘s southern presence consists of one property in Bangalore while Cinemax is yet to open its account in the south.


    “Multiplexes are under pressure to source alternate content and the lineup of aging Hollywood movies and regional and Hindi releases from lesser known producers haven‘t worked to bring in audiences,” says a film producer on condition of anonymity.

  • ’13B’ to be screened at Shanghai International Film Festival

    MUMBAI: 13B- Fear Has A New Address, a Big Pictures production, has been officially selected to be screened at the 12th Shanghai International Film Festival.

    The festival will commence from 13 June and will be featured in the International Panorama section.


    Says director Vikram K Kumar, “I am happy that 13B is being showcased at Shanghai International Film Festival, a prominent Asian film festival. 13B is receiving commercial and critical acclaim and I am happy for everyone involved with the film.”


    ‘13B- Fear Has A New Address‘ stars R Madhavan, Neetu Chandra, Sachin Khedekar, Murali Sharma and Poonam Dhillon and was released in India on 6 March. The Tamil version of 13B is named Yaavarum Nalam.

  • Star brings Bruce Lee on Blu-ray with new licensing deal

    MUMBAI: Pan Asian broadcaster Star has announced its first ever Blu-ray licensing deal with Hong Kong based distributor Kam and Ronson Enterprise. Star owns Fortune Star, which is its Chinese film and television library.

    The deal covers Hong Kong and Macau but the Blu-ray discs will also reach Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand through third party distributors. It marks the first time a Bruce Lee title has been released in the high definition Blu-ray format. Four Bruce Lee titles The Big Boss, The Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury, have been licensed and will be available to consumers in June.


    The other titles to be distributed by Kam and Ronson Enterprise on Blu-ray include Jackie Chan‘s Police Story 1, 2 and 3 as well as Jet Li‘s Once Upon a Time 1,2 and 3.

    Star VP programme syndication and distribution Yvonne Chuang says, “The Blu-ray format, with its enhanced video and audio features, is something movie fans from across the world have held in high esteem, particularly with premium and cult titles such as the ones included in this deal. We look forward to working with Kam and Ronson as well as distributors throughout the world to give viewers everywhere an opportunity to see these incredible titles like never before.”

  • ‘Just Married’ to be screened at Salento International Film Fest

    MUMBAI: Just Married, a Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) production, has been selected for screening at the Salento International Film Festival this year.


    To be held in Italy, the festival will commence from 4 September and run till 13 September.


    “The official selection of the film for screening at the festival reaffirms our commitment to the new kind of cinema that is changing Bollywood and is making it a global force to recon with,” says PNC chairman Pritish Nandy.


    The festival screens international features, shorts films



    and documentaries.


  • Director Ramya ropes in Priyanka Shah to act in his next

    MUMBAI: Director Ramya has roped in model Priyanka Shah for his next Tamil venture Kallakadhalan.

    Produced by Storm Pictures, the film will mark the acting debut of Priyanka Shah opposite Kannada actor Vishal Hegde.


    Kallakadhalan is loosely based on the ‘Agaligai‘ chapter that comes at the beginning of the epic ‘Ramayana‘. In the mythological ‘Ramayana‘, Agaligai was the wife of Saint Gauthamar who held her chastity close to her heart and didn‘t even look up and meet others‘ eyes, lest her eyes might rest on some other male other than her husband.


    The film is scheduled to go on floors in early July.


    Get Gorgeous ramp girl Priyanka Shah is making her debut as heroine opposite Sibiraj and Kannada actor Vishal Hegde in Kalla Kadhalan, produced by Gaurav Sharma and directed by Ramya. The tall and pretty Priyanka is a Pantaloons Femina Miss India Tourism 2007 winner, Channel V‘s GetGorgeous winner, Miss India International winner, Zoom Levis divawinner, celebrity PETA activist and the Indian captain of ladies netball team.


    Priyanka Shah, a stunning-looking Ex-Miss India, has been cast opposite Sibiraj. Director Ramya, originally called Suresh, has written the story and screenplay for the Vijaykanth – Suriya starrer ‘Periyanna‘, and returns to Tamil after doing a Telugu blockbuster ‘Naga‘. He has made a script adapting the Ramayana for his film, ‘Kalla Kadhalan‘.Ramya said that the film is based loosely on the ‘Agaligai‘ chapter that comes at the beginning of the epic ‘Ramayana‘. In the mythological ‘Ramayana‘, Agaligai was the wife of Saint Gauthamar, who held her chastity close to her heart and didn‘t even look up and meet others‘ eyes, lest her eyes might rest on some other male other than her husband. Indra, leader o the Devas, falls in love with Agaligai and plays a trick, cheats her and manages to breach her chastity. Ramya has made adequate changes in this particular episode to suit today‘s needs and is making ‘Kallakaadhalan‘.


    Pretty tall (5 ft 9″)Priyanka, half-Maharashtrian half-Gujarati, is an engineering graduate and is all excited about taking her first baby steps in Tamil cinema. In ‘Kalla Kadhalan‘, Sibiraj plays the role of Indhira, while Miss India Priyanka Shah plays Ahalya. Her husband‘s role is played by a popular Kannada stage and film actor H. Vishal. The film will be a take on women‘s morality.


    Priyanka doesn‘t mind showing skin or body if done aesthetically, but is against vulgarity. She will wear a bikini in the film as she is cool about flaunting her body in a bikini was she has the figure to carry it off. She has worn a swimsuit for the various beauty pageants.


    The film is produced by Storm Pictures and directed by Ramya. Director Ramya has taken on a portion of the epic to modernize it. The topic in question is morality concerning women, as it is dealt with in the portion involving Ahalya, Indiran and Sage Gauravar in the Baalakandam of Ramayana.

    Shooting for the movie will begin in early July.


    Priyanka has done an acting course at the famous Kishore Namit Kumar acting school in Mumbai. She has also done several modelling assignments and walked the ramp at international fashion meets before taking the plunge into the industry. PETA recently honoured her for my contribution towards animal welfare.

  • Reliance greenlits 20 Hollywood projects

    MUMBAI: A year after Reliance Big Entertainment announced it would flirt with Hollywood filmmakers, the Anil Ambani company has greenlit a slate of 20 projects outside its Spielberg deal.

    “We have invested $10-15 million in the past one year in the developmental process of these Hollywood projects. We are now geared up for the next phase,” says a source in Reliance Big Entertainment.


    The projects, involving nine Hollywood talents, have been approved and have entered various stages of script development. Reliance will provide a development fund silo for each of the production entities and it may also co-finance projects that emanate from these development deals.


    Reliance will fund Nicolas Cage‘s Saturn Films action title Voodoo Child with writer John Collee and Jim Carrey‘s JC 23 Entertainment for the comedy O‘Gunn with writers Ed Cannistraci and Fred Seton.


    Besides these, Reliance will also provide seed finance to three projects, to be produced under the Chris Columbus‘ 1492 Pictures banner. These are Things They Left Behind (based on Stephen King short story about 9/11 survivor), The Last Campaign (an adaptation of Thurston Clarke‘s book) and David Dorfman‘s script It‘s A Miserable Life.


    Reliance will further fund Brett Ratner‘s Rat Entertainment to develop Youngblood, based on Rob Liefeld‘s iconic graphic novel ‘Infinity‘, with writer John Collee. The company will also develop John Delorean‘s project with James Toback. Meanwhile, Julia Roberts‘ Red Om Films will develop Dan Eldon‘s.


    Says Reliance BIG Entertainment chairman Amit Khanna, “It has been a very active and satisfactory first year and we have been delighted by the quality of the individual projects being presented to us for development financing. There are many others in the evaluation/ negotiation stages and I‘m confident of moving into the filmmaking stage on several projects before the end of the year.”


    Adding further Khanna says, “These creative partnerships call for Reliance to co-finance production for the US Studios where existing first-look deals are in place. From the conversations to date, we know that the respective studios welcome our development silos and our subsequent co-financing ability. We have broken completely new ground by empowering some of the best talent in Hollywood.”


    Part of its long term strategy for media investments in Hollywood to build a fully integrated movie company with substantial holdings in production, distribution and exhibition, Reliance Big Entertainment sees these development deals as the first major building block in the creation of a virtual studio for Hollywood.


    The deals also secure Indian rights for the films which Reliance co-finances. Additionally, through these deals, Reliance expects to attract suitable productions with appropriate incentives to India.


    Creative Artists Agency (CAA) was instrumental in brokering the deals and is advising Reliance Big Entertainment on its Hollywood strategy.


    Meanwhile, Reliance has already stiched a deal with Steven Spielberg to set up a $1.5 billion company that would finance 32 movies over six years.