ITV

Category: Hindi

  • Sag, AMPTP to resume negotiations on Tuesday

    MUMBAI: The Screen Actors Guild ((Sag) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in the US will meet on 3 february and 4 February to resume contract negotiations.

    As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, Sag fired its chief negotiator Doug Allen and put a new team in place. Some members of Sag were unhappy over the hardline approach during negotiations to work out a new contract.


    Sag‘s 1,20,000 members have been working without a contract since June. This will be the first time that the two groups will met since a series of meetings with a federal mediator in November. Those talks failed to break the deadlock that has been in place since the contract expired in June.



     

  • Puja Films ropes in Vivek Sharma to direct next

    MUMBAI: Puja Films has roped in Vivek Sharma to direct its next project Kal Kissne Dekha. The film is set to hit theatres pan India on 3 April.


    Kal Kissne Dekha marks the acting debut of Jackky Bhagnani and Vaishali Desai, protagonists of the film.










    Puja Films chairman Vashu Bhagnani says, “Kal Kissne Dekha is a romantic thriller which is launching Jackky Bhagnani alongwith Vaishali Desai.”


    The film also includes Rishi Kapoor, Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla in cameos.


    According to Puja Films, Kal Kissne Dekha revolves around the story of a small town boy, Nihaal Singh, who comes to Mumbai to fulfill his various dreams and has to face immense hardships to meet his aspirations.

  • IFC shareholder revolt resolved, Bahl stays

    MUMBAI: After much discussion, The Indian Film Company (IFC) and the IFC Requisition Group (IFCRG) have reached an accord wherein IFCRG has agreed to withdraw the requisition presented by one of its members, Altima India Master Fund (AIMF) seeking to have an EGM to remove Raghav Bahl and Alok Verma from the company‘s board.


    Both the parties have stated that the decision to come to a consensus lay in the interests of the company shareholders.


    IFCRG has also agreed to support the indefinite adjournment of the extraordinary general meeting of the company convened for 5 February 2009.


    IFC had on 22 December 2008 received a requisition from Vidacos Nominees Ltd (in its capacity as nominee for, and on the instruction of, Altima India Master Fund Ltd) for the directors to convene an EGM. The IFC board tried to engage with AIMF to discuss its concerns. But AIMF indicated that it is unwilling to respond unless Bahl and Verma, an experienced corporate financier, are removed and Aashish Vyas and Atul Setia are appointed as directors.


    However, IFCRG has now acknowledged in a statement that Bahl‘s contribution and the brand awareness of the Network 18 Group of companies that he controls, have made and shall continue to make important contributions to The Indian Film Company and its business.


    Meanwhile, the board has agreed to appoint Atul Setia and Deepak Gupta as additional non-executive directors of the company, which will stand valid only after necessary regulatory approvals.


    The board has also resolved to carry out a strategic review of the company in an attempt to look into enhancing long term shareholder value in the future. The strategic review will be overseen by Setia and Gupta along with Sanjeev Manchanda, an adviser to Network 18.


    As part of the agreement, Gupta has undertaken that within three days of his and his associates ceasing to have an interest in 10 per cent or more in the company‘s issued share capital, he would resign as a director. Similarly, Setia has also given a similar undertaking where Altima ceases to have an aggregate interest in 10 per cent or more of the company‘s issued share capital.


    The board and IFCRG believe that the appointment of the two new non-executive directors together with the forthcoming strategic review will help ensure the company‘s successful prospects for the future.



    IFC operates as an India-focused motion picture company with outsourced production and distribution functions externally managed by the Investment Manager, with the Investment Adviser and Studio 18 playing a key role in the overall functioning of the company. Bahl is the promoter and director of the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager is owned 50 per cent by B K Media Mauritius Private Limited and 50 per cent by Viacom Inc.

  • Fox to co-produce third ‘Narnia’ film

    MUMBAI: One month after Disney decided to pull its hands off from co-financing the third part of the Chronicles of Narnia series, 20th Century Fox has announced its plans to join forces with Walden Media to co-produce the latest franchise.

    Titled The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the film will be directed by Brit Michael Apted and will begin production sometime late summer after receiving the News Corp-owned studio‘s formal approval on the script and budget.








    Fox and Walden, which plan to release the third Narnia movie in late 2010, will share the cost for the film that is estimated to be approximately $140 million.


    Earlier last month, Disney had cited budgetary issues as the key reason behind bowing out of co-financing the franchise.


    In 2005, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first in the Narnia series, had raked in $745 million at the worldwide box office, while Prince Caspian, the second in the series, garnered $420 million last year.

  • Shemaroo to release DVD on Gandhi, Mandela on 30 January

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment is set to release the DVD titled The Path of Non Violence – with Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela on 30 January.








    The DVD features documentaries on Gandhi and Mandela and is priced at Rs 299.



    Shemaroo has licensed the content from American Institute of Education for release on the home video format.



    According to the company, while Mahatma Gandhi’s documentary explains his struggle against the British Empire, Nelson Mandela’s documentary films his struggles, triumphs and the adversity which drove him to greatness as an African leader.



    The DVD also showcases the words of colleagues, opponents and world leaders as they put Mandela into perspective as one of the great patriots of all time and an inspiration to people worldwide.



    Shemaroo Entertainment director Hiren Gada says, “This documentary on Gandhi and Mandela will definitely be a great pick not only for the common man’s interests, but will also serve as a great educational material for schools and institutions who would want to study the works of Gandhi and Mandela.”

  • Women’s Film Festival to begin from 1 March

    MUMBAI: The second edition of the Women‘s Film Festival (WFF) will be held from 1 March onwards.


    Hosted by Indo-Korean Cultural and Information Centre in Chennai, the festival will be organised by The Inko Centre in association with National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), National Film Archives (NFAI), The Directorate of Film Festivals of India (DFFI), The Indo-Cine Appreciation Foundation, Chennai, Women’s International Film Festival in Seoul and Sathyam Cinemas.









    WFF, which ends on 8 March, will screen approximately 150 films produced in 30 countries. The films selected will be either those which are made by women directors or films made by male directors whose work presents a distinct women’s perspective.



    The festival will also hold an international seminar on the subject ‘The Eye Behind the Camera: Looking at Films’.

  • Luck By Chance to release across 900 screens worldwide

    MUMBAI: Reliance Big Pictures, the motion pictures brand of Reliance Big Entertainment, is set to release Zoya Akhtar’s Luck By Chance across 900 screens worldwide.


    While the film, co-produced by Excel Entertainment, will hit approximately 700 screens in India, it will open across 200 screens in the overseas market that include USA, Canada, UK, UAE, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.



    Luck By Chance, to be released on 30 January, is a narrative about the Bollywood film industry and how people from different walks of life come to Mumbai to make it big in an industry where luck clicks more than hard work.



    This film marks the debut of Zoya Akhtar as the director and stars Farhan Akhtar, Konkana Sen Sharma as leads. Hrithik Roshan has a special appearance in the film.

  • Raaz- TMC garners Rs 210 million at box office

    MUMBAI: Raaz – The Mystery Continues, co-produced by Vishesh Films and music label Sony BMG, has raked in Rs 210 million in its first four days at the box office in India. Overseas collections were yet to be tabulated at the time of writing.

    The film, which is being domestically distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) India, is hoping to rake in close to Rs 350 million as the film’s first week collections.








    Written by Shagufta Rafique, Raaz – TMC witnessed a simultaneous release in India and internationally across 1000 screens on 23 January.



    Says Sony Pictures Entertainment India MD Kercy Daruwala, “It‘s a great start. Raaz-TMC has been a great success all over and we are proud to be associated in this venture with Vishesh Films.”



    Earlier, SPE had distributed Sanjaya Leela Bhansali’s Sawariyan in India.



    Raaz – TMC stars Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut and Adhyayan Suman. The music of the film, released by Sony BMG, has been composed by Raju Singh, Sharib-Toshi, Pranay M Rijiya and Gourov Dasgupta. Sonu Nigam, KK, Shreya Ghosal, Toshi and Krishna are the playback singers of the movie.

  • Spielberg to direct ‘The Adventures of Tintin’

    MUMBAI: Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment‘s latest venture The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn is being directed by Hollywood director Steven Spielberg.

    The film stars Jamie Bell Billy Elliot as Tintin, while Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace) plays the nefarious Red Rackham.


    The starcast also includes Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook. Nick Rodwell, Stephane Sperry and Ken Kamins are the executive producers.







    The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, from a screenplay by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, is the first in the series of 3D motion capture films based on the iconic character created by Georges Remi, better known to the world by his pen name “Herge”. The film is due for release in 2011.

    While Paramount Pictures will release the film in the US and in all English speaking territories including Asia (except India), Sony Pictures will distribute the film in Continental Europe, Eastern Europe, Latin America, India and the remainder of the world.


    The second feature in the series is scheduled to be directed by Peter Jackson, with a potential for a third film as well.


    Spielberg and Jackson will bring Herge‘s stories to life employing state-of-the-art performance capture technology developed by Jackson‘s Weta Digital.

  • Delhi HC turns down plea to stay ‘Aashayein’ release

    MUMBAI: The Delhi High Court has rejected a plea by Reliance ADAG‘s Big Entertainment seeking a stay on Nagesh Kukunoor‘s directorial venture Aashayein, starring John Abraham as the lead protagonist.

    Big Entertainment, which had made a part-payment of approximately Rs 40 million towards the acquisition of the distribution rights of the film, approached the court alleging that Percept Ltd and Super Cassette Industries, the co-producers of the film, had misrepresented facts and changed the storyline from the previously agreed upon script while signing the agreement.










    Meanwhile, while disposing off the plea, the court has asked the co-producers to pay 30 per cent of the paid amount in proportions of 15 per cent each as compensation to the company.


    Earlier in June 2008, Big Entertainment had signed a distribution agreement with co-producers Percept Ltd and Super Cassette Industries for theatrical, non-theatrical, world satellite, television and overseas home video rights. The total value of the deal stood at Rs 180 million, of which around Rs 40 million was paid as token amount.


    In the petition filed to the court, the company had stated that while signing the deal, Aashayein was supposed to be a commercial film and it was assured to them that the co-producers would not change the storyline anyhow.


    However, in July 2008 when Big Entertainment was shown the completed film, the company claimed that the storyline had undergone a complete transition and was nowhere a commercial film now.


    The bench, comprising Justice Manmohan Singh, observed that since Aashayein is ready for release, it would be harmful for actors, investors and exhibitors if the release of Aashayein was stayed.