ITV

Category: Hindi

  • Ghajini pockets Rs 2 bn to top BO

    MUMBAI: The Aamir-Khan starrer Ghajini has raked in Rs 2.01 billion within two weeks of release, making it the biggest grosser release of 2008.

    While the film has drawn in Rs 1.62 billion from the domestic market, it has made Rs 390 million overseas. Ghajini was distributed by The Indian Film Company in India while Reliance Big Pictures distributed it internationally.



    According to Bollywood trade analysts, the Geeta Arts production has broken all previous box office records set by movies like Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (DDLJ).








    Says Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh, “The film has been doing extremely well at the box office and seems to witness the same kind of success that films like Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and Hum Aap Ke Hain Kaun once witnessed.”



    Meanwhile, after being passed by the sensor board, Ghajini has also hit the Pakistan theatres today, 9 January. This is the first Indian film to release in the Pakistan market post the 26/11 terror attacks.

  • Excel, Walt Disney unveils Prince Caspian on DVD

    MUMBAI: Excel Home Videos and Walt Disney Home Entertainment have released the 2008 epic fantasy, The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian, on home video. The DVDs will be priced at Rs 599.

    Prince Caspian is based on the second novel in CS Lewis fantasy series, The Chronicles Of Narnia and is the second in the The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) was the first to be released in the film series.








    Upon its release on 16 May last year in the United States and Canada, Prince Caspian grossed $55 million in 3,929 theatres in its opening weekend, ranking number one at the box office while its worldwide total currently stands at $419.6 million.



    The bonus features included in the DVD are: Disc 1 – audio commentary with director Andrew Adamson and actors; Disc 2 – The bloopers of Narnia – deleted scenes, inside Narnia: The Adventure Returns, sets of Narnia: A Classic comes to life and Big Movie Comes To A Small Town – pre-visualising

  • India to have pavilion at European film market next month


    NEW DELHI: The Confederation of Indian Industry, in partnership with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, is coordinating the setting up of an Indian paviilion at the the first film market of the year, the Eurpoean Film Market (EFM), being held in Berlin in Germany from 5to 15 February.


    The Indian Pavilion at Hotel Marriott is aimed at creating awareness of the large growth in the Indian entertainment business. The India Pavilion would be the official place of activity for Indian delegates, government officials and international business and media.


    I&B secretary Sushma Singh is expected to lead the Indian delegation.









    With approximately 6443 industry professionals and 430 exhibitors from nearly 80 countries and 1105 market screenings, the EFM will provide facilities to network and enhance business.


    Indian participants at EFM are to be provided some free amenities at the India Pavilion: These include Business Lounge for networking, Internet point, Limited shelf space for literature/publicity material display, Poster space for companies promotional movies at EFM (available on first-come-first–serve basis), running tea/coffee station, and invitation to attend India-related workshops/networking sessions at the Pavilion


    CII and the Ministry are also publishing ‘ India -The Big Picture‘ Resource Directory on the Indian entertainment industry that will be circulated at EFM.

  • Excel Entertainment signs Ash-Abhi for next

    MUMBAI: After producing Rock On! that went on to redefine Bollywood film genre, Excel Entertainment has now signed up real life couple Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan for its future project – a thriller.

    To be directed by Abhinay Deo (of Delhi Belly fame), the yet-to-be-titled venture will go on floors on 15 June and will be filmed in locations like Greece, Thailand, Istanbul and London.



    Currently, the Ash-Abhi couple, who were last seen together in Guru, has been shooting for Mani Ratnam‘s Raavana.

  • BigFlix.com ties up with Future Group to promote movie rental biz


    MUMBAI: BigFlix.com, Reliance Big Entertainment’s movie rental service, has partnered with Future Group for movie rentals wherein the alliance will entail marketing promotions and schemes to all customers of Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar, Central, Depot, HomeTown and e-Zone.


    BIGFlix.com head – marketing Raviraj Jayram said, “Kishore Biyani’s Future Group has a massive retail presence with a large loyal customer base in the country. Thus, we are confident that this alliance will help reach a much wider base of customers. Also, alliances and tie-up with leading companies across sectors is on the anvil which will help us meet with our objective of bringing in entertainment at home in the common man’s daily life anytime anywhere, thus revolutionizing and taking home video industry in this country to the next dimension.”









    This association will see support across nine cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Indore.



    Big Bazaar CEO Rajan Malhotra said, “We are a purely retail based format group. Our partnership with BigFlix.com will help us provide our customers a great value proposition with movies at home, another entertainment avenue catching up at a fast pace with such players in the industry.”

  • Juggad to release on 6 February

    MUMBAI: Anand Kumar’s next directorial venture Juggad will witness a nationwide release on 6 February.


    Produced by Sandeep Kapoor, the film casts Manoj Bajpai and Hrishita Bhatt as the lead protagonists. The other actors in the film include Vijay Raaz, Sanjay Mishra and Akshat Kumar.



    While Sachin Gupta is the music director of the film, the lyrics have been penned by Sameer.



    Juggad is based on the real lives and incidents of people who faced the MCD ceiling destruction done by the New Delhi government.

  • 7th Pune International Film Festival to screen 150 films

    MUMBAI: The seventh Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) is set to kick off on 8 January with the screening of approximately 150 films from 42 countries.

    PIFF will also give away lifetime achievement awards to actors Sulochana, Shashi Kapoor and Hema Malini.



    The festival, which ends on 15 January, will screen films under categories like World Cinema, Student Films- Live Action and Animation, World Showcase, Country Focus, Retrospective, Tribute, Indian Showcase, Focus on Director, Gems from NFAI and Marathi Cinema Today.



    PIFF will showcase 109 films under the World Competition section from 30 countries while in Marathi section 30 entries have been received.



    Starting this year, the festival has also introduced a new segment on Football wherein three films based on the game will be shown.



    PIFF will be inaugurated by Minister of State for External Affairs and Information and Broadcasting Anand Sharma.

  • DQE to produce two Bollywood films with international studios

    MUMBAI: Hyderabad-based DQ Entertainment (DQE) will co-produce with international studios two Bollywood films – an animation feature and a high-end live action movie.


    The budget for the animation feature, based on futuristic Indian mythology, is Rs 180 million. DQE will own 50 per cent of the commercial exploitation rights worldwide.


    “The two movies, to be co-produced with international studios, are currently under development. The Bollywood animation is a 100-minute feature that has a budget of approximately Rs 180 million,” DQE Group chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti tells Indiantelevision.com.









    The live-action feature is a high-end movie which will be released in the third quarter of 2010, Chakravarti adds. He, however, did not disclose the cost of the movie project.


     

  • Book on film journalism bags Bhartendu Harishchandra prize for promotion of Hindi

    NEW DELHI: Shyam Mathur will receive the first prize in the “Journalism and Mass Communication” category for his manuscript “Film Patrakarita Ke Vividh Aayam” in the Bhartendu Harishchandra awards for 2006.


    Harshdev has bagged the second prize for his book “Samayik Media Shabdkosh” and the third prize has gone to Sita Ram Khodawal for his manuscript “Hindi Jansanchar Aur Premchand Ka Jaagran Manch”.


    Twelve books/manuscripts have been selected by the Jury for the awards which will be given away by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anand Sharma on 6 January in the capital.


    Murli Manohar Manjul for his book “Akashvani ki Antarkatha”, Narendra Singh Yadav for “Graphic Design”, Dr Smita Mishra and Dr Amar Nath ‘Amar‘ for their jointly written book “Electronic Media: Badalte Aayam”, Prabhu Jhingran “Sachitra Media Shabdawali” and Dhananjai Chopra for his book “Sirf Samachar” have been chosen for consolation prizes.


    The first prize is of Rs 35000, second prize is Rs 25000, third prize is Rs. 20000 and consolation prizes are of Rs 5000 each in this category.


    In the ‘Women Issues‘ category, the first prize has been given to Anamika for her book “Man Manjhne Ki Zaroorat” and the second prize goes to Lata Sharma for her book “Aurat Apne Liye”.


    In ‘Children‘s Literature‘, the first prize goes to Rama Shankar for his book “Antariksh Ka Swapnil Lok” and the second prize to Harish Kumar ‘Amit‘ for his manuscript “Imandari Ka Swad”. For these two categories, the first prize consists of Rs 15000 and the second prize is of Rs 10000 each.


    Interestingly, no book or manuscript has been recommended by the jury in the ‘National Integration‘ category.


    Bhartendu Harishchandra Awards were instituted in 1983. Since then, these Awards are given by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting every year to promote original writings in Hindi in the field of Journalism and Mass Communication. Awards for National Integration, Women Issues & Children‘s Literature were introduced in 1992.

  • VRFF kicks off film financing with Manmohan Shetty’s Victory

    MUMBAI: Vistaar Religare Film Fund (VRFF), India‘s first film fund to be approved by Sebi (Securities and Exchange Board of India), has started the ball rolling. Its maiden film financing project: Manmohan Shetty‘s Victory.

    The nature of the funding is unique in the sense that VRFF has agreed to invest only in the cost required for print and advertising (P&A) promotion. Shetty‘s Walk Water Media will receive a funding of approximately $1 million from VRFF for the movie Victory.


    Says Walk Water Media chairman Manmohan Shetty, “This is a landmark deal as it is happening in India for the first time that a third party is putting in the money for P&A. The industry is in urgent need of entities that will recognise the depth of talent available in the country and work methodically to produce superlative cinema. We believe that this is the beginning of a long and fruitful association with Vistaar Religare Film Fund and we are confident that we will work together on future ventures as well.”








    The big budget film, featuring Harman Baweja and Amrita Rao as lead protagonists, will release on 30 January.