Category: Hindi

MUMBAI: Wizcraft International Entertainment is set to unveil “The Unforgettable Tour” on 18 July.

Conceptualised and promoted by Wizcraft, the tour (explained to be “an extravaganza of Indian Cinema‘s magic”), will set its first leg across 10 cities namely Toronto, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Trinidad & Tobago, Houston, Atlantic City, New York, Vancouver, London and Amsterdam.

Wizcraft director Viraf Sarkari said, “Indian cinema today, is highly sought after, across the world. The tour brings together, for the first time, the biggest film stars of Indian Cinema on one platform and is definitely a dream come true for millions across the globe. ‘The Unforgettable Tour‘ promises to bring alive Indian Cinema‘s magic on a global stage and will truly be a spectacle that needs to be seen to be believed.”

“The Unforgettable Tour” will bring together Bollywood‘s Bachchan family that includes Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Amitabh Bachchan said,” The tour is an expression to show our gratitude to the fans of Indian cinema across the globe. It is a privilege to be on a platform that is committed to create thrilling performances for our fans across the globe.”

” It will be doubly joyous for me because I‘ll have my family and some of India‘s most sought after actors joining this tour. I am keenly looking forward to this tour which is truly going to be an “unforgettable” experience for the fans of Indian Cinema”, he added.

Actors Preity Zinta and Ritesh Deshmukh will also be a part of this “extravaganza”.

Each city that the tour travels to will have one celebrity guest performer. While Akshay Kumar will be performing in Toronto, Madhuri Dixit will perform in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Atlantic City, New York and Vancouver.

Dixit said, “I am thrilled to be a part of such a splendid event that promises to promote Indian Cinema on a global platform. An event of such a magnitude will surely be something to look out for and I am eagerly looking forward to it.”

The performances will be choreographed by Shiamak Davar and the music will be provided by Vishal and Shekhar.

Through this event, Wizcraft aims to put Indian cinema on a global platform, thereby acting as a catalyst to the integration of the Indian film industry with the world.

Also, an interactive website, theunforgettabletour.com, has been created to promote the tour. The site will allow film fans to blog and browse through star photo galleries, contests and “opportunities to win or buy star-endorsed merchandise.”

MUMBAI: Warner Bros Pictures India is entering the animation genre, setting in process its aggressive movie plans in India.

Warner Bros will fund, market and distribute worldwide the animated film which is to be directed by Jyotin Goel. The untitled film will be presented under the Warner Bros Pictures banner and produced by Jyotin Goel’s Geol Screencraft.

Earlier this year Warner Bros Pictures India had inked a multi-movie deal with Soundarya Rajnikanth‘s Ocher Studios to get a footprint across the four southern languages. The pact covers the production and distribution of live action South Indian language films.

“We are making an entry into the animation genre in India. We are delighted to associate with Jyotin for this film,” said Warner Bros Pictures India country manager Blaise Fernandes.

The post production will be handled by Interactive Realities International (IRIPL) that specialises in multimedia production, Internet applications, e-learning and web solutions in India.

Elaborating on the story-line of the film, director Jyotin Goel said, “This is a story of love and adventure, full of color, music, drama and comedy. The film is not based on the human kingdom but portrays the melodious world of birds and attempts to explore their lives from an unusual standpoint. It is a journey into the lives of birds as they soar over dense jungles and teeming cities, giving them a point of view of the world that is hilariously different from ours.”

Additionally, Warner Bros is also set to release two of its productions this year. While Warner Bros‘ solo production Saas Bahu Sensex is slated to release on 18 September, Chandni Chowk to China, a Warner Bros co-production with Mukesh Talreja and Ramesh Sippy, will hit the screens on 24 October.

Hollywood studios have been busy chalking out their movie plans in India, a market where they see high potential growth. Last year, Walt Disney signed a co-production deal with Yash Raj Films. As per the deal, the two companies would be releasing one animated movie per year.

MUMBAI: Eros International has announced the release dates of two of its forthcoming films God Tussi Great Ho and Drona.

While Rumi Jaffery‘s comedy God Tussi Great Ho, starring Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Amitabh Bachchan and Sohail Khan, will be released on 15 August this year, Goldie Behl‘s Drona will hit the screens on 2nd October.

Drona, “the fantasy action film filled with VFX” and starring Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Jaya Bachchan and KK Menon, is a co-production between Eros International and Rose Movies.

Incidentally, both the films will be released during the “long holiday weekends” to drive in more viewers. Both God Tussi Great Ho and Drona will see their releases on the Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti weekends respectively.

Eros International India president Sunil Lulla said, “Both God Tussi Great Ho and Drona show huge potential and we were looking at perfect product spacing for these two much awaited releases. Audiences can now make the best of the long holiday weekends to enjoy both these spectacular and visually stunning films.”

The other releases from the Eros line-up in the coming quarter this year include Afzal Khan‘s Mehbooba starring Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Manisha Koirala on 11 July.

This will be followed by Ganesh Acharya‘s Money Hai Toh Honey Hai with Govinda, Aftab Shivdasani, Manoj Bajpai, Upen Patel, Celina Jaitley, Hansika Motwani and Archana Puransingh on 25 July.

29 August will see the release of action thriller Hijack directed by Kunal Shivdasani and starring Shiney Ahuja and Esha Deol.

Earlier, Eros International had announced a line-up of approximately 35 releases this year belonging to the genre of Hindi and Tamil films.

MUMBAI: US film studio Lionsgate has reported revenues of $1.36 billion and a net loss of $74 million for its fiscal year ended 31 March, 2008.

The company noted that revenue growth of 39 per cent from the prior year was driven by strong theatrical box office, increased home entertainment sales, growth in library revenues, continued strength in television production revenues and burgeoning digital revenues. The company reported $511.5 million in fourth quarter revenues, its best quarterly revenue performance.

The net loss was primarily attributable to increased theatrical distribution and marketing expenses in association with the planned growth of the company‘s motion picture slate. Theatrical distribution and marketing expenses of $326.3 million increased 118 per cent from $149.7 million in the previous year.

Lionsgate co-chairman and CEO Jon Feltheimer says, “Every division of the Company made contributions to our tremendous revenue growth, and they have positioned us for continued double-digit revenue growth in fiscal 2009.

“We continue to leverage our vast array of content for large niche audiences into a fast-growing channel business, digital distribution platforms and emerging international opportunities that, in addition to the continued successful operation of our existing core businesses, all set the foundation for long-term profitability and enhanced global recognition of the Lionsgate brand.”

The company reported that cash and cash equivalents grew to $371.6 million, its strongest cash position ever after three consecutive years of positive free cash flow in excess of $100 million. The company‘s filmed entertainment backlog also grew to a record $437.4 million at fiscal year-end.

Filmed entertainment backlog represents the amount of future revenue not yet recorded from the licensing of films and television product for television exhibition and in international markets.

Overall motion picture revenue for the year was a record $1.15 billion, an increase of 34.1 per cent from $858.2 million in fiscal 2007, including revenues generated by the September 2007 acquisition of Mandate Pictures. Within the motion picture segment, theatrical revenue was $191.7 million, an increase of 78 per cent from $107.9 million the previous year, propelled by a films like Saw 4, 3:10 To Yuma, The Bank Job and Rambo.

Lionsgate‘s home entertainment revenue was a record $623.5 million in the fiscal year, an 18 per cent increase from $528.3 million in fiscal 2007, reflecting strong sales of films like 3:10 To Yuma, Good Luck, Chuck, Saw 4, The Condemned and Happily N‘Ever After as well as the initial impact of BluRay high-definition disc sales. Another major catalyst for the home entertainment revenue performance was continued strong library sales as Lionsgate reported record catalogue revenues of $263.7 million in fiscal 2008.

Television revenue included in the motion picture segment was $115.9 million in the fiscal year, a 6 per cent increase from $109.3 million in fiscal 2007, led by titles such as Crank, Daddy‘s Little Girls, Employee of The Month, Saw III and The Descent.

Lionsgate also had the strongest international revenue performance in its history, reporting $158.7 million in international revenue in the fiscal year.

Television production revenue was $210.1 million in the fiscal year, an increase of 77 per cent from $118.5 million in fiscal 2007, driven by a mix of deliveries of episodes of in-house productions such as Mad Men (AMC) and Weeds Season 3 (Showtime) .

MUMBAI: The Telugu film industry has banned multilingual film actor Prakash Raj because of his “unprofessional attitude”.

The Telugu Film Producer‘s Council of Andhra Pradesh has issued an announcement stating that the council has decided not to use the actor’s services. The council has also requested producers and directors not to include him in Telugu films.

The industry has decided to ban Raj following the actor’s “irregularity in attending shootings”.

Earlier, the industry had tried to slap a ban on Raj but because of a section of film fraternity supporting him, the process got dismissed.

However, a coordination committee of Telugu Film Producers Council and Movie Artistes Association has now officially imposed the ban on the national award winning actor.

According to reports, the actor was unable to attend shoots on time because of which many Telugu films including Pawan Kalyan’s Jalsa and NTR‘s Kantri got delayed.

The decision was finally taken when the actor “did not honour” his commitment to report for the shooting of the movie Sidhu. The movie was held up for long and raised a controversy in 2006 as Prakash Raj refused to shave off his moustache for the film’s role. Since he was not reporting for shooting, the producer complained to the Telugu Film Producers Council.

MUMBAI: Bollywood film-maker Sanjay Gupta is set to adapt the book Vine of Desire into a film. The book is a sequel to the bestseller Sister of My Heart, written by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

Gupta has roped in Pooja Bhatt to direct the film which will be made under the banner of White Feather Films. The movie, which is currently under the pre-production stage, will go on floors by the end of this year.

Also, with Vine of Desire, Gupta for the first time will be making a movie that is not a dark action packed thriller.

In Vine of Desire, the story revolves around the lives of two half sisters Anju and Sudha who, after years of living separately, meet in America far away from their hometown Kolkata. Anju and Sudha rekindle the sibling affection again and provide each other emotional forbearance.

MUMBAI: Cinema Systems magazine is set to start the eighth successive Cinema India Expo (CIE) on 5 June this year.

CIE, an international exhibition and a tradeshow on conventions for the motion picture industry, will be a three-day conference that will take a look at digital cinema technology, film production, cinema theatre equipment and multiplex design and solutions.

The expo, which ends on 7 June, will be held in the Bombay Exhibition Centre. Various players in the film technology industry including Kodak, Real Image, Adlabs Films, Lesna, Inc, Promedia and Cinechina will be present on the Cinema India exhibit floors.

MUMBAI: iDream Productions, which was lying low for almost three years after their home production Naina bombed at the box office, has swung back into action. The pipeline includes three low-budget films, out of which two are being co-produced.

Tahaan is a co-production with cinematographer Santosh Sivan who has also directed the film. Made on a budget of Rs 50 million, the film was screened at Cannes Film Festival. Extensively shot in the valley of Kashmir, it is about a young boy who wants to get back his donkey. The ensemble cast includes Anupam Kher, Sarika, Rahuk Khanna and Rahul Bose.

Straight also has a budget of Rs 50 million and has reached the post production stage. Directed by Parvati Balgopalan, it stars Vinay Pathak and Gul Panag. The story is based on Vinay’s life who realized that he’s gay in due course of time.

Khusar Prasad ka Bhoot, a village satire which has Paresh Rawal as its main lead, is co-produced with Red Eyes Production. Made on a budget of Rs 70 million, the film is directed by Gary Garewal and shot in Bhopal.

The three films will release by this year end, says iDream production CEO Ashish Bhatnagar.

iDream soon plans to do a sequel of its home grown project Jajantaram Mamantaram. “It will be on a much bigger scale. We are currently rolling it out,” avers Bhatnagar. The film had visual effects of about 64 minutes.

Sony Pictures, who has been distributing iDream films in the past, is likely to pick up the distribution of these three new movies.

iDream distributed Monsoon Wedding, Bollywood/Hollywood and Bend It Like Beckham in India. The production list includes children film Jajantaram Mamantaram, a political thriller 16 December and a mythological Agnivarsha. It has invested in international co-productions King of Bollywood and The Sick House, a British horror film which was recently released by New Line Cinema in North America.

iDream Independent Pictures Ltd (iDIP), iDream‘s sales agency, screened 14 films at Cannes this year. Some of these include Tahaan, Unforgettable, The Voyeurs, Hope, Vanage, Ocean of Pearls and Frozen. In the last 18 months, iDIP has screened seven films in 51 countries.

MUMBAI: PVR Ltd has been granted the cinema operating license for its new multiplex PVR Ambience situated at Ambience Mall, Gurgaon. The multiplex starts operating from 30 May.

The new multiplex will boast of two gold class and five main stream screens with 1194 seats. PVR Ambience will be complimenting the entertainment quotient of the mall that already consists of bowling alleys, food court and shopping junctures.

PVR Ambience will be a digital multiplex with 2K, DCI (Digital Computer Interface) Compliant Digital Cinema Screens. The new multiplex will have supreme leg rooms, moderate seat width, and high quality sound and projection system with a facility to exhibit 3D Movies.

With the new addition, the total number of screens in operation under the PVR Ltd label would go up to 97 at 24 locations across 13 cities in nine states.

MUMBAI: Universal Studio has acquired the distribution rights of Toonz Animation‘s feature film Mostly Ghostly. The film is based on the eight-book series by children‘s author R.L.Stine.

Made with a budget of $3.6 million, the movie is slated to release around 31 October.

Mostly Ghostly is directed by Rich Correll and produced by Yvonne Bernard, Arthur Cohen and Steve Stabler. Correll and Pat Proft have written the screenplay.

The story revolves around an 11-year-old recluse Max and about his efforts to protect the sibling ghosts – Nicky and Tara from the demon Phears.

Toonz Animation India CEO P Jayakumar said, “We are ecstatic at this deal which would complement our efforts to deliver innovative entertainment experience to audience across the globe. We are hopeful that Mostly Ghostly will be well received by children as well as adult alike.”

The film features Madison Pettis, Luke Benward, Maiara Walsh, Ali Lohan, Brian Stepanek, Kim Rhodes and introduces Noah Cyrus.