Category: Hindi

MUMBAI: Eros International plans to have an unprecedented line-up of 35 releases in 2008, indicating that it wants to scale up to dominate the Indian movie market.

Eros says it will be highly focused on its blockbuster releases this year which include the Eros International-Rose Movies co-production Drona, to be released over the Indian Independence Day weekend. Directed by Goldie Behl, the film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Jaya Bachchan and KK Menon.

Eros will this year release Sujoy Ghosh‘s Aladin, the evergreen Arabian nights story in a new Bollywood format with a high level of visual effects.

Eros will also release Toonpur ka Super Hero, an animation film with live characters. Starring the husband-wife duo Ajay Devgan and Kajol, Toonpur is a story in which a reel life hero accidentally lands in the world of cartoons and transforms into a real life hero.

Other films slated for release this year include You, Me Aur Hum marking the directorial debut of leading actor Ajay Devgan; the Diwali weekend bonanza Yuvraj, a musical film directed by Subhash Ghai starring Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, and Eros International-Sajid Nadiadwala co-production Kambakht Ishq directed by Saabir Khan with Akshay Kumar and Kareena Kapoor in the lead roles.

In addition, romantic comedy God Tussi Great Ho starring Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Amitabh Bachchan and Sohail Khan is slated for release this year. Also scheduled to release is the Ganesh Acharya directed comedy Money Hai Toh Honey Hai with Govinda, Aftab Shivdasani, Celina Jaitley and Hansika Motwani in the lead roles.

Eros will release Ravi Chopra‘s Bhootnath, the Amitabh Bachchan, Juhi Chawla starrer with a special appearance by Shah Rukh Khan internationally this year.

Other films in the pipeline for global release in 2008 include Ram Gopal Varma‘s Sarkar Raaj and Rakesh Roshan‘s comedy Krazzy 4. Directed by Jaideep Sen, the film stars Juhi Chawla, with leading character actors Irfan Khan, Arshad Warsi, Rajpal Yadav and Suresh Menon as the gang of crazy four.

Other releases during the year include Mehbooba (a romantic comedy by Afzal Khan and starring Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Manisha Koirala), Haal-e-dil (a young love story directed by Anil Devgan and starring newcomers – Producer Kumar Mangat‘s daughter Amita Pathak and actor Shekhar Suman‘s son Adhyayan Suman), Had Bahedi (with Rishi Kapoor), The Great Indian Butterfly (Sarthak Dasgupta), Pankh (an unusual story starring Bipasha Basu and Mahesh Manjrekar), Hijack (by Kunal Shivdasani starring Shiney Ahuja and Esha Deol) and Mr. White Mr. Black (a comic suspense thriller starring Suniel Shetty and Arshad Warsi).

Eros International has recently released Bombay to Bangkok, Sunday and Black and White directed by Subhash Ghai this year.

In the regional cinema space, Tamil media and entertainment company Ayngaran International, an Eros International company, has at least 15 films lined up for release this year. Films by directors like Prabhu Deva, Raju Sundaram, Jhananthan, Vishnu Vardhan, Selva Raghavan and other few filmmakers will be part of the Eros-Ayngaran bouquet.

The Eros International-Ayngaran slate includes Aegan by Raju Sundaram starring south superstars Ajith and Nayanthara, a yet untitled project by Prabhu Deva as a director with Vijay and Nayantara in the leads, Peraanmai by Jhananathan having Jeyam Ravi as the lead star, Sarvam by Vishnu Vardhan and Arya along with Trisha in the lead roles, two untitled projects by Selva Raghavan and a host of other films.

The international line-up of Tamil films include Kuruvi by Dharani starring Vijay and Trisha, Jeeva and Aneez, Dhaam Dhoom with Jeyam Ravi and Kangana Ranaut in the lead, Varanam Ayiram by Gautam Menon and starring Surya with Sameera, Kanthaswamy with Vikram and Shriya, the Surya and Tamanna starrer Ayan.

MUMBAI: Paramount‘s digital entertainment division is launching VooZoo application in MTV‘s vMTV virtual world and Makena‘s There.com.

With VooZoo, vMTV and There.com members can send each other video emoticons called Voohoos, which are made up of video clips from Paramount Pictures‘ library.

The Voohoos last for a few seconds and capture famous one-liners from a gamut of movies including Footloose, Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop and Mean Girls.

Members of both the worlds will be able to purchase the clips for $1 each and use them when chatting with other members.

Furthermore, instead of just quoting lines from pop-culture figures like Cher Horowitz Clueless or Ferris Bueller‘s Ferris Bueller‘s Day Off, members can actually express themselves with the actual movie clip, which plays in a small window above their head.

Over time, movie clips from Paramount Pictures‘ library will be made available to There.com members. All of the movie clips offered will comply with There.com‘s PG-13 environment. Consumers will also have the opportunity to purchase a DVD via a sell-through capability that will pop up once a video clip is selected.

In addition, MTV will offer clips reflecting the best pop-culture moments from its stable of shows.

The VooZoo application is currently in private beta in There.com and will be available in vMTV some time in the next quarter.

VooZoo in vMTV and There.com marks the third migration of the application onto multiple platforms since its debut on Facebook last month.

MUMBAI: Pyramid Saimira Theatre Ltd plans to produce a total of 52 films this year.

While the company has already completed six films in various languages, seven films are presently under the production process.

Apart from films, Pyramid is also producing content for television and other modes. Currently, it produces approximately three hours of TV content per day.

With plans to complete ten Tamil films this fiscal year, the production house is aspiring to become the first in the world to commence the production of ten movies on one day.

The house will be investing around Rs 350–400 million towards the production of these ten films.

Pyramid Saimira Production International Ltd director K S Srinivasan said, “Pyramid Saimira Group will produce 24 Tamil films by partnering with highly creative and experienced producers. It will also seed new talents and foster high amount of creative risk taking ability so that different kinds of films are made available to every member of the family under one banner”.

Some of the producers that Pyramid Saimira Production International Ltd will work with include Kovai Thambi, Amudha Durairaj, Sangili Murugan, Ramanathan, Karumari Kandasamy, Ramasubbiah, Azhagan Tamizhmani, K. Balachander, K. Rajan, Radharavi and A.K. Vishnuram.

MUMBAI: Independent film studio Lionsgate will launch its multi-picture partnership with Crest Animation Productions with the CGI animated theatrical family film Alpha And Omega. Lionsgate and Crest are co-financing and co-producing the film which is scheduled for theatrical release in 2010.

The announcement was made by Lionsgate‘s executive VP of Lionsgate Family Entertainment Ken Katsumoto and Crest Animation Production CEO Noah Fogelson.

Lionsgate will distribute the film in North America and the UK. while Crest holds the distribution rights for India.

Mandate International will be launching international sales at the upcoming Cannes film festival for the rest of the world, excluding India.

Alpha and Omega is the story of two very different young wolves thrown together by circumstance, the film features rising young stars Justin Long Live FreeE Or Die Hard and Hayden Panettiere Heroes in the primary roles.

The film will also star Christina Ricci The Opposite Of Sex, Danny Glover Be KIND Rewind, Dennis Hopper Easy Rider and Larry Miller Bee Movie.

The film is directed by Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck. Chris Denk wrote the screenplay based on an original story by Steve Moore.

Katsumoto says, “We are very excited to be working with Crest, one of the world‘s finest CG animation producers. Everyone at Crest is passionate about creating high-quality animated family entertainment, and that commitment is reflected in Alpha And Omega. This is a classic journey film in the vein of Finding Nemo and The Lion King, filled with all manner of richly imagined particulars. And why not begin a partnership with a movie about wolves, one of Nature‘s most cohesive social units?”

Fogelson says, “We are thrilled to be in business with Lionsgate, a company that is continually innovating in terms of both production and marketing. We are looking forward to a fruitful collaboration and feel we are off to a great start with Alphs And Omega. We have a wonderfully talented cast and an outstanding team of filmmakers led by Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck, who truly understand the art and craft of animated storytelling.”

The film is currently in production, with pre and post-production taking place in Los Angeles and key animation at Crest Animation Studios in India.

MUMBAI: Excel Home video will release the fourth episode of the Species series on DVD and VCD. The movie is an MGM production.

The DVD with bonus features is priced at Rs 499. The Hindi version of the movie released simultaneously on VCD is priced at Rs 199.

The much acclaimed science-fiction series had begun in 1995. The film won Natasha Henstridge the MTV Movie award for “best kiss” for a scene in which her character, while kissing an aggressive would-be suitor, impales his head with her tongue.

The Awakening stars Ben Cross, Dominic Keating, and Helena Mattson in the lead roles. The fourth installment of the Species franchise continues in Mexico, where new experiments with DNA bring horrific results.

When brilliant college professor Miranda Hollander suffers a mysterious blackout, and awakens amid the bloody aftermath of a mass slaughter, she turns to her uncle for answers. But when he reveals the shocking truth… she‘s only half human, a clone from a hybrid (Sil and Eve) of human and alien DNA. They must flee to Mexico to locate the scientist who created her. Soon they find themselves locked in battle with a horde of rampaging, unstoppable hybrids and time is running out before Miranda will inevitably surrender to the killer instinct that lurks inside her own body.

MUMBAI: BigFlicks.com, the home entertainment division of Reliance ADA group, has announced the launch of The Laughter Riot week which ends on 7 April this year.

Comedy films like Andaz Apna Apna, Bheja Fry, Mukkam Post London, Half Ticket, Bhamane Sathyabhamane, Chup Chup Ke and Bluff Master will be available on the site for free viewing.

The movies are available in seven different languages namely Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Gujarati and Bengali.

BigFlicks is an online and offline movie rental service, offering access to around 1000 titles on its video-on-demand division, broadband.bigflicks.com.

MUMBAI: UTV Motion Pictures (UMP) has promoted Siddharth Roy Kapur to CEO from EVP marketing, distribution and syndication. He will continue to report to UTV Software Communications CEO Ronnie Screwvala.

Alpana Mishra has been elevated to UTV Motion Picture COO production. She will look after film production and development for UTV Motion Pictures.

Vikas Bahl has been promoted as UTV Spotboy Motion Pictures COO. Bahl will spearhead UTV Spotboy, the film development and production arm of UTV Motion Pictures last year. Mishra and Bahl will report to Kapur.

Ram Mirchandani will set up a separate film development and production arm, funded by UTV Motion Pictures, which will exclusively produce films for UMP.

The marketing, distribution, syndication and international teams will continue to report to Kapur.

UTV Software Communications CEO Ronnie Screwvala said, “The core team at UTV Motion Pictures has been instrumental in driving the growth of the Company over the last few years. As we move to the next level in our operations, we are happy to streamline the structure to ensure the same pace in decision-making and creative judgment that has served us well in the past. I am confident that Kapur and his team will help lead the Company well in this new phase of growth”.

The line-up of 18-films include mix of genres across comedy, action, thriller and romance, in Hindi and English, with dubbed versions in Tamil, Telegu, French, German and other languages. The films are M. Night Shayamlan‘s The Happening, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Delhi 6, Shyam Benegal’s Mahadev, Aziz Mirza’s Kismat Konnection, Madhur Bhandarkar‘s Fashion and Shoojit Sircar’s Shoebite. Presently UMP is working on a slate of four animation films.

MUMBAI: Cinemax has launched a four-screen multiplex at Ahmedabad, having 1037 seats and Red Lounge.The property will be open for public soon this year, stated an official release.

This is Cinemax‘s third property in Gujarat, the other two being in Gandhinagar and Himmatnagar.

Talking on the launch, Cinemax India SVP Devang Sampat said, “We at Cinemax have provided cinema lovers all over with the best movie-viewing experience for 10 years now, be it due to our screen size, picture, sound quality or the innovative consumer offers. With Cinemax, Ahmedabad, we are here to provide movie enthusiasts, a complete state-of-the-art entertainment complex as quality entertainment and comfort are the hallmarks of Cinemax and will be for years to come. This multiplex will offer patrons an out of this world “Cinemaxperience”.”

Cinemax Multiplex so far has hosted number of premieres including One Two Three, Halla Bol, Rama Rama Kya Hey Drama, and others at its facilities in Mumbai.

MUMBAI: Maverick Productions has signed director Tanveer Khan for their next film. This untitled film will mark Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan‘s son Chirag Paswan‘s debut.

After Ritiesh Deshmukh who happens to be chief Minister Vilas Raj Deshmukh‘s son, it is the second entry into Bollywood from a politician‘s house. The film is expected to go on the floors by July this year.

Says Maverick Productions CEO Anuj Saxena, “Tanveer is a good director and this would be the ideal launch pad for Chirag.”

Adds director Khan, “It‘s a privilege to be associated with a production house like Maverick and to direct the debut film of Chirag Paswan.” A romantic film, the female protagonist is still to be finalised.

Khan is a dialogue writer turned film director who directed Madhoshi (John, Bipasha) and Deadline-sirf 24 Ghante (Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Rajit Kapoor). He has in the past penned hit films like Jigar, Suhag, Ishq, Yeah Dil Ashiqaana and Rishtey.

MUMBAI: Whistling Woods International (WWI), the film institute that belongs to Mukta Arts, has set up its in-house production unit called Studio Point One.

This new arm of Mukta Arts will be headed by Rahul Puri, the producer of Iqbal.

The production house, which will produce films made by the students of WWI, will witness the making of at least three to four films under its banner this year.

The films will first be released in the HD format, followed by DVD and satellite releases. While Mukta has tied up with UFO for the HD launch, the DVD company and broadcasters are yet to be finalised.

Commenting on the budget of the films made by students, Mukta Arts CEO Ravi Gupta said, “It is difficult to talk money right now. If it is a good project then the budget will go up. However, it is an experimental venture at present.”

Gupta confirmed that the projects will be of high production value and will not fall under the bracket of telefilms.

Mukta Arts is also initiating a concept of ‘campus television‘ which will broadcast within the premises of the institute.

“This television network will be run by the students completely. They will go through this rigorous process of understanding the programming of television and prepare play outs,” added Gupta.

The projects of the students will be packaged for this venture. Adding to this, the students will also market their shows and try to fetch advertisements.

Masi Khan and Cyrus Barucha,who was a freelancer with BBC, will be heading the initiative.