ITV

Category: Movies On Mutiple Platforms

  • ITC Kitchens of India to feature on Inox’s menu

    ITC Kitchens of India to feature on Inox’s menu

    Mumbai: Multiplex chain Inox Leisure Ltd on Wednesday announced its partnership with ITC Ltd’s Ready-to-Eat gourmet brand Kitchens of India to introduce a redefined, innovative F&B experience across all multiplexes of Inox in India.

    With this partnership, Inox aims to add a new experience in the cinema halls through a trusted range of 100 per cent natural, Indian gastronomical delights. The new additions to the menu will provide more options to Inox customers, whether ordering at cinemas or from the comfort of their homes through food-ordering apps, said the statement.

    Effective 29 September, customers across the country can have access to authentic Indian cuisine including Vegetable Pulao, Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani, Dal Makhani, Rajma Masala, Pindi Chana and Steamed Basmati Rice as part of the service, it added.

    “With the addition of Kitchens of India range we are expanding the choices for our patrons by offering an aromatic and flavourful dining experience with their loved ones while watching the movie,” said Inox Leisure Ltd vice president food & beverages operations Dinesh Hariharan. “Consumers will greatly benefit from this collaboration by receiving an array of authentic local culinary delights across the country, served in premium spill and leak proof packaging.  This collaboration is a critical stepping stone in our endeavors to strengthen Inox’s F&B service brand as well as our bond with our patrons, by offering them newer preferred choices.”

    Inox’s new F&B roadmap also includes introducing new processes and innovations including making their food available on online food ordering platforms Swiggy and Zomato. Recently, Inox became the first cinema chain in India to get listed on the table reservation and food discovery platform EazyDiner. Inox sells food under three brands – Café Unwind, Insignia and Delights. Intending to extend the hospitality to new audiences, Inox plans to position these into full-service restaurant brands to target non-cinema consumers.

    “Through this partnership with Inox, Kitchens of India will aim to help redefine and shape a new horizon of cinema and food experience for movie-goers,” said ITC Ltd VP of marketing services (foods division) Shuvadip Banerjee. “As citizens gradually resume out-of-home leisure, entertainment experiences and activities, food safety and hygiene continue to be of paramount importance to consumers. With Kitchens of India featuring on Inox’s menu hereon, consumers will not only enjoy the benefits of convenient indulgences in regal Indian delicacies while enjoying their movie, but will do so with a safe, hygienic and a reliable brand.”

  • PVR records Q4 net loss of Rs 289.12 cr amid Covid blues

    PVR records Q4 net loss of Rs 289.12 cr amid Covid blues

    New Delhi : Multiplex major PVR Ltd continues to bear the brunt of the ongoing pandemic, as it recorded a consolidated net loss of Rs 289.12 crore in the quarter ended on March 31.

    The company reported a net loss of Rs 74.49 crore in the same quarter of the last fiscal. Total income during the period under review was Rs 263.26 crore against Rs 661.78 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago, it said in a regulatory filing, on Wednesday.

    According to PVR, the results for the quarter and year ended March 31, 2021, are not comparable with results for the quarter and year ended March 31, 2020, as the operations were impacted due to the lockdowns restrictions, staggered re-openings, limited content flow and low consumer confidence.

    FY 2020-21 was one of the toughest years for the multiplex industry and the company was able to successfully navigate the challenges on account of Covid-19 through a continuous focus on reducing fixed costs and keeping adequate liquidity on the balance sheet, said the multiplex major on Wednesday.

    While there were no major Bollywood or Hollywood movie releases in Q4 FY’21, the Southern film industry witnessed strong recovery. But, that too, was marred by the resurgence of the second wave in April, compelling the company to take necessary measures to manage its costs and preserve liquidity.

    However, PVR chairman-cum-managing director Ajay Bijli expressed confidence that the company will bounce back stronger than ever once things start to normalise after mass vaccination.

    As on date, none of its cinemas are operational due to lockdowns implemented by state governments, and even after cinemas are re-opened, its business will continue to be impacted, said PVR.

    “We may not be able to run our cinemas at normal capacity on account of social distancing measures that cinemas may be required to follow as well as health concerns that the patrons may have. On account of this, our revenue and cash flow generation may be impacted even when we fully resume operations,” the company said.

    The multiplex operator said it continues to incur committed cash outflows, including employee salary pay-outs, other overheads as well as payments. It has been able to achieve a reduction of 63 per cent in the fixed cost during the period of lockdown in FY21, which covered rent, personnel costs, electricity and water charges and other overheads.

  • Warner Bros to stream 2021 movies on HBO Max

    Warner Bros to stream 2021 movies on HBO Max

    KOLKATA: In a big move, Warner Bros will release its entire movie slate simultaneously on HBO Max along with theatres in 2021. It had announced earlier that Wonder Woman 1984 would land on the streaming service on Christmas, the same time as its theatrical release, in response to Covid2019 crisis.

    “We are announcing today that, in the United States, the entire anticipated 17-film 2021 Warner Bros motion picture slate is going to be released throughout the coming year in theatres and on HBO Max the same day. That’s a Warner Bros motion picture just about once every three weeks,” WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kiler said.

    Hence, HBO Max subscribers will be able to enjoy The Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah, Tom & Jerry, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, Those Who Wish Me Dead, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In The Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Reminiscence, Malignant, Dune, The Many Saints of Newark, King Richard, Cry Macho and Matrix 4 at home itself. The movies will not cost any additional charge in the first month of release.

    “We are so excited for the year ahead, which for us begins with the release of Wonder Woman 1984 in a few weeks (less than 22 days from now, but who’s counting?). 17, yes, 17 huge motion pictures are planned to be both in theatres and on HBO Max,” Kiler added.

  • Inox Leisure’s QIP raises Rs 250 crore

    Inox Leisure’s QIP raises Rs 250 crore

    MUMBAI: Multiplex chain Inox Leisure has raised Rs 250 crore through a qualified institutional placement (QIP) of shares. Under the QIP issue, over-subscribed by 3.5 times, Inox allotted 9,803,921 shares of face value of Rs 10 each at Rs 255 per share to highly reputed and marquee global and Indian institutional investors. 

    Some of the global investors included Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Eastspring Investments, while the Indian investors included some of the largest domestic mutual fund houses like ICICI Prudential, Birla Mutual Fund, Nippon India Mutual Fund, DSP Mutual Fund and Sundaram Mutual Fund. The issue allocation is approximately 69 per cent and 31 per cent to Indian and foreign investors respectively. 

    Inox Group director Siddharth Jain said, “The stupendous response to our QIP endorses the faith our investors have in the future of our business model and the strength of the management team. We are delighted with the participation and support of high quality investors, which will fuel the journey of Inox 2.0 in the future. I extend my deepest gratitude towards our investors for the trust they have bestowed upon us.”

    The funds raised through the QIP would be utilised by Inox to meet capital expenditure requirements for ongoing and future projects, to sustain growth in the business, for expansion and to improve the financial leveraging strength of the company. 

    The funds raised will also be invested towards working capital requirements, towards debt repayments including repayment of any existing or future debt incurred for any purpose including for paying off any liability, for investments in subsidiary companies as well as for general corporate purposes, including but not limited to pursuing new business opportunities, acquisitions, alliances etc. Overall, Inox aims to augment its business growth with the freshly accrued funds.

  • Film Companion brings together experts and enters the education industry

    Film Companion brings together experts and enters the education industry

    MUMBAI: Have you been dreaming of pursuing a career in film, but have been groping in the dark as you are clueless about what to do and how to do? You are confused because there are so many institutions that offer multiple courses. But how to check their authenticity and credibility is the important question. 

    So here’s the deal you can’t say no to. What if there is a course that has industry-leading modules and taught by known figures from the industry itself? Film Companion has come up with a unique e-learning course aimed at providing hands-on, interactive learning to bridge the gap between academics and the industry.

    The most unique aspect about this course is the fact that each module will be taught by celebrated working professionals from the industry. They come with rich experience, having worked in the industry for so long that they can impart the right knowledge to wannabe directors and writers.

    Film Companion believes in the philosophy that providing hands-on learning to discerning students who are eager to make a mark in the exciting world of films. Instead of relying on theoretical studies Film Companion seeks to make the best of valuable industry practices. This unique model is tailor-made for students to achieve optimum knowledge in less time than any other film institute.

    These industry professionals draw from their own experience and examples from their work to impart the practical application of the various disciplines and aspects that encompass the wide gamut of filmmaking.

    Let’s take a look at the various courses provided by Film Companion:

    This first module on ‘Film Criticism’ features some of the best-known film critics from the industry such as Anupama Chopra, Baradwaj Rangan, Rahul Desai and Sucharita Tyagi. 

    These professional critics will break down the finer aspect of film criticism and give the students an in-depth knowledge into the finer aspects of film criticism.

    A total of 10 topics are covered under the Film Criticism module.

    It ranges from ‘Who is a film critic’ to ’How to review a film’. All these four critics give their unique perspectives and insights from their own experiences. Each critic will break down their movie watching and writing process. The module has been fashioned in such a way that the students will be equipped with practical knowledge to enrich their movie watching experience. They will end up as professional film critics.

    The this short course covers ten lessons, which include: writing about films, why is film criticism important, who is a critic, etc.

    The faculty includes some of the acclaimed names in the Indian film industry.

    Ø  Anupama Chopra: She is a film critic, television anchor and well-known author. She has been writing about Bollywood since 1993.

    Ø  Baradwaj Rangan: He is a national award-winning film critic and critically acclaimed author.

    Ø  Rahul Desai: He is a film critic (formerly of Mumbai Mirror, Catch News). His writings encompass everything about film.

    Ø  Sucharita Tyagi: She has been a prime-time radio jockey, interviewer, and writer.  

    To enroll for Class In Session by Film Companion visit: https://www.filmcompanion.in/courses/writing-about-films/

  • OTT release won’t disrupt cinema ecosystem, theatres to rebound

    OTT release won’t disrupt cinema ecosystem, theatres to rebound

    MUMBAI: The Advertising Club Bangalore recently organised a webinar ‘The Future of Cinema’ that delved into various aspects of the cinema business and how the industry will deal with this pandemic. The webinar had Friday Films founder producer actor Vijay Babu, MMTV COO PR Satheesh, Interactive Television founder Ajay Mehta, Qu be Cinema CEO Harsh Rohatgi as panellists and the discussion was moderated by Wavemaker South VP Kishan Kumar.

    Amidst this pandemic, Babu announced that his film Sufiyum Sujathayum, which has Jayasurya and Aditi Rao Hydari in lead roles, will premiere in Amazon Prime Video. Babu was praised and criticised for his decision.

    “The last few days have been the toughest period of my life. I had to answer questions from various parts of the industry. Because it is the first film that directly went to an OTT release. We make thousands of movies. Since the birth of the Indian film industry, this is the first time that we have been in lockdown. According to multiple reports, loss to the Indian film industry could be between Rs 1500 to 2500 crore,” Babu said.

    According to him, during this lockdown period, between various languages, there must be 400 to 500 movies that might have completed their shoot or are in some stages of production. This means the money has been invested already. 

    “In my case, the film was completed in January. I was expecting to release the movie during Ramzan. And also every movie has a shelf life. Even if the cinemas are open in September or October there will be a lot of issues that we will face. How to bring back audiences to the theatre is the biggest issue. Will a big-banner movie or a leading actor be able to bring back audiences to the cinemas? Most certainly the answer is no. There will be a wait-and-watch situation,” he added.

    Rohatgi said that India released 1700 to 1800 movies last year out of which 1600 were local productions. Roughly 40 to 50 movies are waiting for release once the lockdown is lifted, which will create a rush. There will also be limited inventories in theatres. These inventories will be taken by big-budget movies once the theatres are opened. Seats will be sold for a larger number of weeks. He points out that this will create challenges for small and big-budget producers. In this case, even if 10 to 15 movies are released on OTT platforms, it should not be a problem for the cinema ecosystem.

    How do you maintain balance between satellite and OTT? Is the acquisition strategy going to change and what are the inventory challenges? These questions were raised by Kumar.

    Satheesh adds, “Theatrical experience is not going to go away. As far as our strategy is concerned we have been looking at broadcast plus OTT and the opportunities are now rising. Vijay Babu’s point of releasing first on OTT doesn’t mean that he will not go to theatres again. There is always an audience for theatre, OTT and television. Also, challenges are always going to be there; some producers might take a different route but it is not necessary that all will do the same thing. Everyone will have a different strategy.”

    Mehta said that in India OOH entertainment options are very less. The role of cinema is very prominent. He mentioned that if you look at US’s data for the last ten years one of the top grossers are franchise films. It includes superhero films, animation movies; these movies need larger-than-life cinematic experience. OTT and television can be substitutes for some of the content, but larger-than-life movies need cinematic experience. He concluded by saying that franchise films will continue to thrive.

  • How to bring audience back to cinema halls?

    How to bring audience back to cinema halls?

    MUMBAI: The Covid2019 pandemic has ravaged the film and exhibition sectors the most. With the aviation industry and restaurant services opening up soon it would be interesting to see how cinemas in India are prepping. Also, there’s nothing for this sector in the packages announced by prime minister Narendra Modi. There has been some ease in rental and electricity charges but it varies from state to state. These are the pertinent issues that need to be addressed. In a virtual conference hosted by UFO Moviez India Limited under the aegis of FICCI, industry stakeholders discussed the various issues that have been afflicting the film and exhibition segment, the way forward, the precautions to be taken at the cinema halls, etc.  

    The main area of concern is about the standard operating procedures that will be followed by cinema halls once things are back to normalcy.

    Due to panic created by the Covid2019 outbreak, people are not willing to come to theatres. At the same time, there is a severe OTT fatigue among viewers as well. So the question arises: What measures can be taken to regain the confidence of the audiences and restore the trust of the cinema-going audience?

    INOX Leisure Limited CEO Alok Tandon said: “Our first objective is to bring trust among audiences. At INOX, we have divided the entire thing in three buckets. Pre-resumption, post-resumption and lastly the visit of audiences. We are taking various processes and initiatives to ensure they feel safe once they go home. These are the aspects we are currently working on.”

    About the social distancing and hygiene measures, Tandon said that the company is looking at how guests don’t crowd the cinema halls and maintain specific distance. Another important thing is the allocation of seats. They are also working on movie schedules and timings to avoid gathering during entry, intermission, exit points, lobby and rest rooms. Where safety and hygiene measures are concerned Tandon said that a lot of man hours went into ensuring guests are safe; they are encouraging people to use paperless transactions at every counter. They are also using thermal guns to check temperature. There will be dedicated hand sanitiser stations installed at theatres. There are SOPs in place to disinfect counters and surfaces. PPE kits will also be introduced in case people are interested to buy them. As far as food supplies are concerned, multiplex chains will bring single-use disposal bags, to avoid reuse of cutlery and crockery.

    “Cinema halls have many similarities to the hospitality, aviation, restaurant and retail sectors. These are unseen times; nobody has a perfect formula for this. We all can learn a lot from each other in this crisis. In this pandemic we have been closely observing what other sectors are doing so that we can also implement that,” he added.

    The Covid2019 lockdown is choking all the production activities across the nation. UFO Moviez India Limited joint MD Kapil Agarwal raised a question if the film exhibition sector and producer’s guild can work together and learn from each other.

    Answering this question, film producer and president Film and Television Producers Guild of India Siddharth Roy Kapur said: “We are looking at exactly the same measures what other sectors are doing. Unfortunately, shoot resumption is in the same lines with cinema resumption. It is the last thing to be started. The biggest issue for us is if there is going to be some sort of curtailment on the number of people you can congregate at the sets. Especially when it comes to film units it is larger as compared to TV units. But the challenge is you need to have a bare minimum number of people on the set to make it productive.”

    Agarwal feels that the capacity issue is not entirely going to affect the film fraternity as the majority of the people are working from home. The concept of weekend shows faring better than weekdays will not make sense now. He thinks that because of this the negative impact will be neutralised.

    “I think a lot of producers and distributors will get signals from how these films are performing at box-offices. When the first lot of people come to cinemas, it is then important for cinema halls to give an impression that we have got our acts together,” said PVR Pictures Limited CEO and chief business planning & strategy PVR Pictures Kamal Gianchandani.

    There are very few movies ready in different languages. Answering whether there is a strong need of releasing movies in all different languages, Telugu film producer studio owner, exhibitor and distributor Daggubati Suresh Babu says, “This idea of dubbing films across languages from Telugu to Hindi or Hindi to Bengali should be done not only in Covid times but post-Covid era also. A few films like Bahubali or Robot have been working like that. There is a huge scope for a lot of regional movies to reach the Hindi market. Usually, the films that do well in dubbing are the ones that are not provided by local films. Now Vijay’s movie Master will have a very big release. Now, is he willing to wait till theatres open up? It is something we need to look at.”

    Daggubati also mentioned about his meeting with Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. He said that the government is very positive about re-starting the shooting. He also pointed that within a week they will get intimation from the CM’s office about resuming the shoot with restrictions. After that, they will explore the possibility of cinema theatres opening up.

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  • Oddball Motion Pictures gets Rs 250 cr for film production

    Oddball Motion Pictures gets Rs 250 cr for film production

    MUMBAI: Oddball Motion Pictures, founded by filmmaker Nitin Upadhyaya, announced its association with Chanda Group where the latter will be funding a seed capital of up to Rs 250 crore for the feature films and original digital video content that will be exclusively developed and produced by Oddball.

    This deal will help the upcoming production house develop feature films, long form and short form content across genres, and over time, a platform of its own.

    Speaking on the association, Chanda group managing director Rahul Chanda said, “Indian film & media sector is one of the fastest growing markets and in a country which has an exceptional appetite for information and content, it is about time that this sector is explored as a serious business avenue. This association with Oddball Motion Pictures will help us to power forward in the Industry. They are passionate and developing some great content.”

    Upadhyaya said, “All a dream needs is a dreamer. What Chanda group has offered is an unparalleled opportunity to produce and deliver high quality films and world-class entertainment content at an uncompromising scale. Over the past few years a lot of new avenues have cropped up that have taken precedence as the profit centre in the media business than just the classic feature films, an encouraging example being the humongous growth of OTT platforms and content in India. While films will remain our key focus area, we now also plan to expand in the digital domain and venturing into South Indian film industry. We are very thankful for them putting so much trust in a relatively younger organisation like ours and we will forever strive to make them proud.”

    This unique collaboration will leverage Upadhyaya’s rich experience in film-making. Under his leadership, Oddball Motion Pictures produced Behen Hogi Teri starring Rajkummar Rao and Shruti Hasan in 2017 and has a great line up of films in 2018. This year it will be producing seven films including the much awaited Emraan Hashmi starrer Captain Nawab. Its slate contains three Hindi and two Marathi films to be released next year.

    Chanda group will be exclusively investing in Oddball Motion Pictures for five years, for its developments in the media and entertainment Industry. Its first release will be Gulshan Devaiah, Sagarika Ghatge and Kunal Roy Kapur starrer bilingual thriller Haadsa.

  • Demonetisation, decline in govt ads impact UFO Q2 numbers

    Demonetisation, decline in govt ads impact UFO Q2 numbers

    BENGALURU: Indian digital cinema distribution network and in-cinema advertising platform UFO Moviez Ltd (UFO) reported a 12.8 percent year-on-year (y-o-y) decline in consolidated operating revenue for the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q2 FY 2017-18) as compared with the corresponding year ago quarter. The company’s consolidated operating revenue was Rs 1,388.8 million for the quarter as against Rs 1,591.8 million for Q2 FY 2016-17. Advertisement revenue stood at Rs 372 million (Rs 517 million in Q2 FY 2016-17). Average advertisement minutes sold per show per screen stood at 3.52 minutes during Q2 FY 2017-18 (5.15 minutes in Q2 FY 2016-17).

    The company’s consolidated net profit after tax declined by 47.8 percent y-o-y during the quarter under review to Rs 102 million from Rs 195.3 million. Consolidated operating profit excluding other income (EBIDTA) for Q2 FY 2017-18 fell by 31.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 374.7 million (26.1 percent margin) from Rs 549.7 million (34.5 percent margin).

    “The last twelve months have been extremely challenging for the entire industry on account of one-off events such as demonetisation and implementation of GST, especially for the media sector, which was most severely impacted,” said UFO’s founder and managing director Sanjay Gaikwad. “Q2 FY 2017-18 was one of our toughest quarters. Advertisement revenue declined sharply on a high base of last year combined with slowdown in government advertisement spends. Nevertheless, we continue to remain extremely positive about the long-term growth prospects of the advertising business. We are hopeful that demand will pick up in a few months. The temporary slowdown has failed to deter us and we remain focused on achieving our long-term strategic goals by entering into a scheme of arrangement and amalgamation with Qube Cinema Technologies Pvt Ltd. We believe that this consolidation will further strengthen our position to capitalise on growth opportunities as the economy revives and gains steam.”

    Total expenses in Q2 FY 2017-18 reduced by 2.7 percent y-o-y to Rs 1,014.1 million from Rs 1,042.1 million. Ad revenue share (expense) increased by 9.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 155.5 million from Rs 141.6 million. Visual print fees sharing expense decreased by 24.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 153.2 million from Rs 203.6 million. Other expenses increased by 0.9 percent y-o-y to Rs 212 million from Rs 201.2 million.

    The company’s expense towards purchase of digital cinema equipment and lamps in the current quarter reduced by 1.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 159.5 million as compared with Rs 162.4 million. Employees’ benefits expense during the quarter under review dipped by 2.6 percent y-o-y to Rs 194.7 million from Rs 199.9 million. Other operating direct costs rose by 8.7 percent y-o-y during the quarter under review to Rs 140.4 million from Rs 129.2 million.

  • Multi-entertainment channel broadens horizon by adding ‘Movies’ & ‘Buy’ options

    Multi-entertainment channel broadens horizon by adding ‘Movies’ & ‘Buy’ options

    MUMBAI: The Indian Movie Channel (TIMC), a multi-entertainment channel, is now all set to broaden its horizon by adding two interesting features, brand new segments – TIMC Movies and BUY option. The brand new features on the TIMC website presents users with an engaging experience with enhanced BUY option that directly interlinks the users to leading shopping websites. Another interesting facet to the new feature on the website is the Movie Option that facilitates viewers to watch their favorite movies even in an offline mode.

    Since its inception in 2015, the multi-entertainment channel, TIMC has always strived to give its viewer’s access to all the latest Fashion Trends and Style Statements.

    TIMC has now has come up with a Buy Option in its quirky articles that not only familiarizes viewers with the latest Bollywood Styles and Fashion Trends, but the website will also provide an access to the sites with the buy option that directly interlinks with leading shopping websites, where their favorite product is just a click away!

    Another interesting add-on feature is the TIMC Movies portal to make the movie watching experience even more exciting. It features all the movies, documentaries, regional movies and web series that are currently trending. Viewers can also watch the movies even without the Internet with the offline feature.

    Commenting on the occasion, TIMC founder Shiv Relan said, “At TIMC, we have always endeavor to bring entertainment closer to technology. With this two interesting new features on our multi-entertainment channel, we hope to provide our viewers a very convenient shopping experience with our buy option and an amazing movie experience with offline option where they watch movies anywhere at any time at their convenience.”