ITV

Category: Movies

  • Cinemax launches its third property in Thane

    MUMBAI

    : After expanding its footprints to the Southern and Eastern markets in Hyderabad and Kolkata
    respectively, Mumbai-based multiplex chain operator Cinemax has launched its new property in the city at Kalyan, Thane.

    With the launch of this new two-screen property that has a seating capacity of 479, Cinemax now has three properties operating in Thane.



    Cinemax India senior vice president Devang Sampat said, “The launch of our property in Kalyan is a fortification of our promise of providing a state-of-the-art entertainment complex to all movie-enthusiasts pan India.”

  • Moser Baer releases Fashion on DVD

    MUMBAI: Moser Baer Entertainment, the wholly owned subsidiary of Moser Baer India, has released Madhur Bhandarkar’s Fashion on DVD and VCD.








    While the DVD is priced at Rs 99, the VCD will be available for Rs 40.



    The DVD set comes with two discs, one of which has the film while the other talks about the making of the film, along with interviews with stars and other associates of Fashion.



    The discs carry subtitles.

  • Indian Film Company shareholder wants Raghav Bahl out as director

    MUMBAI: A shareholder of The Indian Film Company (IFC), which is listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange, has asked for the removal of Raghav Bahl and Alok Verma as directors of the company.


    Altima India Master Fund Ltd (AIMF), holding 14.39 per cent stake in IFC, has also called for an EGM to consider a share buy-back programme by the company or to distribute any excess cash it may have as special dividends.


    The IFC board sees AIMF‘s actions as an attempt to take control of the company without outlining a detailed growth strategy and without making an offer to all shareholders to acquire their shares at a full and fair price.


    “If AIMF wishes to obtain control of the company, then the board believes that it should make a formal offer at a fair price to all shareholders pursuant to the Takeover Code,” IFC said.









    When IFC was admitted to trading on AIM on 18 June 2007, AIMF subscribed for one million Ordinary Shares, representing 1.82 per cent of the issued share capital. During the course of 2008, AIMF increased its holding in IFC to 14.39 per cent.


    IFC board has indicated that the company currently does not have significant excess cash due to its ongoing commitments for the film projects in progress. Nor is debt financing easily available, given the current state of the financial markets. The board believes any immediate distribution of cash for buy back or special dividends “is not financially prudent, may negatively impact its business, and would not benefit the shareholders in the medium or long term.”


    The board also feels that the removal of Bahl and Verma would be detrimental to the interests of the company as they have successfully guided the company‘s strategy in carrying out projects like Singh Is Kinng and Ghajini. Network18 founder-promoter Bahl holds 21.64 per cent stake in IFC.


    IFC had on 22 December 2008 received a requisition from Vidacos Nominees Limited (in its capacity as nominee for, and on the instruction of, Altima India Master Fund Limited) for the directors to convene an EGM. The board of IFC 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.


    As at 30 September 2008, the carrying value of the Company’s investments in films and films under production were in excess of ?25 million. These are to be funded through cash in hand, internal accruals from the release of films which are yet to be released, and from further exploitation of rights of films which have already been released.


    IFC is also in the process of organising debt financing for further investment in film projects. As such, the company does not have any excess cash to carry out a share buy-back or any other distribution to shareholders at this stage, the board clarified.


    The company will hold an EGM on 5 February to decide on AIMF‘s proposals.


    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.

  • Asianet names winners of Ujala-Asianet Film Award 2009

    MUMBAI: Kerala-based Asianet Communication has announced the winners of the 11th Annual Asianet Film Awards 2009.


    While Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has been named the Best Actor for Madambi, South Indian actress Gopika has won the Best Actress title for Veruthe Oru Bharya.









    Akku Akbar won the award for Best Director for Veruthe Oru Bharya and Jayaram swept away the most popular actor title for the same. AMMA‘s recent multi-starrer Twenty: Twenty, directed by Joshy, has been named as the Best Film.



    Legendary singer KJ Yesudas won the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the Malayalam film industry. The special award for patriotic film went to Kurukshetra, directed by Major Ravi. Jagathy Sreekumar won the special jury award.


    Among other winners were: Character artiste Innocent (Innathe Chintha Vishayam), Samvrutha Sunil (Minnaminnikoottam), villain Siddique (Madambi), comedian Salim Kumar (Annan Thambi), lyricist Gireesh Puthencherry (Madambi, song ‘Amma mazhakarinu‘), music director Vidyasagar (Mulla), playback singers M.G. Sreekumar (‘Kando kando kakkakuyile‘– Innathe Chintha Vishayam), Swetha Mohan (‘Kuyile kuyile‘ – Novel), child artiste Baby Nivedita (Innathe Chintha Vishayam) cameraman MJ Radhakrishnan (Adayalangal, Thirakatha), editor Renjan Abraham (Veruthe Oru Bharya, Mulla), best pair Jayasurya-Roma (Minnaminnikoottam, Shakespeare M.A. Malayalam), debut artistes Vineeth Sreenivasan (Cycle) and Meera Nandan (Mulla).


    The awards will be presented on 17 January.

  • Filmmaker Tapan Sinha dies at 84

    NEW DELHI: 84-year-old filmmaker Tapan Sinha died on 15 January after prolonged illness.


    He had been in and out of hospital over the fast few years and was then admitted in December last year while suffering from pneumonia and septicaemia. He is survived by a son. His actress-wife Arundhuti Devi died in 1990.



    Noting that the veteran filmmaker was a recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for 2006, minister of state for information and broadcasting Anand Sharma said, “His film and theatre career spanning over six decades began as a sound engineer in Kolkata‘s New Theatre in 1946 and reached the peak of cinematic landscape with films like Sagina Mahato, Adalat O Ekti Meye and Ek Doctor Ki Maut. His cinematic excellence won him numerous National Film Awards in different categories and also international recognition.”










    During his lifetime, Sinha made 41 films, 19 of which won National Awards and laurels from international film festivals of London, Venice, Moscow and Berlin. His cinematic works were mostly down to earth depictions of the struggles of the common man.



    Sinha had also been among the four film personalities who were honoured recently to mark India‘s 60 years of Independence.



    Tapan Sinha‘s 1956 masterpiece Kabuliwala was shown at the last International Film Festival of India in Goa in a tribute in the ‘Lifetime Classic Section‘.


    An unflinching belief in the indomitable human spirit marked the works of Tapan Sinha who never shied away from portraying the adversity in its most raw forms. However, his films always managed to convey the optimism that comes with unwavering trust in human capability to rise above one‘s circumstances.

  • T-series releases music of Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye

    NEW DELHI: T-series has released the music of Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye, the latest production of PVR Pictures that is slated to hit the theatres on 6 February.

    The movie is written and directed by debutante Madhureeta Anand and stars Raima Sen, Randeep Hooda and Arbaaz Khan.








    The music of Mere Khwabon Mein… has been composed by music director Lalit Pandit while the lyrics have been penned by Javed Akhtar. Alka Yagnik, Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal, Anoushka Manchanda and Caralisa Monteiro are the playback singers. Sidhharth Coutto has composed the background music of the film.


    Says PVR Ltd joint managing director Sanjeev K Bijli, “Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye is a light, fantasy-driven music oriented film. Its music is the USP of the film which is our first offering for 2009.”

  • Zee Limelight to release Gulaal across 400 theatres

    MUMBAI: Zee Limelight, the film division from the Zee Entertainment Enterprises stable that aims to produce films with modest budgets, will release its second production Gulaal on 13 March across 400 theatres.



    “Gulaal is our second production after Oh! My God and will be released across approximately 400 theatres with 200 prints and 200 digital,” says Zee Motion Pictures director production Deepak Sharma.








    “We will also be distributing this mid-budget film,” Sharma adds.



    Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film casts Kay Kay Menon, Deepak Dobriyal, Aditya Shrivastav and Seema Rehmani in apex roles. Gulal also casts Raja Chaudhury, Ayesha Mohan and Abhimanyu Singh and marks the debut of Jesse Randhawa.

  • Cinemax now goes to Hyderabad

    MUMBAI: Mumbai-based multiplex chain operator Cinemax has expanded its footprints to Hyderabad with the launch of its new property at Banajara Hills.


    The three-screen property has a seating capacity of 1001.



    Cinemax India SVP Devang Sampat said, “The launch of our property in Hyderabad is a fortification of our promise of providing a state-of-the-art entertainment complex to all movie-enthusiasts pan India”.


    With this addition, Cinemax India now has a total of 68 screens across 23 theatre properties.

  • Taare Zameen Par fails to make Oscar shortlist

    MUMBAI: While Slumdog Millionaire which was shot in Mumbai is expected to do well when the Oscar nominations are announced next week, Aamir Khan‘s


    film Taare Zameen Par will not feature.

    Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 81st Academy Awards. Taare Zameen Par is not one of them. 65 films had originally qualified in the category.



    From these nine films, five will be nominated for the foreign language film Oscar. The nine films include israel‘s Waltz With Bashir which won a Golden Globe in this category on Monday, Austria‘s Revanche, France‘s The Class and Japan‘s Departures.


    The nominations will be announced on 22 January. The Oscar Awards ceremony takes place on 22 February and will air in India on Star Movies.

  • UTV movies to travel to Taiwan

    MUMBAI: After creating access for viewers across South East Asian territories like Hong-Kong, Malasyia and Singapore, UTV Motion Pictures has now signed a distribution deal with Taiwan for release of movies across various platforms that include television and home video.


    UTV will initially release Jodhaa Akbar and Taare Zameen Par on Taiwan Terrestrial Television and home video – DVD and VCD – with Mandarin subtitles. UTV will also exploit theatrical revenues, releasing the movies in original language with standard Mandarin subtitles.









    Says UTV Motion Pictures VP international distribution & syndication Amrita Pandey, “UTV has always attempted to create maximum access for its films for cinema lovers across the globe. Therefore, it is our endeavor to be at every possible place where quality films are appreciated. Jodhaa Akbar and Taare Zameen Par have received great response in many markets and I am sure we would get similar response when in Taiwan.”



    Both Jodhaa Akbar and Tare Zameen Par were showcased in the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival.