ITV

Category: Movies

  • Percept to invest Rs 350 million in Hanuman 3

    MUMBAI: Percept Picture Company (PPC), a part of Percept Holdings, is pumping in Rs 300-350 million for Hanuman 3, a 3-dimensional movie.

    Hanuman 3 is slated for release in 2010. Kerala-based Toonz Animation will be doing the post production work for the movie.


    PPC will shortly start on the pre-production of Hanuman 3. The name of the sequel movie is yet to be decided.


    Released in 2005, Hanuman Jai Bajarangbali was a block buster. The Return of Hanuman has released this Friday.


    “We are investing Rs 300-350 million for Hanuman 3. The story, director and title of the film is yet to be decided. Our aim is to make Hanuman a universal animation entertainment property in terms of value and appeal,” PPC CEO Preet Bedi tells Indiantelevision.com.


    Hanuman offers merchandising opportunities for multiple products like key-chains, sharpners, face masks and maze. For Return of Hanuman‘s branded merchandise, Percept has already tied up with Future Group, Jump Games, Baskin Robbins, D‘damas and Camlin.


    Regarding expanding the footprint of Return of Hanuman, PPC and Toonz Animation have decided to release it in four Indian regional languages. It will also be made available in foreign languages.


    “We will dub Return of Hanuman in at least four Indian languages including Tamil and Telugu. We will also release it in English, German, Italian and Spanish languages, probably with sub-titles,” says Bedi.


    Besides Hanuman and Return of Hanuman, PPC has also produced or distributed Mera Pahla Pahla Pyar (MP3), Traffic Signal, Deadline, Jai Santoshi Maa, Malamaal Weekly, Corporate, Pyaar mein twist, Makdee, Dor Home Delivery and Phir milenge.


    Toonz Animation India is part of the international business conglomerate, Comcraft Group, which is based in Geneva and a major provider of animation to the top US and European producers.

  • Welcome grosses Rs 572 million in opening week

    MUMBAI: Welcome, which is being distributed worldwide by The Indian Film Company (IFC), has grossed Rs 571.8 million in its opening week.


    In India, Welcome has grossed Rs 500 million on 900 prints. “This represents the highest opening week of all time for a comedy film in India and the highest opening week for its lead star Akshay Kumar,” IFC said in a release.


    In the UK, the film grossed Rs 42.8 million from 40 theatres and Rs 29 million from 60 theatres in North America. “In the UK, the film has made it into the UK top ten charts,” the release said.

    Welcome released in select territories across the world on 21 December. Said IFC CEO Sandeep Bhargava, “We are very pleased that Welcome has done so well in its first week, and look forward to it continuing to break further records. It is one of several films we have invested in and which we believe has the potential to deliver significant returns to our shareholders.”


    IFC, which is listed at the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) on the London Stock Exchange, acquired the worldwide distribution rights for Welcome in November 2007.

    Welcome is directed by Anees Bazmee and produced by Feroz Nadiadwala.

  • Warner Bros tops box office with $2.2 billion in 2007

    MUMBAI: Hollywood major Warner Bros tops international box office in 2007, with a revenue of $2.15 billion.

    The $2-billion figure this year represents the company‘s second-highest gross, trailing only the $2.2 billion achieved in 2004, the highest in the industry.


    Internationally, this year Warner Bros‘ bouquet of films includes Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 300, Ocean‘s Thirteen, Blood Diamond and Beowulf. The five films alone grossed $1.3 billion, while Beowulf is still running in the theaters.


    Disney has raked in about $1.66 billion, followed by 20th Century Fox at $1.64 billion, Paramount Pictures at $1.60 billion, Sony Pictures at $1.27 billion and Universal Pictures at a touch above $1 billion.


    While Warner Bros won the international box office numbers, Paramount won the battle domestically, with $1.47 billion. Warner Bros was second with $1.34 billion of its worldwide $2.15 billion coming in the US.


    Disney‘s 2007 release Pirates of the Caribbean: At World‘s End emerged as the biggest-grossing film in 2007 with $653 million internationally. Disney and Pixar‘s Ratatouille grossed $411 million as well.


    Paramount‘s recent purchase of DreamWorks proved to be very profitable as Shrek the Third registered $475 million, while Transformers tallied $387 million. Both movies were under DreamWorks.


    Spider Man 3 chalked up $555 million for Sony Pictures, making it the highest-grossing installment of the Spider Man franchise and kicking off the highest-grossing international summer blockbuster in movie history.


    Sony also got a boost from The Pursuit of Happyness ($121 million) and Ghost Rider ($104 million).


    Universal Pictures had just two films that grossed over $100 million – The Bourne Ultimatum ($215 million) and Mr Bean‘s Holiday ($192 million). However, it had a bevy of films that grossed between $50-75 million, such as Evan Almighty ($73 million), The Holiday ($73 million), Knocked Up ($70 million), I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry ($65 million), Hot Fuzz ($57 million) and American Gangster ($53 million).

  • Shemaroo releases home videos of two Hollywood flicks

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment releases two Hollywood films Crime & Punishment and The Effects of Magic in home video format.


    This follows Shemaroo‘s foray into distribution of International movies this year. The company had told Indiantelevision.com earlier that it had acquired about 300 titles, across all genres.


    The DVD and VCD of these two Hollywood titles are priced at Rs 199 and Rs 49, respectively.


    Crime & Punishment, based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky‘s novel, depicts the recovery of a man‘s diseased spirit. It exposes the soul of a man possessed by both good and evil, a man who cannot escape his own conscience.


    Menahem Golan‘s Crime & Punishment stars Crispin Glover, John Hurt, Vanessa Redgrave, Margot Kidder and John Neville. The movie has won the ‘Platinum Award‘ at ‘WorldFest Houston‘.


    The Effects of Magic is an adventurous family drama directed by Charlie Martinez and Chuck Martinez. The film stars Kathy Bates, Melinda Dillon, Robert Carradine and Jacobo Morales.


    The Effects of Magic revolves around the son of a great and absentee magician, who runs a costume company with his slightly eccentric mother. The protagonist starts to ponder how magic can affect everyone.

  • Trauma, tantrum and the taming of the shrew





    When you sign on Rakhi Sawant, you get some unpredictable behaviour as part
    of the package. Star Plus, when it invited item girl Rakhi and beau Abhishek Awasthi to be a part of Nach Baliye, should have learnt from Sony‘s Bigg Boss experience.


    Last year, the firebrand Rakhi had sought re-entry into Sony‘s reality show after being ousted by fellow celeb participants, claiming that the animosity between her and Amit Sadh had resulted in her being chucked out. Sawant, who carried the legacy of her tiff with singer Mika into the Bigg Boss house, was later re-called as a wild card entry, but didn‘t last long. This year, Star Plus apparently decided it could cash in on the Rakhi-Kashmera Shah spat that had its origins in the Bigg Boss house. Unfortunately, that manouvre fell flat with both girls professing everlasting affection for each other, publicly. But while Star couldn‘t capitalise on gossip and controversy (courtesy Rakhi in the initial episodes), it got more than what it bargained for, post the finale.


    After last weekend‘s finale, in which Rakhi stormed off the sets without accepting the runner-up trophy and without heeding filmstar Salman Khan‘s pleas, Rakhi has been courting primetime footage on every second channel. Now cast in the role of a wronged heroine, clad in demure salwar kameezes and sporting scholarly glasses, Rakhi is campaigning for ‘justice‘ in the interest of the nation. Abhishek has had his share of the limelight too, claiming to have been given a raw deal by the channel, fellow participants and telecom companies.


    Rakhi‘s statements have cast aspersions on the voting system across talent hunts on television channels, and Star Plus has now decided to call Rakhi‘s bluff by demanding an apology and promising to cooperate with the Crime Branch, to which Rakhi has filed for succour. Enough for the news channels to chew on the entire week.


    ****


    K..K..Kishore….stumbling start

    Sony‘s K for Kishore took off last Friday. The concept of mining the rich heritage of Kishore Kumar – the songs, the persona and the antics – is filled with exciting audio-visual potential. The first episode, however, turned out to be a bit of a drag. Although Sudesh Bhosle ( a competent Kishore mimic himself) as emcee was watchable, the proceedings turned into more of a sentimental obeisance to Kishoreda with son Amit Kumar and wife Leena, turning misty eyed at every turn. Leaving the Gangulys out of the proceedings may be an altogether better idea. Rajeshwari Sachdev as the host is engaging, but someone more knowledgeable (and one can‘t help thinking of Annu Kapoor in this role) could have done far more justice to such a show. The participants are amateur Kishores, who have sung in colleges and in orchestras, and are raring to prove their yodelling skills on screen. Some make the mark, some are pathetic. The magic of Kishore wasn‘t just his voice – it was his attitude that percolated into his vocal chords and defined his singing. Finding that quality through a TV hunt may not be that easy a task!

    Aamir Khan too was all over the tube this week, but one didn‘t mind it so much, considering the fact that the star may not be open to the media again for a long time to come. He appeared with his child star Darsheel on Pogo‘s Mad, he judged a kids‘ talent show on NDTV, he chatted with sundry journalists on all possible channels – on his reading habits, his movie making skills and his parenting skills. Aamir probably hadn‘t spoken as much in the past decade as he did this week!


    Kyunki Saas…. is getting ready to shed its baubles and go slumming in the coming weeks. Ekta Kapoor probably thinks this is a good way to counter the appearance of Smriti Irani on rival Zee‘s Teen Bahuraniyan. But doesn‘t she know that most womenfolk check out K serials for the variety of apparel and jewelry on display? Can Kyunki… afford to forgo the glitz and glamour for long?


    ****


    Couch potato warning of the week – The end of the year and the spectre of
    year-end specials on television looms large. Get ready for re-runs of award
    ceremonies and award winning films….‘tis going to be a long weekend!

  • Tare Zameen Par goes tax-free in Delhi

    MUMBAI: Aamir Khan‘s directorial debut film Tare Zameen Par (TZP) is declared tax-free in Delhi in view of the message it conveys.

    TZP is about children who are slow learners and has a protagonist who himself is dyslexic.


    Produced by Aamir Khan and PVR Pictures, TZP follows Anurag Kashyap‘s Return of Hanuman which was also declared tax-free nation-wide before its release. The Rs 200 million budgeted film Return of Hanuman is releasing on 28 December.


    “The expectation is that the tax-free status of TZP will extend to other states,” an industry observer said.


    TZP which opened with 425 prints pan-India, has reportedly raked in Rs 150 million at the domestic box office in the first three days.


    In recent past movies like Koi Mil Gaya, Rang De Basanti and Lage Raho Munnabhai have been declared tax-free in some states.

  • HSBC ups stake in Indian Film Company to 9%

    MUMBAI: HSBC Investments (Singapore) Ltd. has increased its stake to 9.10 per cent in The Indian Film Company (IFC), a specialist film investment firm where TV18 Group has substantial interest.

    HSBC holds 5.01 million equity shares in IFC, following its recent purchase in the market. IFC is listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange.


    “HSBC has recently bought in the market and increased its stake in our company,” confirms IFC CEO Sandeep Bhargava to Indiantelevision.com.


    HSBC made a purchase of 1.08 million equity shares of IFC in the market for a consideration of ? 817,000 (Rs 65.36 million) in mid-December.


    Network18 Fincap Ltd has 18.18 per cent stake in IFC and BK Media Mauritius Pvt Ltd 3.45 per cent. Raghav Bahl is a director of IFC and substantial shareholder of both Network 18 Fincap and BK Media Mauritius.


    Viacom Brand Solutions holds 4.55 per cent while Halbis Capital Management has 11.05 per cent, Elara Capital 10.90 per cent and Dundee Leeds Management 9.09 per cent (as of 31 July, 2007).


    The Indian Film Company raised ?55 million (Rs 4.4 billion) through an initial public offering (IPO) this year. The company seeks to invest in films where it retains full ownership of all Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), although ownership may be shared with co-producers, directors and actors if necessary.


    IFC has taken worldwide distribution of Welcome and Jab We Met. The co-productions include Bhootnath, Little Zizou, Halla Bol, Golmaal Returns and Loot.

  • Shyam Benegal to direct film on the Buddha

    MUMBAI: Shyam Benegal is directing a film based on the life of Gautama Buddha. Mumbai-based Beyond Dreams Entertainment Ltd and Colombo-based Light of Asia Foundation are co-producing the film.

    The film is expected to go on floors around mid-2008 and slated for a mid-2009 release.


    Screenplay writer Atul Tiwari will pen the story, screenplay and dialogue of the film. It is also reported that talks are on to rope in Hrtithik Roshan.


    Professor Nimal D‘Silva, Buddhist scholar in the South Asia region, has been appointed to head the research, along with scholars from China, Japan and Korea.


    “This is a historic moment for South Asian Cinema. We are about to tell the story of a man who was born in the Indian subcontinent and redefined the way the world thinks. Gautama Buddha‘s philosophy is more contemporary today than ever before,” said Beyond Dreams Entertainment Limited CEO Yash Patnaik.

  • Shree Ashtavinayak raises $33 million via FCCBs

    MUMBAI: Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision has raised $33 million (approximately Rs 1.32 billion) via foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs), with an option to raise an additional $5 million.

    “The proceeds of the issue shall be utilised for production of movies and purchase of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) of movies outside India,” says a company statement.


    The bonds have a maturity of five years due in 2012. The underlying equity shares on conversion will be listed on BSE and NSE. The FCCBs will be listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange.


    In July, the company had decided to raise funds for expansion by issuing FCCBs to the extent of $50 million. The board had also decided to issue warrants on preferential basis to the extent of $20 million.


    Shree Ashtavinayak has nearly 12 films already on the floors for release next year including Golmaal Returns, Superstar, Chala Murari Murder Karne and Mr Fraud.

  • Bollywood producer G P Sippy passes away

    MUMBAI: Veteran Bollywood producer-director G P Sippy of Sholay fame passed away last night. He was 93.

    Sippy, who has been suffering from age-related ailments for the past few months, breathed his last around 10 pm in Mumbai, family sources said.


    Sippy came from a rich Sindhi family, and his career got a flying start with the film Marine Drive in 1955. His magnum opus, however, was Sholay in 1975, one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema. He also produced films like Saagar (1985), Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992), Aatish (1992) and Zamaana Deewana (1995).


    Sippy was the chairman of the Film and TV Producers Guild of India on four occasions in the seventies, eighties and nineties, and bagged the Filmfare awards in 1968 and 1982.