ITV

Category: Movies

  • Drama with dance, a potent combination!

    Finally, there was some real action on Nach Baliye this week. No ordinary
    performance could have matched the tugging of the heartstrings that Shweta Tiwari managed with her dance with choreographer Sagar.





    Hubby Raja Choudhary‘s liver abcess couldn‘t have been more of a blessing in disguise, prevent as it did him from appearing on the show this week. Shweta and Raja couldn‘t really have hoped to last a couple more episodes, considering Raja‘s limited dancing capabilities and Shweta couldn‘t have soldiered on alone, despite avowedly being Saroj Khan‘s favourite. But Monday‘s emotional disqualification ensured Shweta a place in audience hearts for a long time to come, as she swayed and sashayed with trembling lips and eyes moist with tears. What more can a TV actor ask for?

    Drama, with a capital D, is essential in all ‘reality‘ and talent shows, whatever their levels of reality, particularly on Indian television. It‘s this drama that is starkly absent on Zee‘s latest edition of Cinestars ki Khoj. The lacklustre AVs that trace the participants‘ journey thus far, the flat performances, nothing seems to be setting off that spark so far. Even the blunt aggressiveness of judges Pooja Bhatt and Anupam Kher has no bite. As for the third judge,







    Madhur Bhandarkar, he looks clearly uncomfortable having to pass judgment on the anxious-eyed young hopefuls. The show obviously misses the Gajendra Singh touch, which uplifted the other Sa Re Ga Ma Pa talent hunts on the channel all these years. It just shows how a dedicated director, passionate about his shows, can make a big difference to how it finally appears on screen.


    If Cinestars is nothing to hum about, nor is Jeena Isika Naam Hai, which too is appearing in a second, refurbished avatar. Where Farooque Sheikh sparkled with a quiet dignity in the first season, Roshan Abbas is overbearing. Farooque merged with the backgroud, Roshan makes sure of his share in the spotlight. Even the production standards are glaringly different. NDTV‘s handiwork was sophisticated and subtle. Shashi Ranjan‘s idea of playing on motions is to have blaring music every time the guest gets misty eyed about any reminescence.










    NDTV preferred to have Farooque on his feet all the time, moving comfortably around. Roshan, last week, propped himself on the sofa with guest Satish Shah last week and made it sound like just any other interview. And finally, the first Jeena… brought in first rung celebs from the film industry as well as other fields. Why does it seem that this time round, we will have to be content with ho-hum TV celebs?


    Zoom‘s Popkorn, now rechristened as Popkorn Newz, is also back with a fresh edition. It‘s offering the same fluffy Bollywood and tellywood news and ‘masala‘, but with a different anchor. Barkha Bisht, freshly out of work after ‘Pyar Ke Do Naam…‘ wound up on Star Plus, is a refreshing change, with her petite looks and vibrant style. Good choice, Zoom!







    One can‘t resist putting in a bit about Bigg Boss. The third week was as abonimably fascinating as the earlier ones. It showcases neither talent, skills nor does it tell a story. And yet, everyone seems to be watching goggle eyed as Rakhee Sawant goes about breaking glasses and quarreling with Amit Sadh, and Aryan Vaid cosies up with Anupama. Bigg Boss forever verges on the edge of becoming monotonous and tedious with nothing much for the participants to do except live together under one roof.


    But amazingly, it doesn‘t get boring at all! Either it‘s extraordinarily lucky in the excitement it continuously generates, or there is an element of manipulation, unknown to the viewers. But so long as the viewers get their daily dose of voyeurism, who cares?

  • Grace under fire

     confess. I have sat glued through all the episodes of Bigg Boss thus far,
    insufferable as they have all been. In my mind, I curse the ordinariness of the celebs chosen (Amit Sadh, for Gawd‘s sake!!), mutter abuses while cranking up the volume to catch the whispered conversations, and yawn through the Bigg Boss‘ disjointed instructions. But I haven‘t missed a single minute so far, and am dying to know whether it will be Deepak Parashar or Bobby Darling who gets booted out this week.

    Is it the novelty of the show on Indian airwaves? Is it the lack of better alternatives on other channels? Or is it plain voyeurism that wins over all other reasons? You get to see Carol Gracias waking up with no make up on, and where else would you watch Rakhee Sawant roll out chapatis and wring clothes out to dry? Rupali Ganguly‘s frequent crying bouts tug at your heartstrings, and Salil Ankola‘s efforts at chopping firewood, tell you a thing or two about the real brawn of macho men.


    These folks are not top class celebs, but for a nation as awestruck by celebs of any hue as we are, they do just fine.


    The channel has chosen well. The women are the right mix of bitchiness and
    sentimentality, the guys are either flirts or earnest gentlemen, and Bobby
    Darling, is well, Bobby Darling. In the first week itself, participants have
    got down to the serious business of forming groups and pairs, and there have
    been gossip sessions galore. The Bigg Boss‘ tasks could have been more
    creative, and the days at the Big House more structured. But hey, with just
    so many soaps for competition on the other buttons of the remote, who‘s
    complaining?


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    The Roadies are comin‘!


    MTV‘s adventure reality show Roadies, already in its fourth year, is auditioning across cities, and man, do they attract a weird bunch! In Chandigarh this week, scions of wealthy families, designers, students – young and with a desire to do something freaky, floated in for auditioning – and were ripped apart by the three-judge panel.


    Nikhil Chinappa at his acid best, accompanied by someone as acidic called Raghuram, made mincemeat of the perspiring aspirants, while the third judge, singer Mika, lurked in the background, emerging merely to ask an inane question or two. This was judging and selecting at its most brutal, and one wonders if it is sheer youthful bravado that propels the youngsters into the MTV studios, knowing what they are letting themselves in for! “You say you are a misogynist and you don‘t know the meaning of orgasm??!!” fumed Nikhil at one quaking youth. “You are a *beep* fake, man!”


    ****


    Oh horror!


    If you expected Shh! Phir Koi Hai to be in the same class as Darna Mana Hai
    that aired last year on the same channel (Star One), you could qualify for disappointment. DMH plucked real people, real homes and some real spine chilling horror (even if the splitting of the story into four parts killed most of the suspense).


    It‘s latter day sibling is high on extravaganza, high on effects but a little low on plot. The first story told last Friday had a bunch of youngsters holed up in a fort where the legendary Queen Padmavati threw herself into fire to prevent desecration at the hands of the enemy. It was slightly tedious to watch the ghost of the queen single out each member of the group and consign it to fire, only to be outwitted at the end. Not very original, not very scary. Hope the series gets better with time, as it‘s the only one with potential in that genre right now.


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    Entertainment, with a cause


    Star One‘s Office Office took a different route this week when it addressed the issue of AIDS in a novel way, without sounding preachy or condescending.


    The protagonist approaches the charity commissioner‘s office for permissions
    to start an AIDS NGO, but comes up against the usual red tape, which he tackles staunchly but humorously. At the end, it turns out, he is the one who has contracted AIDS, but reminds the officials that it is they suffering
    from a worse malady – RAIDS – Rishwat (corruption) ka AIDS!


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    CNBC eyes the bahu?


    Guess CNBC TV 18 is now targeting the housewives eager to enter the stock market. There‘s a new show called Saas, Bahu and Sensex (how original!!), in which master chef Tarla Dalal was invited this week to share her own forays into investments in shares and stocks. The lady answered questions put to her as gamely as she could, but the ladies anchoring the segment clearly looked out of depth. Perhaps they are better suited to grilling top notch executives and investment bankers than working women who dabble only occasionally in the world of finance!


    ****


    Couch potato‘s femme fatale of the week


    Definitely Rakhee Sawant. She throws her comments around on the Bigg Boss premises as easily as she wields a mop to clean the floor and wash her clothes as well as her friends‘. I am fast revising my opinion of this lady with the famous big mouth.


     



  • Bollywood – on the road to more global recognition, professionalism

    Bollywood is slowly spreading its wings overseas. UTV, reports indicate, has already pre-sold the distribution rights for Farhan Akhtar‘s blockbuster Don, which released worldwide today, in Germany.Another noted film maker Karan Johar sold the distribution rights for Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Kank) in Germany and Poland. Rakeysh Mehra‘s Rang De Basanti became the first Hindi film to be screened in a mainstream movie theatre in Israel.

    Stars are increasingly being welcomed. In France for instance, earlier this year at Paris‘ famous Champs Elysees Virgin megastore, French girls and boys strained to get a glimpse of Bollywood ka badshah Shah Rukh Khan who was promoting Veer Zara about a cross border romance. The star and his director Yash Chopra were caught unawares by the extent of the crowd. Increasingly, Bollywood stars like Aishwarya Rai, the Big B Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra make their presence felt at film festivals, road shows and premieres in several countries. Often, it is not just south Asians who are interested but even the local population who become inquisitive about the buzz.

    Johar, who recently attended the Toronto film festival, points out that Bollywood is noted not just for the song and dance sequences, but also for its frank emotional value. That, according to him, is the key differentiator.

    Film and Television Producers Guild of India president Amit Khanna believes that the future is bright in terms of growing more mainstream abroad as it is the only alternative to Hollywood that can appeal to global audiences. One market that is exploding is the UK. Bollywood films are now making more money in Britain than UK-made productions and many movies are being shot in this country as also in US to make them more relevant to South Asians living there.


    Shah Rukh Khan in Kank

    69 Bollywood films have been released in the UK this year. 14 productions financed by the Indian film industry are being shot there. In the five weeks since its UK release, Kank grossed more than two million pounds – the same as Vera Drake, the critically acclaimed British film which got Bafta awards and Oscar nominations. It is no surprise that some Indian producers now regard overseas sales as more lucrative than India. This is because besides the traditional NRI markets in the US, UK, Middle East and Australia, mainstream Hindi movies are now starting to find acceptance in countries like Germany, France, Poland, Israel, Turkey, Japan, South America and even China.

    This means that films have a better chance of recovering their costs of production. The multiple-delivery system has been a boon for Bollywood. There are new technologies like VoD, which are helping boost the reach of Indian films abroad. An awards event like Iifa helps make locals in a country at least inquisitive about Indian film. Filmmakers are also realising that a film with excellent subject matter can do well abroad, even if there are not many masala songs and dances. It requires good marketing though. A case in point is Lage Raho Munnabhai, which did well in the US and UK due to the Gandhi theme that people can identify with.


    Ashok Amritraj has made his mark in the US

    Also pushing Indian films abroad is the fact that Indian filmmakers and producers are making their mark in countries like the US. A case in point is Ashok Amritraj, who with his firm Hyde Park Entertainment, has made films like Bringing Down the House and Shopgirl.

    Mira Nair‘s work has made Americans and people from other countries aware of Indian film culture

    Both were done with Steve Martin. Then there are the two famous women directors Mira Nair of Monsoon Wedding fame and Gurinder Chadha (Bend it Like Beckham). Both films received Golden Globe nominations a few years back. Of course Bollywood‘s impact abroad is nowhere compared to Hollywood which apart from India dominates in several countries. In some cases it has overtaken the cinema of that country. Still the signs for Bollywood in terms of looking for new markets is good and performing better in countries like the US.

    After all Yash Raj Films, reported last year that Bollywood films in the US earn around $100 million a year through theatre screenings, video sales and the sale of movie soundtracks. Yash Raj Films quoted the Internet Movie Database for this. There is still room for improvement though overseas when it comes to distribution and marketing. Efforts should be made to have Bollywood films released in more cinemas particularly in the US.

    The now $8 billion Indian film industry produces more than 900 movies a year in more than 20 languages. This makes India the world‘s most prolific film producer.

     

     

    The Distribution Scene: The Film and Television Producers Guild of India estimates that in India Bollywood films sold 3.9 billion tickets last year making around $1.4 billion. With luxurious multiplexes coming up with tickets priced higher, the situation will only improve. India is expected to have almost 300 multiplexes within a couple of years‘ time. This is quite a change from the single screen scenario a few years ago. This has led to Bollywood changing the way it handles releases. The big blockbusters have more prints released while a smaller film, which is only targeting a select audience, is released in certain areas.


    Gurinder Chadha celebrates the nomination of Bend It Like Beckham at the Golden Globes

    More theatres means that one needs less time to recover costs as the prints released are more. Sometimes a few weeks is enough. There is no longer a need for a Silver or Golden jubilee to make a handsome profit. Multiplexes also resort to differential pricing. So evening shows cost more than morning shows; weekends are more expensive than weekdays. This ensures that a Bollywood film can catch different audiences, whether it is the family or the college crowd.

    An interesting and well known connection between India and overseas is that we are using foreign locales for shoots. Besides Switzerland, films are being shot in countries like South Africa, Singapore, London, New Zealand. It is no surprise that the tourism boards of countries like Hong Kong actively woo Indian filmmakers with their facilities and locales.

    One positive sign is that there is more organisation and structure with institutional finance now available. Estimates are that around Rs 3 billion in financing will have been sanctioned and disbursed this year. In the past, money came from private financiers and from dubious sources like the underworld.

    Better Marketing: Bollywood is also doing more to promote its products. They are increasingly taking advantage of the new media by having contests, offering downloads on the mobile, etc. Music videos are also given to the likes of MTV. There are also tie ups with news channels for interviews, clips. The promotion for Bunty Aur Bablii, for instance, saw the two stars hosting a show on a news channel. Now one also sees the producer, distributor and exhibitor jointly planning promotions and working on it.

    Online the sites of Bollywood films are more jazzed up compared to the past. There are games, contests and blogs on offer. According to reports, while a producer would ideally invest 10-15 per cent of the total production budget on marketing and promotions, there are increasing incidents where it is getting stretched to 20-25 per cent.

    On ground events are becoming creative. In one marketing incident Mallika Sherawat sold tickets of her film Bachke Rehna Re Baba at a theatre in Delhi. Urmila Matondkar shared her supernatural experiences on Sony‘s show Aahat before the release of her film Naina. In a unique innovation the filmmakers of Oops threw stripping parties at pubs in Mumbai. Oops looked at the lives of male strippers.

    While all this is fine it is important to remember that no amount of good marketing can replace the importance of content. A good campaign cannot cover up for a poor film and a negative audience reaction.

    Co-productions: The big filmmakers are also doing a wide range of initiatives with a broader purpose. Subhash Ghai, for one, did an IPO for Mukta Arts and also set up a training school Whistlingwoods. Corporates are also entering the business, which is helping it become more professional.

    An example is Reliance taking a stake in the Adlabs multiplex chain. It helps that 100 per cent foreign investment is permitted in production, distribution, financing and distribution. Studios from the US are also looking at partnerships. Disney recently invested in UTV taking a 14.9 per cent stake for $14 million in the studio which made Rang De Basanti, India‘s entry for the Oscars. UTV is also doing co-productions with Fox Searchlight for Chris Rock‘s I Think I Love My Wife, Will Smith‘s Overbrook Entertainment and Sony. UTV and Fox will release the Mira Nair film The Namesake next year. UTV is also looking for assistance from its Hollywood partners in pushing Rang De Basanti for the Oscar awards in the US. Should it be among the five foreign films chosen it will serve as a great platform for Indian film to get noticed by millions across the globe.

    At an event it recently had for cinema exhibitors, Sony announced that it will be releasing its first co-production in India the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film Saawariya (Beloved) next Diwali. Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Michael Lynton said, “India has a rich and a prolific film history and we at Sony Pictures recognise the potential and importance of the Indian market and welcome the opportunity to team up with the film industry in India. This is a defining moment for us as a company and for filmmakers, artists and audiences in India as well.”

    Conclusion: With Indian cinema getting more professional in its working, becoming more marketing savvy and finding more markets abroad, as well as foreign studios waking up to Bollywood‘s potential, there is every likelihood that in the coming years Bollywood might become a more globally recognised brand.

  • UFO Moviez aims to reach 500 screens by Diwali; to make international foray

    UFO Moviez aims to reach 500 screens by Diwali; to make international foray

    MUMBAI: United Film Organizers (UFO) Moviez a pioneer in digital cinema and with 400 theatres across 14 cities in India having its installations, has plans to increase the figure to 500 by Diwali.

    UFO moviez has tied up with producer Sajid Nadiadwala for his forthcoming film Jaan-e-mann for brand building promotion and to create awareness about digital cinema.

    “Our association with Jaan-e-mann is a joint promotional and brand building exercise. UFO will showcase the film in its 400 theatres across India and Jaan-e-mann will carry the branding of UFO in their print and optical media,” said UFO Moviez vice chairman and director Raaja Kanwar at a media briefing yesterday.

    UFO executive director and CEO Sanjay Gaikwad added, “By the time the film releases in Diwali, we will achieve our target of 500 theatres. And as per UFOs’ roll out plan we are to achieve a target of 1000 theatres by March 2007 and 2000 by March 2008.”

    With an objective to revolutionise the distribution and exhibition system in cinema, UFO was officially launched in November 2005 and within less than a years time, plans a foray into the international market.

    This initiative has been taken by UFO after acquiring the rights to Mpeg 4 Digital Cinema Solutions from DG2L Technologies Pvt Ltd.

    “The response that we have got from India is helping us to take this leap in the international market, say Middle East and European nations, where Bollywood films are popular. And with Mpeg 4 digital cinema solutions, the task will become easy. This technology will provide greater flexibility, effieciency and cost savings,” added Gaikwad.

    Digital screening of films through the technology offered by UFO not only reduces the cost of prints but also helps the distributors and exhibitors, who have to pay a nominal amount for acquiring the print of the film and showing it in theatres.

    “The distributer pays Rs 250 for a single print and the exhibitor pays Rs 275 for the same as compared to the Analog print for which they have to spend something between Rs 16,000 – Rs 17,000. Moreover, the server in the UFO system installed at the theatre can store upto 15 films, which gives flexibility to the exhibitors to play different films at different times of the day,” said Gaikwad.

    This technology is proving beneficial for the distributors and exhibitors in B and C cities where films would hit the theaters two-three weeks after its release, which would in return hamper the box office collection. But with digital cinema installations in these cities, audience are getting to see the films in the very first week of its release.

    UFO Moviez had recently announced that it will invest Rs 1.5 billion in the next three years to digitise 1,000 movie halls of Chennai-based Pyramid Saimira Theatres Ltd. As per a tie-up agreement between the two companies, UFO Moviez would provide end-to-end digital cinema solutions for these 1,000 theatres.

  • UFO Moviez & Pyramid-Saimira join hands to set up digital cinema chain

    UFO Moviez & Pyramid-Saimira join hands to set up digital cinema chain

    MUMBAI: Digital cinema network UFO Moviez and the Chennai based Pyramid Saimira Theatres Limited (PSTL) have got together for the digitisation of 1000 theatres over the next three years all over India.

    UFO Moviez shall be providing end to end digital cinema solutions for the theatres in the Pyramid Saimira chain at a cost of Rs 1.5 billion.

    Commenting on the deal, UFO India executive director & CEO Sanjay Gaikwad said, “We anticipate that this tie up with Pyramid group will chart the way for the digital revolution happening in the field of cinema exhibition. A single integrated chain of 1000 digital cinemas all over India will provide producers and distributors a unique opportunity for saturated wide spread release in the week of release itself. Worldwide, there is tremendous excitement about this technology which is being hailed as the next great leap in film distribution and exhibition”.

    Elaborating on the agreement, UFO India’s director Usman Fayaz adds, “Pyramid Saimira has tremendous presence in the southern states and are now looking at expanding to other territories in India. This agreement is indeed a step forward in our future plans of creating a truly global network and becoming the world’s undisputed leaders in digital cinema network.”

    “The states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka between themselves have 59 per cent of the cinema halls in India. We expect at least 50 per cent of our conversions to UFO Digital system to come from the south market. Unlike the hindi speaking states, the four southern states are highly compartmentalized as regards film viewing and exhibition in terms of language and we expect a high density of theatres in these states.”

    States PSTL MD P S Saminathan, “PSTL plans to have 2000 screens under its full operation management spread across 1550 locations by the year 2009-2010. The agreement with UFO enables PSTL to reach this target faster since it frees PSTL capital from Plant & Machinery and enables PSTL to lock in more points of presence faster”.

  • US Motion Picture Association files suits against retail pirates in China

    US Motion Picture Association files suits against retail pirates in China

    MUMBAI: The Motion Picture Association (MPA) in the US has announced that its member companies had filed civil suits against the operators of two pirate retail outlets in Beijing, China.

    They are seeking damages of RMB 60,000 per infringed title, as well as legal costs and a pledge to cease and desist from all illegal sales of pirated movies.

    The actions against the companies operating the Feng He Ri Li and Yu Hao Qing retail outlets, both located in Beijing’s central business district, are being heard by the Beijing 1st Intermediate People’s Court and Beijing 2nd Intermediate People’s Court respectively.

    Both Feng He Ri Li and Yu Hao Qing have in the past been raided by the Beijing Copyright Bureau and Beijing and Chaoyang District Police. In May Chaoyang District Police seized 13,000 pirated DVDs from Feng He Ri Li. The MPA and its member companies maintain active litigation programmes in many countries aimed at defending member companies’ copyrights against unauthorised and illegal infringement. During 2002 and 2003 MPA initiated 10 civil cases against manufacturing and retail sales operations in China. Those cases were all settled or judged in favor of the member company plaintiffs.

    MPA senior VP and regional director Mike Ellis, says, “These actions demonstrate that copyright holders can and will vigorously defend their property, and that there is a price to pay for copyright infringement.

    “In China, the MPA is active in the support of government enforcement and education efforts. However, unquestionably one of the foundations of China’s piracy problems – and the piracy rate for motion pictures in China is estimated at 93 per cent – is the lack of market access accorded to foreign films.

    “The maintenance of the theatrical exhibition quota, combined with the frequent imposition of blackouts on the theatrical release of foreign films, and the restrictions on home video distributors compared with pirate retailers, give movie pirates a tremendous market advantage. Market access, i.e. a more open market, is a prerequisite for reducing piracy, and piracy affects foreign and domestic movie producers alike.”

    In China, and many countries around the world, the MPA works closely with governments to support enforcement and education efforts, and conducts its own education and enforcement initiatives in many markets.

  • Percept Picture Company unveils anti-piracy documentary

    Percept Picture Company unveils anti-piracy documentary

    MUMBAI: Piracy is chewing into Indian movie profits! This has been a long lingering whine amongst stakeholders of the Indian movie business.

    In a bid to combat the menace, Percept Picture Company (PPC) has unveiled a documentary campaign. PVR Cinema has joined hands with PPC to convey the social message in an entertaining manner aimed at educating movie-goers.

    The two-minute documentary on anti-piracy will be aired across the PVR cinema chain. This is not the first time that PVR Cinemas has extended its hands towards such efforts. The multiplex major had also teamed up with BBC World Service Trust’s initiative Haath se Haath Mila to screen the music video in all its screens.

    The theme of the campaign Stop Piracy, showcases a woman on the delivery table giving birth to a child. On seeing the baby, the women utters, “Have you ever seen something so beautiful.” The husband reacts by saying that he has a copy. In agreement, the doctor says that he too has a copy. While the overwhelmed nursed informs that she has the ninth version from Bangkok and suggests that the couple can get multiple copies of it from Ahmed bhai.

    The husband points out that henceforth he would opt for copies. Listening to this, the poor mother is left weeping…

    “Every movie or song you copy is someone’s baby. Stop Piracy.” This subtle message has been conceptualised and directed by O&M senior creative director Rensil D’Silva and senior creative director Anup Chitnis.

    The scourge that is gnawing at the industry’s innards affects everyone in the film food-chain, points out PPC MD Shailendra Singh, who has joined hands with the Excel Home Video for this initiative and is in talks with other fraternity members to come together on this project. “Though the fraternity, judiciary and the government are all working to curb piracy, the epidemic has just been growing,” says Singh.

    Interestingly, the PPC also has a movie project in the pipeline with the theme of ‘piracy’ as the backdrop.

    For the industry, which churns out at least a 1,000 films per year, piracy of content is happening at the theatre level (camera prints), on cable networks and through distribution of illegal VCDs / DVDs. According to Sony BMG MD Shridhar Subramaniam, 90 per cent of all hit movies are hit by the scourge. Conversely, flop movies are barely scathed.

    Music revenues are affected to the extent of 50 per cent, while with DVDs it is to the tune of 80 per cent. As for theatrical receipts, it is affected by up to 50 per cent, Subramaniam points out.

    Pirated content copying and distribution costs the industry an estimated Rs 4.3 billion annually, which is as much as 42 per cent of the industry’s total revenues. The Indian audio-video market is estimated to be growing at an explosive pace of almost 300 per cent. However, this growth has not been reflected in a corresponding growth in the legitimate sale of CDs, VCDs and DVDs. The volume or pirated units has been rising consistently despite the falling prices of legitimate music, concludes Subramaniam.

  • Adlabs Films finds Synergy in equity deal

    Adlabs Films finds Synergy in equity deal

    MUMBAI: The Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG)-backed Adlabs Films is set to formally make a foray into the television business.

    According to capital market sources, Adlabs Films is poised to pick up a sizeable equity stake in Siddharth and Anita Basu’s production house Synergy Communications Pvt Ltd.

    Sources close to the development, however, said that it is still not clear whether the stake being picked up is 51 per cent or higher.

    While Adlabs expressed ignorance of the deal when contacted by Indiantelevision.com, Synergy Communications refused to entertain any query on the issue.

    However, market sources said that a valuation of Synergy Communications has been pegged between Rs 470 million to Rs 500 million.

    The scrip of Adlabs Films Ltd closed on 6 September at Rs 332.10 after opening at Rs 332 on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The scrip reached an intra-day high of Rs 337.50, probably riding on the information of its radio division slated to roll-out FM operations in about four to six weeks time.

    It must be reiterated here that Adlabs Films CMD Manmohan Shetty had earlier confirmed to Indiantelevision.com that the company was looking at taking a controlling equity stake in a production house.

    Though Shetty had refused to divulge any names at that time, he had admitted, “All that I can say is that it (the targeted production house) is not a listed company and produces three to four shows with a good balance sheet.”

    Adlabs has been funding a few TV production companies and has chalked out eight projects with various producers who will be making programmes for TV channels.

    Synergy Communications, producers of Kaun Banega Crorepati or KBC (an Indian version of the popular western game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire), is presently working on Jhalak Dikhla Jaa (a local adaption of Dancing With The Stars) for Sony.

    KBC, hosted by Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, first started airing in 2000 on Star Plus and created such a national hysteria that it changed the fortunes of Star India and put it in a leadership position that’s still being maintained.

    Synergy was started by ace quizmaster Basu and his wife after the gentleman became a household name in India by hosting the very popular Quiz Time on Doordarshan in the pre-cable television days.

  • Paheli becomes the top rated premiere of 2006 on Hindi movie channels

    Paheli becomes the top rated premiere of 2006 on Hindi movie channels

    Mumbai, … Star Gold has begun the year with a Bang. Paheli which premiered on the channel on 29th January, has become the Highest Rated Premiere of 2006, with a TVR of 2.6 (CS4+, HSM). What’s more, this makes it the third biggest premiere in the last six months, right behind Swades (TVR of 3 on premiere) and Hulchul (TVR of 2.7 on premiere), which were also on Star Gold. During the airing of Paheli, Star Gold reached out to 6.9 million viewers and had a commanding channel share of 58% in the category, dwarfing, Zee Cinema with 25% and Max at 17%

     

    With Paheli, it has been proved once again movies get bigger on Star Gold. Swades and Paheli which were considered commercial disappointments on their theatrical release rated much higher than movies like Waqt (TVR of 1.5 on premiere) and Lucky (1.6 TVR on premiere) which were considerable box office successes. Even more interestingly, Hum Tum the smash theatrical hit, rated lower (2.5) on its premiere on SET than Swades, Hulchul & Paheli did on their premiere on Star Gold.

     

    In the last six months, Star Gold has clearly walked away with the laurels. Six Star Gold premieres: Swades, Hulchul, Viruddh, Khullam Khula Pyar Karenge, Black and Paheli, made it to the list of top ten movie premieres in the Hindi movie genre with the top three going to Star Gold. Not only this, Star Gold has been uniquely successful in attracting the cream of the audiences with 6 of the top 10 movies among SEC A viewers being aired on Star Gold – with Swades and Paheli delivering whopping 4.5 and 3.8 TVR’s respectively in this SEC. And if that were not enough, Star Gold also delivered the most top rated premieres in the last one year with eight out of top fifteen premieres in the Hindi Movie Genre airing on the channel.

     

    Ever since the revamp in July 2005, the channel has consistently kept its promise to the viewers of getting them closer to Bollywood than anyone else. Not just the premieres of the big movies but properties like Jabardast Janamdin and Uncut Premiere have got viewers up close and personal with the world of Hindi movies. Not to mention the annual Sabsey Favourite Kaun, the nation’s only barometer to recognize the absolute popularity of stars; and exclusive tie-ups with the most acclaimed hits, from Black at the start of the year, to Bluffmaster at the end, and many more in between

     

    Said, Puneet Johar, Sr. Vice President Marketing & Communication, “ The ratings for Paheli prove once again that movies get bigger on Star Gold. Premieres of fresh titles, backed by promotional blitz have delivered rich rewards for us, and for the brands on Star Gold. With the Pure Gold Triple Premiere of the blockbuster Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya coming up this month, we are confident that Star Gold will continue the winning trend”

     

    And with Schwarzkopf Palette Sabsey Favourite Kaun to hit the airwaves soon, there is no doubt that Star Gold will continue to delight audiences throughout the year in 2006

    ABOUT STAR

    STAR is a leading media and entertainment company in Asia. STAR broadcasts over 50 television services in nine languages to more than 300 million viewers across 53 Asian countries. STAR channels cover all genres including general entertainment (Star Plus, Xing Kong, Star Chinese Channel, Star One, Star Utsav, Star World, Vijay, Phoenix Chinese), sports (ESPN, Star Sports), movies (Star Chinese Movies, Star Gold, Star Movies), music (Channel [V]), and news and current affairs (Star News, Star Ananda, Phoenix InfoNews Channel). STAR controls over 20,000 hours of Indian and Chinese programming and also owns the world’s largest contemporary Chinese film library, with more than 600 titles, featuring superstars including Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Bruce Lee. In partnership with leading companies in Asia, STAR businesses extend to filmed entertainment, television production, cable systems, direct-to-home services, terrestrial TV broadcasting, wireless and digital services. STAR is a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation. www.startv.com

  • Chris Cornell to perform title song for new Bond film

    Chris Cornell to perform title song for new Bond film

    MUMBAI: Film producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, MGM and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced that Chris Cornell will perform the main title song You Know My Name for the new James Bond adventure Casino Royale.

    Cornell is the singer/songwriter behind Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog and has written the song in collaboration with Bond composer David Arnold.

    Daniel Craig stars as the new “007” in Casino Royale directed by Martin Campbell. The film will be released worldwide by Columbia Pictures on 17 November 2006.

    Cornell’s upcoming release with Audioslave marks the 11th album of his career. He has also enjoyed success with the groups Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog, as well as his own critically acclaimed solo album in 1999 Euphoria Morning. In addition, he has collaborated with such groups as Alice in Chains and made contributions to other soundtracks.

    Columbia Pictures president, worldwide music Lia Vollack says, “I’ve always loved Chris’ work, both as a writer and as an artist, and had hoped someday to find the right film to inspire him. His music is both soulful and tough. It was the perfect complement to Daniel Craig and Casino Royale.”

    Cornell joins such distinguished performers as Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Paul McCartney & Wings, Carly Simon, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, Sheena Easton, Duran Duran and Garbage who have performed title songs for previous James Bond adventures.

    Cornell will be among the select few who have both written and performed an ‘007’ title song (others include McCartney and Wings, Crow and Madonna).