ITV

Category: Movies

  • Actress Abigail Breslin signs publishing debut with Harper Collins

    Actress Abigail Breslin signs publishing debut with Harper Collins

    MUMBAI: Award winning actress Abigail Breslin, best known to millions for her Academy Award-nominated breakthrough role in Little Miss Sunshine, has solidified herself over the years as one of the rising stars of young Hollywood. Breslin will soon be making her publishing debut with her book called This May Sound Crazy, which will be published by HarperCollins.

     

    She will also be seen in her upcoming television debut role on Fox’s highly anticipated Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens, has multiple films on the horizon, and a solo album titled The World Now scheduled for release 15 June, 2015.

     

    Written with Breslin’s wit and honesty, This May Sound Crazy is full of cautionary tales and clever advice ranging from why you should stop stalking your ex to how to survive your very own Halloween horror story. In this collection of nonfiction essays, Breslin brings her hilarious and heartfelt voice to the page as she explores the things nearest and dearest to every teen—love, loss, and Tumblr.

     

    “I started my tumblr Mixtapes and Winter Coats because I wanted to share my late night ramblings and feels, such as talking to my cat at 2 am, with all of you. That blog evolved into my book, This May Sound Crazy. I hope when you read it, you’ll see that you are not alone even when you’re wondering when it’s ok to text your crush first, which is the most terrifying situation ever,” says Breslin.

     

    “I’m so thrilled to be working with Abigail Breslin on This May Sound Crazy. She channels the angst of her generation with a fearlessness that’s at once hilarious and deeply moving. Anyone who’s ever had a broken heart or felt lost or who just wished for a perfect Christmas Day will feel instantly understood in these pages,” adds HarperCollins executive editor Dave Linker.

     

    World rights for This May Sound Crazy were sold to Linker from CAA and will be published in October 2015.

     

  • Abhay Deol in IFFLA jury

    Abhay Deol in IFFLA jury

    NEW DELHI: Actor-producer Abhay Deol has been included in the jury for the 13th annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.

     

    The Festival is being held from 8 to 12 April at the ArcLight Hollywood.

     

    The other narrative jury members are filmmaker Sean Baker, HFPA member and frequent Board director Yoram Kahana, Warner Bros executive vice president (physical production) Ravi Mehta, and author and film curator Berenice Reynaud.

     

    The shorts jury include actor Danny Pudi, Outfest Director of Programming Lucy Mukerjee-Brown, Sundance Shorts Programmer Lisa Ogdie, and Heather Morris Washington, Manager of the Emerging Writers Fellowship at Universal.

    Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s debut feature Labour Of Love following one day in the life of a married couple has been added to the festival’s lineup. It screens on 10 April.
     

    Other films include Jai Ho by Delhi-based filmmaker Umesh Aggarwal who had attended the premiere of the film in New York earlier this year.

     

    The world premiere of British comedy One Crazy Thing is the centerpiece this year. The opening night film is Haraamkhor, helmer Shlok Sharma’s debut starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and the closing film is Dhanak by Nagesh Kukunoor.

     

    Other highlights are Danis Tanovic’s Tigers, Cannes entry Titli by Kanu Behl and the Los Angeles premiere of Miss India America.

     

    IFFLA will unspool 25 films, including four world premieres, seven North American bows, two American and 10 Los Angeles preems from not just India, but also the US, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Cuba, in 10 languages including English, Spanish and German.

     

    Directed by Amit Gupta, One Crazy Thing stars Ray Panthaki and Daisy Bevan and centers on a man struggling to overcome the notoriety from his sex tape. 

     

    Tanovic’s Tigers stars Bollywood star Emraan Hashmi and is about the true-life tale of the salesman who took on a drug company that marketed a deadly baby formula. 

     

    Titli is a coming-of-age story starring Shashank Arora; while Miss India Americastars Tiya Sircar and Hannah Simone in the story of a woman who enters a beauty pageant after losing her boyfriend to a former Miss India America.

     

    IFFLA Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani said, “Many of the films at this year’s IFFLA look at contemporary youth from diverse backgrounds, united in their creative ways of overcoming life’s situations. The palpable energy of youth spirit runs throughout our film lineup, and these stories take you on an adventurous journey.”

  • Film industry gears up for Cannes Film Fest; FICCI to set up India Pavilion

    Film industry gears up for Cannes Film Fest; FICCI to set up India Pavilion

    NEW DELHI: The India Pavilion at the forthcoming Cannes Film Festival will be set up once again by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in coordinating and on behalf of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

     

    The 68th Cannes Film Festival is being held at the coastal city of Cannes in France from 13 to 24 May.

     

    An India Film Guide featuring details of registered participants will also be brought out for distribution during this international fete at the Pavilion.

     

    A major film delegation led by officials of the Ministry is expected to attend the meet.

     

    The India Pavilion will be showcasing Indian cinema across linguistic, cultural and regional diversity with the aim of forging an increasing number of international partnerships in the realms of distribution, production, script development and technology, and promoting film sales and syndication.

     

    Promoting India as a film destination will be a major emphasis this year and details will be given about the advantages of filming in India. FICCI will help book structured B2B meetings with foreign participants; and organize networking events.

     

    In addition, it will display trailers of films even from those who are not going to Cannes for showing at the Pavilion. Brochures and other literature about films and film festivals in India will also be displayed at the Pavilion.

     

    Apart from this, the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) will put up a separate stall in the Cannes Film Market.

     

  • Viacom18 to release Paresh Rawal’s ‘Dharam Sankat Mein’ on 10 April

    Viacom18 to release Paresh Rawal’s ‘Dharam Sankat Mein’ on 10 April

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 Motion Pictures is all set to release the Paresh Rawal, Naseeruddin Shah and Annu Kapoor starrer Dharam Sankat Mein on 10 April.

     

    The movie is a sequel to OMG – Oh! My God, which also starred Akshay Kumar along with Rawal.

     

    In the upcoming satirical film, Rawal will be seen playing a father, a maulwi and a pundit. Dharam Sankat Meinis the story of a man torn by the dilemma of choosing between two religions.

     

    Rawal plays Dharampal, a man caught in an identity crisis of epic proportions. His entire belief system is shaken when documents from his departed mother’s locker reveal to him that instead of being what he believed himself to be – an average upper middle class Hindu – he was actually born to a Muslim family.

     

    Speaking about his role, Rawal said, “The film goes into a series of hilarious events that follows once I figure my true identity. Dharam Sankat Mein is an important film wherein a good message is being delivered through a rib tickling story.”

     

    Talking about his journey so far in the film industry, Rawal added, “I’m fortunate to have got the opportunity to play interesting characters. I hope to continue entertaining the audience and my fans.”

  • Robert Downey Jr. urges ‘Avengers’ fans to donate for kids with terminal diseases

    Robert Downey Jr. urges ‘Avengers’ fans to donate for kids with terminal diseases

    NEW DELHI: Ironman Robert Downey Jr has appealed to his fans to attend the world premiere of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, to help his charity, which helps children suffering from terminal diseases. 

     

    His post on his Facebook page is imploring fans to donate for such children with a charity event that is supporting Julia’s House, a hospice that provides care and support for life-limited children and their families.

     

    Downey Jr reached out to his fans on social media saying, “Hi folks, here’s the skinny: we’ve raised $1.3 MILLION for kids with terminal diseases. That’s incredible, but I think we can do better. Our goal is to reach $2M to help build a brand spanking new wing for Julia’s House. There’s just one week left to enter to win the chance to go to the premiere of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron with me. Click the pic and assemble!”

     

    Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on Marvel comic book seriesThe Avengers, first published in 1963. The movie is set for release on 24 April.

     

    Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Downey Jr. along with Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsg?rd, Samuel L. Jackson, James Spader, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany.

  • Paramount Pictures to stream ‘Interstellar’ on UltraFlix streaming network

    Paramount Pictures to stream ‘Interstellar’ on UltraFlix streaming network

    MUMBAI: Paramount Pictures and NanoTech Entertainment have inked a licensing agreement that will bring the award-winning movie Interstellar to UltraFlix, NanoTech’s streaming network. Under the agreement, the film will be available on UltraFlix from 31 March.

     

    Named as one of the Top Films of 2014 by The American Film Institute, Rolling Stone, Esquire, the New York Post and more, director Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, John Lithgow and Michael Caine. A breathtaking filmmaking achievement, Interstellar follows an ex-pilot-turned-farmer who must leave his family and a foundering Earth behind to lead an expedition traveling beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.

     

    In addition to Interstellar, UltraFlix now offers subscribers the largest selection of crystal-clear content, reinforcing its lead as the source for the world’s biggest and most diverse library of VOD entertainment. To appeal to a broad audience, offerings range from sci-fi, action/thriller, comedy, drama and family movies to extreme sports videos, concerts, TV shows, and special events. UltraFlix also offers over 100 hours of free content.

     

    To enhance the viewing experience, UltraFlix uses a variety of proprietary technologies with video compression, adaptive streaming and intelligent bandwidth management. These technologies enable UltraFlix to stream visually lossless video with uninterrupted viewing at under 8Mbps, making it available to most North American and European internet subscribers today.

     

    “We are delighted to bring one of the best and most critically-acclaimed films of 2014 to our UltraFlix subscribers,” said NanoTech executive vice president of sales & marketing Aaron Taylor. 

  • Amitabh Bachchan felicitated by Egyptian Academy of Arts

    Amitabh Bachchan felicitated by Egyptian Academy of Arts

    NEW DELHI: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has been named for the Padma Vibhushan this year, will receive an honorary doctorate from the Academy of Arts, Egypt during a visit to as chief guest of the mega festival ‘India by the Nile’.

     

    Organized by the Indian Embassy in collaboration with the Indian Culture and Tourism Ministries and the Cairo Opera House, this is considered the biggest foreign fair in Egypt amidst a political unrest and violent extremist attacks, and is aimed at sending a message that the country is safe for tourists, according to Indian Ambassador to Egypt Navdeep Suri.

     

    The Indian ambassador said the focus was to get in more tourists in Egypt from India and the idea to rope in Bachchan as the chief guest for the festival this year stemmed from that.

     

    The third edition of the festival formally commences tomorrow and will continue till 17 April. achchan, 72, will speak about his films, particularly Amar Akbar Anthony at the Opera House tomorrow and will also be present at a gala event at the Pyramids the same day.

     

    In the run up to the festival, artistes from India and Egypt presented a Bollywood performance at the airport. Delhi-based dance group kick started the performance with Bachchan’s hit song Ye Dosti from the movie Sholay and went on to perform on the hit Dil Chahta Hai track Koi Kahe.

     

    Young college girls chanted “Indiawale” as the performers danced to the beats of the dhol. Their act was followed by a dance number by Cairo-based dance group comprising five young girls, who are all self-confessed Bollywood fans.

     

    The gala inauguration will be followed by a new musical ‘Bollywood extravaganza: A Tale of Passion, Love and Revenge’, which will run at the Opera House from 1 to 3 April and will see more than 35 Indian dancers performing to the much-loved music of Indian cinema.

     

    The musical will also travel to Egypt’s second largest city Alexandria, in north central part of the country. As part of the festival, a Bollywood dance workshop was also organised today at Medan Theatre in the Cairo Opera House complex.

     

    “The proposition we gave last year was Egypt is going through a rough patch (and) tourism is badly hurt. Many countries have issued advisories against visiting the country. We said we are committed to do the festival and we will not go back even if you have the occasional bomb blasts or elections,” Suri said at the Indian Embassy in Cairo.

     

    “This year the approach to tourism was that they wanted to get more visitors from India. In 2010 the number was 114000. The idea was to grow that number and that’s why we decided how about getting an iconic figure like Bachchan, at the iconic place such as the pyramids.

     

    “The idea worked… he has been phenomenally gracious. It is generous of him to make time for the festival,” Suri added. The festival will also feature performances by a Manipuri dance group, yoga sessions and an Indian street food festival.

     

    “Three years ago we wanted to do an Indian cultural programme partly to get away from the notion that India is all about Bollywood,” Suri said. 

  • ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ collects Rs 28.07 crore at box office

    ‘Dum Laga Ke Haisha’ collects Rs 28.07 crore at box office

    MUMBAI: The plight of the exhibition sector continues as the supply of crowd puling films remains scarce. What’s more, the next few weeks will also see small budget films releasing. While the ICC Cricket World Cup has reached its logical conclusion, come 8 April and the next major hurdle for films will come in the form of the Indian Premiere League (IPL).

     

    Barkhaa, an old-fashioned love story, which released last week, saw poor box office collections in its opening weekend.

     

    The other release, Yahan Sabki Lagi Hai, unfortunately found no audience.

     

    Hunterrr, a film about a self-confessed skirt tail chaser, remained below average. The film collected Rs 7.85 crore in its first week.

     

    Dilliwali Zaalim Girlfriend showed poor performance with collections of Rs 3.7 crore in its first week and no further prospects.

     

    The Anuskha Sharma starrer NH10’s first week figures were Rs 19.85 crore. The film has added Rs 7.2 crore in its second week to take its two week tally to Rs 27.05 crore. This being an open week, NH10 may be able to sustain and add a few crores more to its tally.

     

    Dirty Politics managed to add about Rs 10 lakh in its third week to take its three week total to Rs 6.6 crore.

     

    Dum Laga Ke Haisha makes the most of its status of being the only family fare catering to all kind of audience as well as facing poor oppositions. The film maintains steady collections of Rs 2.37 crore in its fourth week to take its four week tally to Rs 28.07 crore.

     

    Badlapur: Don’t Miss The Beginning has added a symbolic Rs 8 lakh in its fifth week to take its five week total to Rs 48.75 crore.

  • 5 Bollywood co-stars that get along like a house on fire

    5 Bollywood co-stars that get along like a house on fire

    MUMBAI: Bollywood has seen many long lasting friendships, many of which started out on sets of various films. And when co-stars turn friends, the audience can literally see their magic translate on the silver screen, and their movies have that extra magic that no one can quite define.

     

    Here are five examples of on and off screen friendships that set the screens on fire:

     

    Ranveer Singh-Arjun Kapoor: Both Singh and Kapoor knew each other very well even before they became a part of the film industry. So when they were offered Gunday, their chemistry was evident onscreen for everyone to see. The two young and energetic actors were indeed a treat for the movie-goers.

     

    Katrina Kaif-Ranbir Kapoor: This cosmic duo has been great friends since they first met on the sets of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahaani. Ranbir and Kaif reportedly got along immediately during their first shoot schedule and share a very strong rapport since then. Their onscreen performances rightly reflect the bond and comfort they share. This peerless couple will soon be seen in their next film – Jagga Jasoos.

     

    Kunal Kohli-Jennifer Winget: This combination is never-seen-before. However, this pairing seems full of promise. Kohli and Winget who will be seen in their new movie Phir Se apparently hit it off instantly on the sets of the movie. Pictures from the sets of the movie show the two enjoying a day of ice-skating amidst their busy schedule, which talks volumes about the comfort level they share. Director Kohli’s first acting stint with TV starlet Winget is surely something to look out for.

     

    Amitabh Bachchan-Deepika Padukone: When two stalwarts come to work on a fun quirky movie, sharing a strong, comfortable chemistry is inevitable. So much so that Padukone has started calling Big B baba, which means father – as the senior actor is seen playing her father in their upcoming movie Piku. This unusual pairing has certainly set high expectations because of the sheer amount of talent they bring together on the silver screen.

     

    Akshay Kumar-Jacqueline Fernandez: Though they are working with each other for the first time, both Kumar and Fernandez have been seen having a good time. She recently put up a quirky video true to her style, where he is congratulating her on reaching one million fans on Instagram. The two actors have been working on their film Brothers.

  • Madame Tussauds to unveil five wax figures of Jimmy Fallon

    Madame Tussauds to unveil five wax figures of Jimmy Fallon

    MUMBAI: Madame Tussauds will unveil five new, never-before-seen wax figures of TV host Jimmy Fallon.

     

    Fallon, who hosts NBC’s The Tonight Show, will join Merlin Entertainments at their New York attraction for the special launch. The event will take place at Madame Tussauds New York in Times Square and will mark Fallon’s one year anniversary behind The Tonight Show desk. 

     

    For the first time in history, Madame Tussauds will unveil not one, but five, unique wax figures of a single celebrity. Fallon’s figures will be housed in Madame Tussauds U.S. locations spanning the country: New York, Washington DC, Hollywood and San Francisco. His fifth figure will be featured in the newest Madame Tussauds U.S. location in Orlando when it opens on 4 May, 2015.

     

    “We are thrilled to welcome Jimmy Fallon to five of our U.S. Madame Tussauds attractions, including our newest Orlando attraction opening in May this year. Jimmy is beloved by fans across the world and we look forward to offering so many of our visitors the opportunity to engage with such an entertainment icon,” said Merlin Entertainments Group divisional director, Midway North America Janine DiGioacchino.

     

    “I’m honestly floored! These artists did an amazing job. I guess I’ll have to stop with the plastic surgery for at least a few years so these figures stay relevant,” said Fallon.

     

    Dressed in his classic yet laid back style, each figure was meticulously made by Madame Tussauds studio artists over the course of four months. Fallon worked closely with the Madame Tussauds team, who spent hours sitting with the star taking over 250 measurements, identifying exact eye color, and detailing each strand of hair.