Category: Movies

  • BO: A bad start to 2014

    BO: A bad start to 2014

    MUMBA: It has been a dull scene at the box office windows all over as even the Salman Khan film, Jai Ho, has behaved way below expectations. The single screens were made to pay high MGs (the demand was “More than MGs paid for Dhoom3!). All stand to lose 50 to 60% of the MGs paid. They had a happy ending to year 2013 with Dhoom3 but have had a bad start to 2014. Also, there is no major film in sight in near future to rest their hopes on.

     

    Salman Khan’s sermonising fare, Jai Ho, has not been able to draw crowds from day one. The audience seems to have a strong antenna about their choice and infer a lot from the publicity campaigns of a particular film. The film had a weak Friday and a Saturday which saw a drop instead of a rise in collections. The only saving grace were the Sunday collections which jumped by about 40% over its opening day figures. With an opening weekend of 57.2 crore, the film has not even managed to cross the mandatory 100 crore mark in its first week which is expected of any major star. The film ended its first week with 82.1 crore. It may just about manage to cross the 100 crore mark which still makes it a loser.

     

    The solo release of the week, One By Two is a rank bad film and faced the consequences for being so. Lacking any story worth telling and a coherent script backed by poor handling, it failed to attract even a small fraternity of Abhay Deol fans. At many screens, there was ‘No audience, no show’ status. The film collected 1.4 crore for its first weekend.

     

    Yaariyan, its mediocre content notwithstanding, has made its money. Having collected 32.05 crore in its first two weeks, the film has added another crore to its tally, taking its total to 33.05 crore.

     

    Dedh Ishqiya has run out of steam by its third week. Adding just 80 lakh for its third week, the film’s three week take is 25.4 crore.

  • Jesse Eisenberg and Jeremy Irons to act in the upcoming Superman-Batman film

    Jesse Eisenberg and Jeremy Irons to act in the upcoming Superman-Batman film

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Pictures announced today in an official press release that, Jesse Eisenberg has been set to star as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons will play Alfred in the upcoming Zack Snyder untitled Superman/Batman film. The dual announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

     

    In the official press release, Snyder stated, “Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940. What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.”

     

    The director further added in the release, “As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure. He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman. It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”

     

    Eisenberg has received Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and BAFTA Award nominations for his starring role as Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s The Social Network. He also starred in Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love and Louis Letterier’s Now You See Me. He will next be seen in The Double and Night Moves.

     

    Irons won the Academy Award for his portrayal of Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune. His work in the film also garnered him a Golden Globe Award. He won an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for his performance in the TV miniseries Elizabeth I, opposite Helen Mirren, and recently starred on the small screen as Rodrigo Borgia in Neil Jordan’s highly acclaimed Showtime series The Borgias, for which Irons earned a Golden Globe nomination. He was recently nominated for a SAG Award for the PBS Great Performances television miniseries The Hollow Crown, for his performance as Henry IV.

     

    Snyder’s film stars Henry Cavill, reprising his role as Superman/Clark Kent, Ben Affleck as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince. The film also reunites Man of Steel stars Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane.

     

    The new film is currently being written by Chris Terrio (Argo), from a screenplay by David S. Goyer (Da Vinci’s Demons). Charles Roven (The Dark Knight) and Deborah Snyder (300, Suckerpunch) are producing, with Benjamin Melniker (Constantine), Michael E. Uslan (The Spirit), Wesley Coller (Watchmen), David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns (Smallville, Arrow) serving as executive producers.

     

    The film is set to open worldwide on May 6, 2016, and is based on Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster, Batman characters created by Bob Kane, and Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston, appearing in comic books published by DC Entertainment.

  • Shahid Kapoor’s look in Vishal Bhardwaj’s next revealed

    Shahid Kapoor’s look in Vishal Bhardwaj’s next revealed

    MUMBAI: Actor Shahid Kapoor’s best came out in the 2009-film Kaminey  where he played a double role of twin brothers – Charlie and Guddu – one stuttered and the other lisped. The director of the film Vishal Bhardwaj was given the credit for bringing out the hidden talent of Kapoor. Since then the industry as well as the fans of both the actor and the director have been waiting for them to reunite.

     

    It seems to be the right time to look forward to something interesting from the duo as the much awaited first look of their next movie together is out. Haider, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s popular work – Hamlet, is a film by Vishal Bhardwaj and Disney UTV.

     

    The actor’s first look in the film that was released today shows him in a neat buzz-cut for the role of a desi Hamlet. Shahid  says, “I believe in the script and have completely surrendered to Vishal sir’s vision on my character and my look.”

     

    Being shot in Kashmir, Haider is Vishal’s last film of his trilogy based on William Shakespeare’s tragedies.

     

    “Disney UTV Studios’ previous association with Vishal Bhardwaj and Shahid Kapoor delivered the cult box office hit Kaminey. The audiences have long awaited the next installment from this team, and in Haider we believe the audiences will find the wait was well worth it. With an incredible ensemble of actors including Tabu, Shraddha Kapur and Kay Kay Menon, this Shakespearean interpretation set against the backdrop of militancy in Kashmir, has some remarkable performances and great music. We believe Haider will be a worthy successor to Maqbool and Omkara,” says Disney UTV Studios Creative Director Amar Butala.

     

    Haider is set to release on September 12 this year and stars Tabu, Shraddha Kapur and Kay Kay Menon alongside Shahid Kapoor.

  • Muted box office performance pares PVR profit, numbers in Q3-2014

    Muted box office performance pares PVR profit, numbers in Q3-2014

    BENGALURU: Muted box office performance by most of the films released during Q3-2014 resulted in a 48.6 per cent drop in consolidated PAT to Rs 14.16 crore from Rs 27.55 crore in Q2-2014 for Indian motion picture exhibition, production and distribution house PVR Limited. Revenue also dropped by 7.91 per cent in Q3-2014 to Rs 339.39 crore from Rs 367.27 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    Consolidated numbers cannot be compared with Q3-2013, because Cinemax became a subsidiary of PVR Limited only effective 7 January 2013.  

     

    PVR Limited has three main revenue streams – Movie Exhibition; Movie Production and Distribution and ‘Others’ which includes bowling, gaming and restaurant services. 

     

    PVR says that there were only three big films (Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram Leela, Krrish 3 and Dhoom 3) in Q3-2014 as compared to seven big films (Student of the year, English Vinglish, Jab Tak Hain Jaan, Son of Sardar, Talaash, Dabangg 2 & Life of Pi) in Q3-2013. The company says that big films like Boss, Beshram, R..Rajkumar, Bullet Raja underperformed. Further it says that occupancy of top 10 movies for Q3-2014 for comparable properties was down by six per cent as against same period last year, while Admits for top 10 movies for comparable properties was down by 17 per cent as against same period last year. Top 10 movies admission contribution was 62 per cent in Q3 2014 as against 71 per cent in same period last year. 

     

    In spite of the drop in footfalls, the average total ticket price in Q3-2014 at Rs 169 was up by 3.55 per cent from the Rs 163 in Q3-2013 and remained the same as the immediate trailing quarter (Q2-2014). Total consolidated admits in Q3-2014 fell by 5.3 per cent to about 143 lakh (100 lakh=1 crore) from 151 lakh in Q3-2013 and fell by 13.86 per cent from 166 lakh in Q2-2014. 

     

    Overall net box office revenue (PVR and Cinemax combined) was down by 1.45 per cent at Rs 196.59 crore in Q3-2014 as compared to the Rs 199.48 crore in the corresponding quarter of last year and was 11.59 per cent lower than the Rs 222.36 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    Consolidated Food and Beverage (F&B)  revenue grew by 14.62 per cent in Q3-2014 to Rs  73.13 crore  as compared to Rs 63.80 crore in the corresponding quarter of previous year, but fell q-o-q by (-7.95) per cent from Rs 79.45 crore.   

     

    Consolidated Sponsorship Income during the quarter grew 23.05 per cent to Rs 41.95 crore from Rs 32.28 crore over same period last year and grew 18.24 per cent from the Rs 35.48 crore in Q2-2014; on account of synergies arising out of acquisition of Cinemax says the company. 

     

    PVR Limited movie production and distribution segment reported revenue of Rs 6.81 crore for Q3-2014, up 11.27 per cent as compared to the Rs 6.12 crore in Q3-2013, but down  by 4.62 per cent as compared to the Rs 7.14 crore in Q2-2014. The segment results were a positive Rs 2.5 crore in the current quarter as compared to a positive Rs 1 lakh (Rs 0.01 Crore) in Q2-2014 and NIL in Q3-2013. 

     

    Let us look at the other Q3-2014 figures reported by PVR

     

    The two brands that contribute to PVR Limited movie exhibition revenue are PVR Multiplex and Cinemax Multiplex which was merged last year with PVR Limited (as mentioned above). 

     

    PVR Multiplex Numbers 

     

    PVR reported revenue of Rs 224.42 crore in the current quarter, up 15.11 per cent as compared to the Rs 194.8 crore in Q3-2013. Its net box office collection at Rs 136.06 crore was 12.58 per cent more than the Rs 120.86 crore in Q3-2013, but 9.64 per cent lower than the Rs 150.58 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    PVR expense during Q3-2014 at Rs 191.24 crore was 19.32 per cent higher than the Rs 160.28 crore in Q3-2013 and 0.7 per cent lower than the Rs 192.58 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    PVR Finance cost at Rs 13.34 crore in Q3-2014 was 67.38 per cent more than the Rs 7.97 crore in the corresponding quarter of last year and 14.41 per cent more than the Rs 11.66 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    PVR Total Admits in the current quarter grew by 6.6 per cent to about 97 lakh from 91 lakh in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal but fell by 11 per cent from the 109 lakh reported during Q2-2014. 

     

    PVR Total Average Price per ticket in Q3-2014 at Rs 181 which was four per cent more than the Rs 174 in Q3-2013 and 2.26 per cent more than the Rs 177 in the immediate trailing quarter. 

     

    PVR F&B income during Q3-2014 at Rs 49.79 crore was up 32.7 per cent as compared to the Rs 37.52 crore in Q3-2013 but was down by 8.64 per cent as compared to the Rs 54.50 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    PVR Q3-2014 Sponsorship income was up 30.28 per cent to Rs 30.39 crore from Rs 23.25 crore in Q3-2013 and was up 24.55 per cent as compared to the Rs 24.32 crore in the immediate trailing quarter. 

     

    PVR Q3-2014 PAT was down by 10.76 per cent to Rs 12.69 crore from Rs 14.22 crore in Q3-2013 and down by 41.87 per cent from Rs 21.83 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    Cinemax Multiplex brand Numbers 

     

    Cinemax reported revenue of Rs 96.51 crore for Q3-2014, down by 17.38 per cent from the Rs 116.81 crore in Q3-2013 and down  by 13.65 per cent as compared to the Rs 111.77 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    Cinemax expense during the current quarter at Rs 82.12 crore was 9.69 per cent lower than the Rs 90.93 crore in Q3-2013 and 2.74 per cent lower than the Rs 84.43 crore in the immediate trailing quarter. 

     

    Cinemax Finance Cost for Q3-2014 at Rs 2.59 crore was 24.27 per cent lower than the Rs 3.42 crore in Q3-2013 and 3.72 per cent lower than the Rs 2.69 crore in Q2-2014.

     

    Cinemax Total Admits in Q3-2014 were down by 23.33 per cent at 46 lakh from about 60 lakh in Q3-2013 and were down by 19.3 per cent from about 57 lakh in Q2-2014. 

     

    Cinemax Total Average Price per ticket in Q3-2014 was 1.25 per cent more at Rs 162 in Q3-2014 as compared to the Rs 160 in the corresponding period of last year and 4.52 per cent higher than the Rs 155 in Q2-2014. 

     

    Cinemax F&B Income at Rs 23.34 crore was down (-11.19) per cent as compared to the Rs 26.28 crore in the corresponding quarter of last year and was down (-6.45) per cent from the Rs 24.95 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    Cinemax Sponsorship Income for Q3-2014 at Rs 11.66 crore was 29.13 per cent up from the Rs 9.03 crore in Q3-2013 and 4.48 per cent more than the Rs 11.16 crore of the immediate trailing quarter. 

     

    Cinemax PAT for Q3-2014 at Rs 4.56 crore was down by 45.58 per cent from the Rs 8.38 crore in Q3-2013 and was down to almost a third (down by 65.18 per cent) of the Rs 13.08 crore in Q2-2014. 

     

    During the year, PVR says that it has opened 12 new properties with 60 screens and currently operates a network of 408 screens spread over 95 properties in 39 cities across the country. During the quarter, the company also surpassed an important milestone of 400 screens in India, further consolidating its position in the multiplex space in India. The company says that it will continue its aggressive expansion plans and intends to add approximately 40 screens in the next six months. 

     

    Click below for:-

     

    Investor Update Q3 FY 2013-14

     

    PVR BM Outcome 31.01.2014

     

    PVR Financial Results Q3 FY 2013-14

     

    Cinemax Financial Results Q3 FY 2013-14

  • Reliance Media Works announces lower loss in Q3-2014

    Reliance Media Works announces lower loss in Q3-2014

    BENGALURU: Indian media and entertainment giant Reliance Media Works (RMW) announced loss of Rs (-91.11) crore for Q3-2014, which was less than half (46.6 per cent) of the loss of Rs (-195.25) crore in the immediate trailing quarter (Q2-2014). Q3-2014 loss was however 2.13 per cent higher than the Rs (-89.21) crore in Q3-2013.

     

    The company reported (-12.82) per cent drop in operating revenue in Q3-2014 to Rs 111.71 crore from Rs 128.13 crore in Q2-2014 and (-15.17) per cent lower than the Rs 131.68 crore in the corresponding quarter of last year.

     

    Notes: (1) The board of directors of the company in its meeting on 11 August 2013 has extended the financial year of the company to March 2014 which has been accepted by the Registrar of Companies. Accordingly the financial statements of the company will be drawn for 18 month period ended 31 March 2014. Hence the various quarter have been referred to as SQ (September Quarter) and (JQ) June Quarter of the respective calendar year (not financial year, since this has been changed once again by the company).

     

    (2) Notes of the attached financial statement must be read along with this analysis.

     

    (3) RMW’s net worth has eroded, however, having regard to revenue visibility of new businesses in film and media services, improved operational performance of exhibition business, financial support from its promoters, further restructuring exercise being implemented etc., the financial statements have been prepared on the basis that the company is a going concern and that no adjustments are required to the carrying value of assets and liabilities. The auditors of the company had put matter of emphasis on the aforesaid matter in the limited review report for the quarter/fifteen month period ended December 31, 2013 and the same remarks were also included in the Auditors report for the eighteen month period ended September 30, 2012.

     

    Let us look at the other results reported by RMW in Q3-2014

     

    Total revenue in the current quarter at Rs 116.52 crore fell by (-12) per cent from Rs 132.21 crore in the immediate trailing quarter and fell by (-14.27) per cent from Rs 135.91 crore in Q3-2013.

     

    Total expense for Q3-2014 at Rs 143.24 crore was (-11.92) per cent less than the Rs 154.09 crore in Q2-2014 and (-13.55) per cent less than the Rs 165.69 crore during the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.

     

    Two main segments contribute to RMW’s revenue: Film Production Services; and Theatrical Exhibition and Film Production and Services (Theatrical).

     

    Film Production revenue at Rs 15.45 crore was (-19.85) per cent lower than the Rs 19.26 crore during Q2-2014 and (-21.59) per cent lower than the Rs 19.69 crore in Q3-2013. This segment returned negative result of Rs (-9.52) crore which was 27.98 per cent more than the Rs (-7.44) crore in Q2-2014 and (-7.21) per cent lower than the Rs (-10.26) crore in Q3-2013.

     

    RMW’s Theatrical segment also saw a fall in revenues of (-11.46) per cent in Q3-2014 to Rs 100.18 crore from Rs 113.15 crore in Q2-2014 and fell by (-11.89) per cent from Rs 113.70 crore in Q3-2013. This segment returned negative result of Rs (-11.30) crore in Q3-2014 as compared to the Rs (-11.34) crore in Q2-2014 and Rs (-17.72) crore in Q3-2014.

     

    RMW’s finance cost at Rs 64 crore was (-14.39) per cent lower than the Rs 73.21 crore in Q2-2014 and (-3.78) per cent lower than the Rs 66.51 crore in Q3-2013.

     

    Click here for full report

  • National Film Museum to finally open next week in Mumbai

    National Film Museum to finally open next week in Mumbai

    NEW DELHI: The long-in-the-making National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC) showcasing India’s rich film heritage over the past 100 years will finally open in Mumbai next week to coincide with the Mumbai International Film Festival for shorts, documentaries and animation films.

     

    Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Manish Tewari will be the chief guest at the opening of the Festival on 3 February. 

     

    “As the Indian cinema enters a new century, the national museum of Indian cinema coming up in Mumbai is a small tribute of the Ministry to the great film heritage of India. We have also launched a Rs-600 crore National Film Heritage Mission to digitise best of Indian cinematic works and archive them for the benefit of future generations,” said Tewari recently while outlining various steps taken by the government to promote cinema in India.

     

    The Minister also reviewed the preparations for the museum’s inauguration with Films Division officials and experts. The inauguration will coincide with the Mumbai International Film Festival for short, documentary and animation films that commences on 3 February.

      
    The National Museum of Indian Cinema is situated in the 6,000 square-foot Gulshan Mahal – a heritage building on Pedder Road in South Mumbai. Gulshan Mahal’s interiors have been refurbished to house an interactive walkthrough down cinema’s memory lane. It is part of a larger complex of 50,000 sqft that will come up in phases.

     
    The museum will be a ready-reckoner of the history of Indian cinema showcasing technological aspects of production and screening of films, as well as its social aspects during the past 100 years. Through its interactive galleries, it will trace the evolution of celluloid from the Lumiere Brothers, Raja Harishchandra onwards, and showcase Indian cinema in three stages – silent era, golden era and the modern era. It will portray the footsteps taken by Indian cinema, from the period of silent films to the studio period, and then recreate the times when stars and mega stars dominated the silver screen.

     

    An Advisory Committee headed by renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal has guided the Films Division in establishing the museum.

     

    Visitors can also watch clips of old classics on a number of monitors or listen to rare film music from the past. There is also an interesting collection of posters of landmark movies from across India. A section on regional cinema is also on display.

     

    Many famous studios of yesteryears like Mehboob Studios, RK Studios and Prasad Studios have donated equipment to the museum. Some private collectors too have come forward to donate items. The Films Division, which was set up in 1941, to produce short films to disseminate information during war time, has also displayed old Eymo and Mitchel cameras, recording equipment etc. Also of interest are some older instruments that created an illusion of movement, which were precursor to the movie camera. 

    NMIC has been curated by the National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata, under the Ministry of Culture, which manages 55 various kinds of museums in the country.

  • Sony DADC to screen popular movies at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival

    Sony DADC to screen popular movies at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival

    NEW DELHI: ‘Home Entertainment Services by Sony DADC’, one of the leading home entertainment content provider in India in association with the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2014 is screening a line-up of critically acclaimed movies from its catalogue as a part of the festival’s movie screening segment.

     

    Sony DADC will launch the critics’ favourite and Oscar nominated movie – Captain Phillips on home video in high definition on the Blu-ray format. The movie has been nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture and Barkhad Abdi has been nominated for Best Actor in Supporting Role.

     

    Popular animation movies like Smurfs, Arthur Christmas and Hotel Transylvania will be screened at the festival. Nature documentary films to be screened include informative films like Secrets of Wild India, Crimson Wings, African Cats and Chimpanzee. The movies will be showcased as part of The Wild Child screenings which is a special segment for children’s movies at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2014.

     

    The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival that witnesses Indian as well as international audiences commenced today and will conclude on 9 February.

     

    Home Entertainment Services by Sony DADC Business Head Rajat Kakar said, “The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is thronged by art lovers and people who appreciate cinema. It is a perfect platform for us to screen our movies on the Blu-ray format for the audiences to experience high quality viewing of our films on home video format.”

     

    The screenings are being held at the Coomaraswamy Hall and the Bombay Natural History Society.

  • Jennifer Lawrence to play Miracle Mop inventor in David O. Russell’s next

    Jennifer Lawrence to play Miracle Mop inventor in David O. Russell’s next

    MUMBAI: Having already worked together with David O. Russell on The Silver Linings Playbook and recently on American Hustle, Jennifer Lawrence might take up the role of Joy Mangano, the mother of three who became one of America’s most successful entrepreneurs with the invention of the self-wringing Miracle Mop and Huggable Hangers.

     

    Mangano, eventually sold her company, Ingenious Designs, to the Home Shopping Network in a multimillion dollar deal but stayed on as the company president. Currently, she is one of the channel’s most successful presenters and is also known as the inventor of Forever Fragrant and Performance Platforms. Mangano started inventing at a young age, and continued to dream while simultaneously looking after her three children.

     

    Considered as a tale of woman empowerment, the project has a script by Annie Mumolo, who along with Kirsten Wiig was nominated for the Oscar for Bridesmaids and John Davis, John Fox and Ken Mok are the producers.

  • PVR celebrates 86th Academy Awards

    PVR celebrates 86th Academy Awards

    NEW DELHI: PVR Cinemas, the largest cinema exhibition company in India, announces the opening of the PVR Oscar Film Festival in India, starting from 31st January till 6th February 2014. With this endeavor, PVR brings globally acclaimed movies which have been nominated for this year’s Academy Awards to the nine cities in India including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad and Kochi.

     

    PVR has always aimed to give the best to its audience by offering world class cinema. This year, besides bringing movies like ‘American Hustle’, ‘The Wolf of the Wall Street’, ‘12 years a Slave’ which have received major nominations at the Oscars, PVR cinemas will also showcase ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ and ‘August Osage County’ at the OSCAR Film Festival almost a month before the scheduled theatrical release of these two films in India.

     

    Talking about the festival, Mr. Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Joint Managing Director, PVR Ltd, said, “PVR has consistently worked towards offering the best cinema experience to the Indian audience. People from the film fraternity as well the audience look up to the Academy Awards for the quality cinema that it entails. Keeping up with our promise we are very excited to host PVR Oscar Film Festival in India.”

     

    The Oscar Film Festival by PVR is hosted to keep the cities entertained with movies of immense action and drama. The multiplex is expected to witness heavy footfalls with movie connoisseurs excited for their favorite movies.

     

    About PVR Limited

     

    PVR is the largest and the most premium film entertainment company in India. It is listed as India’s Most Trusted and Most Attractive brand – The Brand Trust Report, 2013 in the Category of Entertainment and Display. PVR is currently amongst the top 10 cinema companies in the world with respect to the terms of admissions per screen, entering the World Economic Forum’s List of Fastest-Growing ‘Global Growth Companies’. The brand currently operates a cinema circuit comprising 408 screens in 95 cinemas spread across 39 cities in India.

     

    The company acquired the Cinemax properties in 2012 and currently serves 65 million patrons at PAN India level. From PVR’s Gold Class and Mainstream Cinemas to Director’s Cut, PVR has made exceptional technology like the IMAX® and the ECX (Enhanced Cinema Experience) accessible to its audience. PVR as a brand is known for cultivating and spreading international movie culture countrywide and supports independent filmmakers under the banner of ‘Directors Rare’.

     

    PVR Ltd, the integrated ‘film and retail brand’ has PVR Cinemas as its major subsidiary. Its other two subsidiaries are PVR Leisure and PVR Pictures. PVR Leisure focuses on rolling out F&B and retail entertainment concepts. It’s one of a kind venture, ‘PVR BluO’ is the largest bowling chain in India comprising of 135 cosmic bowling lanes which spreads across 6 centers. PVR Leisure’s first casual dining concept ‘Mistral’ is another venture that offers patrons a high quality experience. Adding to the portfolio, PVR Pictures has been a prolific distributor of non-studio/ independent international films in India for many years.

     

    For any further information, please refer to the enclosed link

    http://www.pvrcinemas.com/corporate/about-us.aspx

     

    For any media query please contact:

    Avian Media

    Silky Chopra/ Kanika Berry / Chinmoyee Kalita

    9650303863/ 9810744517 / 9999874549

  • One By Two: A Lost Cause

    One By Two: A Lost Cause

    MUMBAI: One By Two is formula for an economic date where one shares a single soup with his date with the notion that he will get a little more than the other.

     

    Here, the title is also symbolic of the stories which move simultaneously of two people which become one only at the end. Described as a romantic comedy, the film has these ingredients missing, romance as well as comedy! In fact, the film lacks in a definite concept. What is it all about?

     

    Abahy Deol is a dejected man having been dumped by his girlfriend. However, he is bent on getting her back. He serenades under her balcony when he is not punching a computer keyboard in his office or strumming a sponsor’s (washing powder Nirma) jingle on a guitar. His prized possession is a DVD of a song he wrote for his girlfriend which he hopes to play for her again someday!  If this is an ode to youth today, it is a sad one. His girlfriend has dropped him in favour of her dance guru so that she gets selected for a famous TV dance show.

     

    There is another contender to the said TV show in Preeti Desai, a London trained ballet dancer. What is common between Preeti and Abhay’s ex girlfriend is that they are so determined to get on to the show carrying a prize of 10 lakh that they make it a practice of sleeping  with the guys in charge! In a supposedly contemporary film, prize money of 10 lakh in a TV show must be pittance, especially considering Preeti seems to be well-off with her mother, Lillete Dubey, consuming gallons of Scotch per day. The ground for Lillete to be sauced all day is that she was dumped by her moneybag paramour.

     

    The sequences in the film often have no relevance to previous happenings. Some things just drop from nowhere. The comedy in the film is in noisy passing of gas and other toilet humour, all repeated rather too often. The hero is confused, undecided all his life. When asked to marry a girl of family’s choice, the family being his mother Rati Agnihotri and father Jayant Kriplani, he is okay with it. The suitor is a full blown Punjabi girl endowed with all the Punjabi attributes. And, how does he make his intent of not wanting to get tied down known?  On the Roka ceremony, he emerges out of his bedroom in a worn out boxers and a T shirt; he welcomes the girl’s family with a loud song accompanied by his guitar! The idea of comedy is rather weird!

     

    Instead of a romantic comedy, the film comes out more as a story of two perpetual losers. The film can be called directionless. As for music, the film has a couple of decent tracks in Ishq ki khushfehmiyan… and Khuda na khasta. While the making is economical, the only positive aspect in the film is cinematography by Sameer Arya. Performances are generally ordinary.

     

    One By Two is a lost cause.

     

    Producers: Abhay Deol, Amit Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor, Vikram Khakhar.

    Director: Devika Bhagat.

    Cast: Abhay Deol, Preeti Desai, Lillete Dubey, Rati Agnihotri, Jayant Kriplani, Darshan Jariwala, Anish Trivedi.