ITV

Category: Movies

  • Get ready for a blockbuster date with ‘Saturday Premiere Nights’ at 8 only on &pictures

    Get ready for a blockbuster date with ‘Saturday Premiere Nights’ at 8 only on &pictures

    Having an exhausting week, and still struggling to figure plans for the weekend to unwind?  Well, &pictures, is all set to take you on a transcending journey with some big-ticket actors and superhit movies through its all-new offering ‘Saturday Premiere Nights’. Starting 17th August, &pictures, Naye India Ka Blockbuster Movie Channel will bring to you a perfectly curated blend of movies to set your Saturday’s right! Promising to be your one-stop destination for unadulterated entertainment, the channel ups the ante with the premiere of blockbuster potboilers like Article 15, Sonchiriya, Tumbbad, Gully Boy, Zero, Kesari, Blank, Dil Juunglee, to name a few. Saturday nights will no longer need any extra planning from 17th August onwards.

    Offering a buffet of entertainment, ‘Saturday Premiere Nights’ will showcase a plethora of films across genres be it comedy, drama, action or horror. From a comical entertainer Simmba to a ‘Bahut Hard’ journey of Indian street rappers with Gully Boy, from inspirational stories of valour and commitment with Kesari and Uri: The Surgical Strike to critically acclaimed films like Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, Article 15 amongst others, this new property will have it all, making it an irresistible movie date for the viewers. So, get ready to block your date with &pictures starting 17th August for non-stop entertainment as &pictures is all set to enthral movie aficionados with its magnanimous offering that includes some of the most celebrated and outstanding work of the movie industry.

    While mentioned below is the roster of movies for August, the list doesn’t end here as there are more blockbusters coming your way every Saturday only on ‘Saturday Premiere Nights’.
     

    DATE

    TITLE

    August 2019

     

    Uri: The Surgical Strike

    Venom

    Simmba

    Get ready for a fun-filled Bollywood roller coaster ride with ‘Saturday Premiere Nights’ starting 17th August 2019, at 8 PM only on &pictures!

  • Critically acclaimed short film Half Full starring veteran Naseeruddin Shah and Vikrant Massey wins major accolade at ShortsTV’s Best of India Short Film Festival 2019 in Los Angeles

    Critically acclaimed short film Half Full starring veteran Naseeruddin Shah and Vikrant Massey wins major accolade at ShortsTV’s Best of India Short Film Festival 2019 in Los Angeles

    Mumbai: Critically acclaimed short films Half Full, featuring veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah and Vikrant Massey, and Counterfeit Kunkoo, written and directed by Reema Sengupta, were declared winners at ShortsTV’s Best of India Short Film Festival 2019 being held in Los Angeles. Organised by ShortsTV, the world’s leading short film TV service and official distributor of the OSCAR nominated short films theatrical release, a special screening was conducted in Mumbai to announce the winners. Present on the occasion were veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, winning directors Karan Rawal (Half Full) and Reema Sengupta (Counterfeit Kunkoo), along with Chief Executive of ShortsTV, Carter Pilcher.

    Half Full is a 12-minute short film that focusses on the trials and tribulations of a young man (Vikrant Massey) who is undergoing an internal conflict. One night, he encounters an old man (Naseeruddin Shah) and a strange vibe develops between the two leading to some sarcastic and vague questions. The other winner, Counterfeit Kunkoo is a 15-minute short film which is based on the life of a middle-class Indian woman named Smita who lives without her husband. The film offers an intimate perspective on the identity of the 'Ideal Indian Female' in the urban India of today. 

    Expressing his happiness on winning the award, Half Full actor Naseeruddin Shah said, “It’s a proud moment for the entire cast and crew of Half Full. I am happy to note that discerning Indian audiences are moving towards short format content and ShortsTV has taken this initiative to provide an ideal platform to Indian filmmakers and actors. I am also glad that we finally have a destination where one can watch the best of curated short format content from across the world.”

    Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive of ShortsTV said, “India’s love affair with short movies has taken off since launching ShortsTV here late last year.  Our audiences can’t get enough of them. Both Bollywood and Hollywood are starting to take notice, and it’s exciting. We created the Best of India Short Film Festival to get Indian talent into the mainstream of the Academy of Motion Pictures Award consideration – and to give Indian talent a chance to bring home an Oscar that was “made in India.”  We are the only short film festival in India whose prize is Oscar qualification, and the world better watch out —ShortsTV and the amazing talent here in India are going to bring home an Oscar!”

    Meanwhile the other short films amongst the finalists selected to screen in Los Angeles and become qualified for Oscar consideration were Unfamiliar by Rahat Jain and Maya by Vikas Chandra. These are also eligible for a television broadcast deal on ShortsTV.

    ShortsTV was launched in India in 2018 exclusively with Tata Sky. With a catalogue of over 10,000 short films, ShortsTV provides a single curated destination of the best shorts from India and around the world, with a line-up including films recognized by the Oscars, BAFTA and Cannes. With the Best of India Short Film Festival, ShortsTV strives to create opportunities for Indian filmmakers to be recognized internationally. The winner last year was Mumbai based filmmaker Chintan Sarda and his short film ‘Shunyata’, featuring Jackie Shroff in a leading role.

  • Upcoming Bollywood Movies we are excited about in 2019

    Upcoming Bollywood Movies we are excited about in 2019

    First half of 2019 saw some amazing movies like Gully Boy, Total Dhamaal and Bharat, But the later half of the year is sure to be more exciting with some really big budget Bollywood films set to release. The upcoming movies that we are really excited about in 2019 and early 2020 are…

    Student Of The Year 2

    Student of the year 2 is the sequel of the 2012 film, Student Of The Year which was the debut movie for some of the finest actors in Bollywood that is Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra. The sequel of the franchise is set to star Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria in the lead role. The film is being produced by Karan Johar, Hiroo Yash Johar and Apoorva Mehta under the banner Dharma Productions. The film is being directed by Punit Malhotra, who is best known for his films I Hate Luv Storys and Gori Tere Pyaar Mein. Student of the year 2 will be the Bollywood debut for Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria. The film was earlier set to release in May, but the release has now been postponed to later half of 2019.

    Brahmastra

    Brahmastra is an upcoming Bollywood superhero film written and directed by Ayan Mukerji, and produced by Karan Johar. The film is set to star veteran superstar Amitabh Bachan and popular actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The film is also said to star south superstar Akkineni Nagarjuna. In one of his interviews Karan Johar the producer of the movie said that Brahmastra is part one of a three-part trilogy which will be completed over a span of 10 years. The film is set to release on 20 December 2019. 

    Super 30

    Super 30 is a biographical film directed by Anurag Kashyap and is based on the life of Anand Kumar, a mathematics genius from Bihar. The movie depicts his journey of starting a training program that is aimed at helping IIT aspirants crack the entrance test. The film stars popular Bollywood actors like Pankaj Tripathi and Hrithik Roshan who is one of the richest Bollywood actors by net worth. The film is set to release on 12 July 2019. The film is produced by Anurag Kashyap, Sajid Nadiadwala, Vikramaditya Motwane.

    Arjun Patiala

    Arjun Patiala is a romantic comedy movie starring Diljit Dosanjh, Kriti Sanon and Varun Sharma. In the film Diljit Dosanjh and Varun Sharma are known to play the role of small town cops and Kriti Sanon will be seen as a crime journalist. She is also known to enjoy eating some spicy indian dishes.The film is directed by Rohit Jugraj Chauhan. Rohit has earlier worked as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ram Gopal Varma. The film is set to release on 26 July 2019.

    Street Dancer 

    Street Dancer is an upcoming Bollywood dance movie which is said to be the third part in the ABCD dance movie series. The film stars Varun Dhawan, Prabhu Deva, Nora Fatehi and Shraddha Kapoor. We are sure the dance routines in the movie will be as amazing as those in the prequels. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar under the banner of T-Series and is Directed by Remo D'Souza. The film is set to release on 24 January 2020.

  • Eros International’s Andhadhun Grosses Over $14 Million in China in First Weekend

    Eros International’s Andhadhun Grosses Over $14 Million in China in First Weekend

    Isle of Man, April 8, 2019– Eros International Plc (NYSE: EROS) (“Eros” or “the Company”), a Global Indian Entertainment Company, today announced that Andhadhun, an engaging thriller starring Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana and Radhika Apte has collected over $14.0 million within four days of its release in China. Andhadhun was released in China on April 3, 2019 and continues to enjoy a very strong box office performance. The film was originally released theatrically in India and internationally on October 5, 2018 to widespread critical acclaim. Andhadhun was produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Matchbox Pictures, and distributed internationally by Eros International.

    Speaking on the film’s performance, Kumar Ahuja, President of Business Development, Eros International, said, “With the success of Bajrangi Bhaijaan and previous Indian releases, China has emerged as a key market and a major box office earner for Indian films. We are delighted with the impressive run the film is enjoying and how the fans in the country can now witness the magic of Andhadhun unfold in theatres across the country.”

  • Miraj Cinemas hits a century

    Miraj Cinemas hits a century

    MUMBAI: Miraj Cinemas, one of the fastest growing brands in movie screening space has touched the 100-screen milestone.

    Since its inception the company has been taking giant strides lodging its entry among the top 5 players within the category in just 5 years. Miraj is now present in 14 states and 40 locations in the country operating 110 screens.

    Commenting on reaching a 100-screen milestone, Mr. Madan Paliwal, Chairman of Miraj Group asserted, “It is a happy moment for the whole Miraj family today to become 100 screen multiplex players in the country. From here on we expect Miraj Cinema’s growth will be much faster where we will aim to touch the 200-screen milestone pan India by March 2020. This aggressive expansion will be fulled by an investment of Rs 200 crore by the company in a from internal accrual and mix of debt and equity.” 

    Miraj’s prima facie objective is customer satisfaction while coming up with a new cinema. In keeping with its mission, the multiplex chain ensures the best movie watching experience. 

    The MD of Miraj Entertainment, Amit Sharma, stated, “We are thankful to our valued customers, & partners for supporting and trusting is in our journey so far. India’s multiplex industry that is characterized by lower screen rate ratio and rising demand of movie consumption will give us opportunities for more growth in the coming days. We are committed to ensure the best movie watching experience at an affordable price.” 

  • It’s time for independent content to shine

    It’s time for independent content to shine

    People can’t seem to get enough of the trailer of Ranveer Singh’s Gully Boy. It's based on the life of hip-hop artist Divine, someone who defines the rap/hip-hop subculture in India and what was known as 'Gully Rap' in Mumbai. When I recall the day in 2014 when he won the Best Hip Hop Artist award at Radio City Freedom Awards in both Jury and Popular Choice categories, I knew that we were on to something big. The song was ‘YehMera Bombay’. This was followed by another Radio City Freedom Award in 2016 when he got the Jury Choice for ‘Meri Gully Mein’ along with Naezy. Yes, that song. The fan following that they achieved after that was mind boggling and this year with Gully Boy they will break into the mainstream.

    Zoya Akhtar, one of Bollywood’s most experimental directors, is taking this subculture into the country's most mainstream medium. Their music is highly relatable to the city’s youth. ‘Apna Time Aayega’ represents how the young India feels today. This is the India that is giving a chance to Indie content and Indie stars. And that’s how this content is getting out of the ‘underground’ tag and becoming mass. From Indie films to music to spoken word, content today is completely out there without any shackles or labels. Kal gully mein, aajsabkegharmein… 

    From formula to reality

    Gone are those days when the biggest names would sell, regardless of the content. If we look at the largest money spinners in the film industry for 2018, it is remarkable to see films like Raazi, Stree and Badhaai Ho counted as the biggest box-office hits of 2018. All the Khans, those Box Office magnets, couldn’t justify the hundreds of crores that were spent packaging sub-par content around them while serving a so-called formula film. Stars like Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Rajkummar Rao, Radhika Apte and Ayushmann Khurrana are some of the names that have shone in recent times. Creativity today is not limited to the elite – it is free flowing and is not dependent on conventional stars. Even box office darlings like Ranveer Singh, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt are experimenting with stories that are real and the filmmakers are getting bolder and junking the formula for quality content. Content ruled 2018 and how.

    Real Stars

    People who are on par with, or sometimes even more influential than film stars are social media influencers. One has to attend events like the YouTube Fan Fest to understand the craze and fandom of these seemingly ordinary people. Hailing from small town India, these are real people doing real things like cooking or showing how to wear a sari. They appear on screen without layers of makeup. They haven’t appeared on the silver screen and seem approachable. This is the guy next door who loves to tinker with his computer, this is the portly uncle in your family who entertains everyone by dancing to the 80s’ songs, that colleague who has a quirky sense of fashion, or that granny living in a sunny, small town whose recipes you've always craved. 

    Today a Bhuvan Bam has a larger Twitter following than many Bollywood stars. Big brands look towards these influencers and spend serious money with them because of their reach and connect with their fans. Today, one doesn’t have to travel to Mumbai to be a star, one doesn’t have to have the backing of a big label or banner to help you become significant. You can be in your own city, in your own gully, on your own, with just your talent for company. It is the time of independent content, whether it is music or films or on-demand videos. #ApnaTimeAayega is coming true in someone’s life on a daily basis!

    (The author is Rachna Kanwar – COO – Digital Media, Jagran Prakashan Ltd. The views expressed here are her own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them)  

  • MNX announces ‘King of Hollywood’

    MNX announces ‘King of Hollywood’

    MUMBAI: MNX, Hollywood’s wild child, launches its biggest property ‘King of Hollywood’, starting December 17, 2018, Monday to Friday @9pm. MNX, the channel that resonates with the youth through its stylish, edgy, fast-paced, new-age, premium content has crafted the property, ‘King of Hollywood’ with an aim to find the biggest Hollywood movie buff of all time. Curated for every Hollywood movie enthusiasts, ‘King of Hollywood’ is a 75-day property featuring 75 super hit Hollywood movies, giving the viewers an opportunity to answer 75 questions and win MNX branded merchandise, mobile phones, bikes, play stations and a trip to every movie enthusiast dream destination, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. 

    To participate in ‘King of Hollywood’ contest, viewers can watch their favorite Hollywood blockbusters Monday to Friday at 9pm -11 pm and give a missed call to answer the simple question that flashes during the movie. Under this property, MNX will feature movies like ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’, ‘Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows-2’, ‘Iron Man’, ‘Spectre’, ‘POTC: Curse of The Black Pearl’, ‘The Dark Knight’ and many more.

    Vivek Srivastava, EVP & Head Entertainment Cluster, Times Network said, “Hollywood has always been a premier destination for movie aficionados and visiting Hollywood is dream of any ardent movie lover. With ‘King of Hollywood’, viewers can truly complete their Hollywood experience. We have also crafted a robust social media campaign to build ‘King of Hollywood’ as an interactive and engaging property that will entertain every movie enthusiast.”

  • Movies NOW announces the 6th season of its blockbuster property ‘100 Mania’

    Movies NOW announces the 6th season of its blockbuster property ‘100 Mania’

    MUMBAI: Movies NOW, India’s favorite English movie channel, rings in the festive season with its iconic mega property ‘100 Mania’. With the premise, ‘chill to win’, 6th season of the property gives viewers an opportunity to win tempting prizes by watching their favorite Hollywood Blockbusters every night at 9pm, starting 15th December 2018.

    Movie buffs will find themselves glued to their screens as ‘100 Mania’ will feature the biggest action blockbusters and franchises that Hollywood has to offer. With a curated line-up of movies like ‘Iron Man 3’, ‘Finding Dory’, ‘Warcraft’, ‘Doctor Strange’, ‘The Revenant’ and ‘Casino Royal’, viewers can watch and win prizes like smartphones, MacBooks, iPhones, laptops, television sets, play station 4, cars, bikes and lots more by answering simple questions.

    Vivek Srivastava, EVP & Head Entertainment Cluster, Times Network said, “100 Mania is an iconic property and we are proud to bring it back in a bigger, bolder avatar in its sixth season. Over the last five seasons of 100 Mania, we have seen an unprecedented level of consumer engagement and the property has been true to the channels promise to provide the best of Hollywood blockbusters to our viewers. To make the property more interactive and collaborative this season, we are leading a massive integrated multimedia campaign synchronizing TV and social media. We hope Season 6 of 100 Mania carries ahead the legacy of the property by continuing to delight the minds of our viewers.”

  • Usha International associates with YRF’s Sui Dhaaga – Made in India

    Usha International associates with YRF’s Sui Dhaaga – Made in India

    MUMBAI: Usha International, one of India’s leading household consumer durables company, proudly announces its association with Sui Dhaaga – Made In India produced by Yash Raj Films and starring Bollywood heartthrobs Varun Dhawan and Anushka Sharma. As the pioneers of sewing machines in India when they started in 1936, Usha International is today a leading sewing machine brand in India and offers a range of technologically advanced solutions to cater to a wide variety of sewing needs.

    Sui Dhaaga – Made in India celebrates and is aligned with Usha’s philosophy of swadeshi and ‘Make in India’ through the heart-warming story of Mauji (Varun Dhawan) and Mamta (Anushka Sharma). The film showcases their passion and talent which progresses in life and creates a fashion label Sui Dhaaga – Made In India, reinforcing the fact that sewing in deeply entrenched across classes and masses in India and has the potential to bring about impactful socio-economic change in the lives of people who use it to further their passion and creativity. Usha sewing machines are an integral part of the film both visually and thematically.

    Usha has been promoting sewing in India for decades inspiring people to create, innovate, and experience the joy of sewing. Associating with a film like Sui Dhaaga – Made In India that highlights the struggles of the marginalized and creative people, underscores Usha’s commitment to partnering with initiatives that focus on empowerment and showcase how sewing can be a game-changer that can potentially transform lives. 

    Talking about the association, Mr. Harvinder Singh, President – Sewing Machines & Appliances, Usha International Ltd, said, “Usha is very proud to be associated with Sui Dhaaga – Made In India, a film that celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit that exists across India. The movie is in perfect synergy with our philosophy that sewing is a skill that anyone can learn and use to elevate their quality of life, and also serves as a powerful tool to mainstream the marginalized. We are definitely looking at this association to connect with the masses and bring to life the joy that comes with unleashing one’s creativity using a sewing machine and, of course, the potential economic benefits that follow. It could be a person in a small town who wants financial independence or then a corporate leader who wants a creative outlet.” 

    Manan Mehta, Vice President – Marketing & Merchandising, from Yash Raj Films said, “Unarguably, Usha is synonymous with sewing machines in India for over eight decades so it was a win-win situation for both of us. Am happy to have Usha partner us in the co-marketing journey of Sui Dhaaga – Made In India. With innovative ideas for co-promoting the agenda of self- reliance and dignity of labour, Usha along with Sui Dhaaga – Made In India will endeavour to spread this message as far and wide as possible.”

    Usha’s association with Sui Dhaaga – Made In India goes beyond the in-film placements and the co-branded communication – there is a whole slew of on-ground and online activities and competitions in the pipeline with thousands of prizes to be won. 

    Contests for consumers and dealers will begin soon and lucky winners can win prizes that range from an invite to the meet-and-greet with Varun and Anushka to sewing machines. To know all about the contests and win exciting prizes follow us on #ushasew. 

  • Kamal Haasan talks about the pathbreaking films that inspired his career

    Kamal Haasan talks about the pathbreaking films that inspired his career

    MUMBAI: MN+, the gold class of Hollywood movies associated with Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroop 2 for Season 3 of Pathbreakers. Starting August 06, ‘Pathbreakers’, a compilation of critically acclaimed and genre-defining cinema that broke stereotypes and pioneered change will showcase 50 Hollywood pathbreaking movies over 50 days. Through a special integration with Vishwaroop 2, Kamal Haasan has extended his support for this special property that aims to bring good cinema to its viewers. 

    In an exclusive chat with MN+, Kamal Haasan talks about his favourite pathbreaking movies, directors and film characters that inspired his film journey through a glorious career spanning more than 6 decades. 

    Talking about his Hollywood influences, Kamal Haasan says, “(Marlon) Brando, is an important influence along with many British as well as American directors including the modern ones like Alan Parker & (Stanley) Kubrick.It is something that hit me so strongly. Then there is Ridley Scott’s first film, called The Duellists. It was his first film and I thought, there is a very great director in the making and it proved right and I feel like a father to him. He’s probably older than me, but it doesn’t matter.”