ITV

Category: Movies

  • No. 1 Bhojpuri Channel, ZEEL’s Big Ganga collaborates with foremost Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan for a 7-movie deal

    No. 1 Bhojpuri Channel, ZEEL’s Big Ganga collaborates with foremost Bhojpuri superstar Ravi Kishan for a 7-movie deal

    MUMBAI: Over the last two decades, Bhojpuri movies industry has seen a revolution in the form of content, talent, and production. The industry is on an all-time high, with major players in the market seeing a big opportunity in Bhojpuri movies and investing heavily in production, content, and marketing. Consolidating its position as the number one regional GEC across Bihar and Jharkhand, ZEEL’s Bhojpuri channel Big Ganga now brings its viewers wholesome Bhojpuri entertainment by joining hands with the industry’s foremost superstar, Ravi Kishan in an exclusive seven-movie deal over a period of 2.5 years.

    Ravi Kishan announced the special collaboration as a treat to his fans on his 49th birthday. As a part of the deal between ZEEL’s BIG Ganga and Ravi Kishan Productions, ZEEL has acquired the exclusive rights for both linear and non-linear formats for all the seven movies. Ravi Kishan who will be the lead in all the movies made the announcement during the trailer launch of his latest Bhojpuri offering Sanki Daroga. The exclusive deal includes seven Bhojpuri movies – Sanki Daroga, Parem Pothi, Sher Zinda Hai, Sanki Daroga 2, Mangrua Ke Prem Katha, Ragadta Bihar and Babbar Sher.

    Commenting on the deal, Ravi Kishan said, “I am extremely thrilled to be collaborating with ZEEL’s Big Ganga for this special venture. All seven movies that will be produced will offer differentiated content and will be subject based than only being masala entertainers. ZEEL’s Big Ganga as a channel understands the pulse of the audience and has a wider reach across the states of Bihar and Jharkhand, where the viewers consume Bhojpuri content. Through this partnership, it is our endeavor to take Bhojpuri Cinema to the next level and I sincerely hope that my fans will enjoy watching these movies.”

    Speaking about the same, spokesperson of ZEEL’s Big Ganga shared, “Big Ganga offers differentiated and dynamic content for family viewing which resonates well with the masses. With its popular movie slot brands, Ganga Talkies and Family Talkies’, it makes us the only channel to go beyond movies and offer high-quality non-fiction, fiction, devotional content for the region. We have the exclusive rights to some of the biggest titles of Bhojpuri’s Cine Stars. Big Ganga’s movie library is quite vast and garners the highest rated World Television Premieres in the market. The 7-movie deal with Ravi Kishan Productions is a step towards bringing in Bhojpuri cinema to newer audiences and continue to grow the industry with compelling storylines. We are confident that each of these movies will resonate well with the audience and provide a push in the right direction to the growing demand for Bhojpuri cinema.” 

    Being the No. 1 Bhojpuri GEC in the states of Bihar and Jharkhand, ZEEL’s Big Ganga has a deep understanding of the socio-cultural fabric, reflecting the ‘pride’ of people from the region. The Free-to-air channel boasts of an extensive reach, based on its distribution across all cable operators in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh and across major DTH players across the country. With the seven movies deal, ZEEL’s Big Ganga is all set to cement its position as the market leader in the Bhojpuri content space.

  • Zee Cinemalu Announces World Television Premiere of Superhit Romance-Idi Maa Prema Katha

    Zee Cinemalu Announces World Television Premiere of Superhit Romance-Idi Maa Prema Katha

    MUMBAI: Continuing to respect and support new-time actors, Zee Cinemalu’s World Television Premiere of Idi Maa Prema Katha stars the well-known faces from the small screen – Zee Telugu’s very own Anchor Ravi and Kalyana Vaibhogam-famed Meghana Lokesh. Making their much-appreciated film debut with Idi Maa Prema Katha, the film also marks Director Ayodhya Karthik’s first film in the film industry. Be sure to catch this heart-warming romance on 21st July at 8:00 PM, only on Zee Cinemalu and Zee Cinemalu HD.

    Ravi plays the role of Arun and is paired opposite Meghana, who portrays Sandhya. The story revolves around a vintage love story set against a college backdrop. Meghana Lokesh, who is currently doing two hit shows on Zee Telugu – Raktha Sambandham and Kalyana Vaibhogam, has stunned audiences with her confident first-time silver-screen performance. Anchor Ravi–who is extremely popular on television for his rugged style and flamboyant personality–has also received a lot of praise for his work in the film. Comedian Prabhas Sreenu, Priyadarshi, the young actor who has recently made his mark with his comic timing and acting capabilities, Tulasi, Vizag Prasad, and Getup Srinu play important roles. The music by young singer and composer Karthik Kodakandla is a major highlight of the film and has proven to be a huge hit with youngsters.

  • &pictures to air Sonakshi Sinha and Sidharth Malhotra’s spine-chilling thriller Ittefaq on Saturday, 21st July 2018 at 8pm

    &pictures to air Sonakshi Sinha and Sidharth Malhotra’s spine-chilling thriller Ittefaq on Saturday, 21st July 2018 at 8pm

    MUMBAI: A CBI officer is assigned a double murder case which involves two witnesses who are also the prime suspects of the case. The officer is presented with both the versions and is entrusted with the humungous task of nailing the murderer. Thus begins a cat and mouse chase to catch the real culprit, which makes for the crux of Ittefaq. Produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Dharma Productions, Ittefaq is directed by Abhay Chopra and stars Sidharth Malhotra, Sonakshi Sinha and Akshaye Khanna in lead roles. The movie will air  on &pictures, Naye India Ka Blockbuster Movie Channel on Saturday, 21st July at 8pm.

    Following the Rashomon style of storytelling, Ittefaq has a fast, incisive cutting, anxious, edgy style that keeps the audiences intrigued till the end and boasts of sleek twists and turns. With superlative sharp performances by Sidharth Malhotra, Sonakshi Sinha and Akshaye Khanna, Ittefaq has a gripping narrative sprinkled with some tongue in cheek humour. The movie bagged several award nominations including Best Supporting Actor Male, Best Negative Role, Best Debutante Director, Best Editing amongst others. Ittefaq also features a beautiful rendition of Bappi Lahiri’s ever green song Raat Baaki sung by Nikhita Gandhi and Jubin Nautiyal and is a youth favourite.

    The movie follows the story line of Vikram Sethi (Sidharth Malhotra) a renowned British writer who is in Mumbai to launch his second book. With cops on his tail for being charged with his wife’s murder, Vikram runs into Maya (Sonakshi Sinha) and manages to get refuge in her house on a rainy Mumbai night. Maya soon learns that Vikram could be a convict on the run and alerts the cops, who nab Vikram and discover the dead body of her husband Shekhar in the house. Maya accuses Vikram of the double murder but Vikram pleads innocence. The case is assigned to officer Dev (Akshaye Khanna), who must decode the mystery in three days whether Vikram is the victim of Maya’s deceit wrapped in beauty or is Maya indeed the damsel in distress that she claims to be?

  • Zee Action to air The Monkey King 2 on Saturday, 21st July at 8pm

    Zee Action to air The Monkey King 2 on Saturday, 21st July at 8pm

    MUMBAI: Five hundred years after the Havoc in Heaven, the Tang Priest is appointed by Buddha to go to the West to fetch the sacred scriptures, only to accidentally free the Monkey King. With Lady White aiming to break up the team assembled to defeat her, the Monkey King must fight in order to save his world! The film has been praised for its production design and amazing picturisation which has broken all previously set benchmarks. Zee Action – India’s one-stop destination for action movies  is all set to bring this entertaining powerhouse to your television screen on Saturday, 21st July 2018 at 8pm.

    Freed after 500 years beneath Five Element Mountain, Goddess Guanyin (Kelly Chen) entrusts Sun Wukong’s (Aaron Kwok) with a task of shepherding young monk Xuanzang (William Feng) on his journey west to retrieve ancient spiritual sutras that will pacify the Earth. They are joined by a pair of similarly disciplined creatures: the water-dwelling Wujing (Him Law) and the gluttonous half-man, half-pig Baije (Xiaoshenyang). When the party arrives at a wealthy Silk Road kingdom, they hear stories of a malevolent demon, who has been kidnapping and eating children. The pure-spirited Xuanzang is then himself targeted by the seductive yet deadly White Bone Spirit, Baigujing (Gong Li), who feeds on the innocent to retain her own youthful beauty.

  • Zee to launch Zee Classic HD channel

    Zee to launch Zee Classic HD channel

    MUMBAI: The Punit Goenka-led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), is all set to launch Zee Classic’s HD version.

    Back in 2016, the channel had about 25 per cent reach and a connectivity higher than 80 per cent. Known for telecasting movies from the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties era, the channel was revamped on 3 October 2016 with a new positioning and programming line-up, as it had ambitious plans to expand its target audience, and thus its viewership.

    The network has started test transmission service from Intelsat20 satellite at 68.5 degree east.

    Earlier, Zee Classic was targeted at mature adults and it attracted younger audiences too. The channel then dissected its viewers into the connoisseurs of golden cinema, the middle-aged adults, and the new-age classic as well as contemporary young adults. However, the channel’s core focus was 25-45 years age group.

    Zee Classic claims to have contributed a massive 15 per cent revenue share in the Zee Hindi movies cluster among the SD channels – Zee Cinema, &pictures, Zee Classic, Zee Action and Zee Anmol Cinema. In 2016, a spokesperson from Zee said that in the previous three to four years, Zee Classic’s revenue had grown more than four times, and as an evolving channel, it commanded a premium rate even at its then existing ratings.

    From 2004 to 2010, Zee Classic recorded a two per cent viewership share in the Hindi movie genre. Earlier in an interaction with Indiantelevision.com, Zee Hindi movie cluster business head Ruchir Tiwari (now the cluster head) said that the viewership rose to six per cent over the past year.

  • Shemaroo Entertainment Releases Padmaavat On Blu-ray and DVD for Cinema Lovers

    Shemaroo Entertainment Releases Padmaavat On Blu-ray and DVD for Cinema Lovers

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment Limited, one of India’s leading global content power house, released the Blu-rays and DVDs of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus, Padmaavat- one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.

    The epic period drama is loosely based on the poem Padmavat by Malik Muhammad Jayasi and has a stellar star cast of Bollywood’s leading names, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor in the lead roles.

    Set in medieval Rajasthan, the story revolves around Queen Padmavati, who is married to a noble king and lives in a prosperous fortress with their subjects until an ambitious Sultan hears of Padmavati’s beauty and forms an obsessive love for the Queen of Mewar and decides to attack the kingdom.

    The movie released earlier this year, was a huge commercial success and is one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Cinema lovers can now buy the Blu-Ray version for Rs. 999/- and the double discDVD Set for Rs. 499/- which is available in leading key retail outlets across Indiaand also on Amazon, Flipkart& Shemaroo.com. The Blu-ray version is available only in Hindi language with English subtitles whereas the DVD set is available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu with English sub-titles.

    The ownership of physical media offers cinema lovers the personalized experience which is worth conserving! The Blu-ray version of Padmaavat will be a treat to the eyes with the exemplary visuals and cinematography. Padmaavat is a Viacom 18 Motion Pictures & Bhansali Productions presentation.

  • Al-Futtaim, PVR sign MoU to explore opportunities in MENA region

    Al-Futtaim, PVR sign MoU to explore opportunities in MENA region

    MUMBAI: Multiplex operator PVR signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai’s Al-Futtaim to explore opportunities to jointly develop cinema business in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

    The joint venture will introduce a collection of unique experiential cinema formats to the region including PVR’s Director’s Cut, a format that blends the best in high-end hospitality and entertainment.

    “We see great potential in the cinema business in the region, and particularly in Saudi Arabia, following the government’s decision to reopen the cinema industry,” said Al-Futtaim Group director corporate development Marwan Shehadeh.

    “PVR is the perfect partner for Al-Futtaim, given its 20 years’ proven track record of operating and creating experiential cinema formats, catering to customers looking for best in class experiences. To begin with, we have already identified locations in Al-Futtaim real estate developments such as Dubai Festival City and Festival Plaza in Dubai and are in discussion with landlords to secure other locations in Dubai and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” he added.

    PVR in a regulatory filing said both parties will work together over the next few months to undertake a feasibility study and convert the MoU into a formal joint venture arrangement.

    In December last year, PVR had said it was scouting overseas destinations for expansion and planned to open its first project in Sri Lanka in next two years.

    Commenting on the partnership, PVR Ltd chairman and managing director Ajay Bijli said “We see a great opportunity in taking the PVR brand to the MENA region, particularly expansion in UAE and entry into the Saudi Arabian market which has recently decided to open up the cinema industry. We are delighted to partner with Al-Futtaim, which is one of the most diversified and progressive privately held businesses in the region.”

    At present, PVR operates over 600 screens in 52 cities in India.

  • &Privé HD to premiere the psychological thriller ‘The Gift’ on 23rd June

    &Privé HD to premiere the psychological thriller ‘The Gift’ on 23rd June

    MUMBAI: &Privé HD, the premium destination for nuanced cinema, is all set to premiere the American mystery-thriller The Gift on Saturday, 23rd of June at 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm. The movie marks the directorial debut of actor Joel Edgerton who also plays a central character along with Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall.

    The Gift follows the life of a young married couple, Simon (Bateman) and Robyn (Hall). Their life is going just as planned until an encounter with an acquaintance from Simon’s high school sends their world into a tormenting spin. Simon doesn’t recognize his friend, Gordo (Edgerton) at first, but after a series of uninvited encounters and troubling mysterious gifts, a horrifying secret from the past is unraveled after over two decades. Robyn is devastated on learning the disturbing truth about what happened between Simon and Gordo and starts to question her entire life with her husband.

  • PVR Cinemas pilots the Delhi Edition of the Year Round Programme by MAMI

    PVR Cinemas pilots the Delhi Edition of the Year Round Programme by MAMI

    MUMBAI: PVR Cinemas, with its storied history of becoming the leading exhibitor and an eminent platform for all things cinematic launched the Year Round Programme by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) in Delhi.

    An epic city-wide celebration of global filmmaking culture and star-studded special screening at PVR ECX, Chanakya marked the official curtain call of the programme’s Delhi Edition. The two-day launch event premiered two of the most sought-after films of the year – Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs and Ari Aster’s Hereditary on the 9th & 10th of June 2018 ahead of their India release. 

    The launch party was officially opened by Ajay Bijli, Managing Director, PVR Ltd and Sanjeev Bijli, Joint Managing Director, PVR Ltd; along with Board Members of MAMI – Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, Vishal Bharadwaj and the leadership team of MAMI – Anupama Chopra and Smriti Kiran bringing the best and latest films from all over the world to a city that has always spearheaded support in cultivating art and culture.

    PVR Ltd, Managing Director, Ajay Bijli said “Year Round Programme by MAMI represents one of the first opportunities for audiences in Delhi to see the very best from across the globe. This was a natural progression for us to support. PVR has always encouraged and facilitated people to build a relationship with a broad range of films, ensuring that film culture can be accessed and enjoyed by everyone across. With this launch, PVR aspires to bring together distinguished industry specialists and discerning movie lovers through accessible screenings, panels, workshops and showcasing cinema that embraces diversity, innovation and unique perspectives. Aimed at featuring critically acclaimed filmmakers, industry professionals, and award-winning talent around the world, this programme is rich with opportunity – to stay informed, be challenged, feel the pleasure of escape and see the world differently.”

    Anupama Chopra said, “I am thrilled that in the 20th year of MAMI, we are stepping out of Mumbai. We hope we can help foster a great cinema culture in Delhi. Thank you PVR for all your support.”

    PVR Ltd, Joint Managing Director, Sanjeev Kumar Bijli said “We are delighted to partner with MAMI and launch a screening event in the national capital, Delhi. Led by Kiran Rao, Anupama Chopra and Smriti Kiran, MAMI has established itself as a premier film festival and is recognized globally as a platform to showcase some of the best cinema in the world. From the red carpet premiers, to the carefully selected and curated films, it’s an event that everyone looks forward to. At PVR, we are proud of our ongoing association, and it gives us immense pleasure to be able to bring this to our ardent fans of great cinema in Delhi.” 

    MAMI, Creative Director, Smriti Kiran said “We are so thrilled to get the MAMI Year Round Programme to the film lovers in Delhi! Our commitment is to showcase the best of the cinema for movie lovers and create a strong film culture in the city. To alter sensibility, you have to engage regularly and facilitate viewers to celebrate and dissect, discuss and debate, engage and argue, agree and disagree about what they love most: Cinema. We are grateful to PVR Cinemas for being the MAMI champions and partnering with us yet again in our endeavour to nurture audiences and build a cinema viewing culture for the cinephiles in the country. We have big plans for Dilli!”

    The MAMI Year Round Programme launched in 2016 in Mumbai, is a one of a kind film programme started with the belief that it is not enough to have a week-long film festival. The Academy now hosts weekly screenings, workshops and conversation sessions for film lovers in the country. This has given us a year-long imprint and presence as opposed to presence only for a week in the year. Through this unique curation, passionate movie nuts can sign up and get free access to the best and latest Indian and International films throughout the year. 

    What makes the Delhi Edition even more special is that it will happen at the newly launched PVR ECX, Chanakyapuri. The property holds great nostalgic value for Delhiites as it is the brand new avatar of the iconic Chanakya cinema showcasing a wide spectrum of great content that is the cornerstone of MAMI. 

    Till date, The MAMI Year Round Programme in Mumbai has screened over 40 films which include Lady Bird, The Square, Zama, The Shape of Water, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missourie and Village Rockstars. There are about 7000+ members enrolled for this programme.

  • Banijay Asia ropes in Rishi Negi as chief operating officer

    Banijay Asia ropes in Rishi Negi as chief operating officer

    MUMBAI: Banijay Asia, founded by Deepak Dhar, has appointed Rishi Negi as chief operating officer (COO). The group recently announced its entry into the region with a commitment of producing scripted and non-scripted content across genres including digital and films for India and South East Asia. Negi will report Dhar, Endemol Shine’s former managing director.

    Talking about his new role, Negi said, “With so much happening in the entertainment industry, we aspire to produce some exceptional and challenging content across genres. Deepak Dhar’s vision is to build Banijay Asia as undisputed leader in the content space for the region, and I am looking forward to working with him closely in this journey.”

    Negi joins Banijay Asia with over two decades of experiences across entertainment, hospitality and retail. His repertoire of work includes key positions to drive growth strategies across corporate giants like Emerald Asia Media, Fame India Limited, Pizzeria Restaurants and Taj Group of Hotels amongst others.

    Banijay Group recently entered the Asian market in partnership with media veteran Dhar. The newly formed entity, Banijay Asia, will produce content, fiction, non-fiction, digital programming and films, across platforms.

    Commenting on the latest development Dhar said, “We are extremely delighted to have Rishi on-board the Banijay family. His vast experience and expertise is the perfect addition to our growing team and I am confident he will add much more momentum to our journey of becoming leading content producers in the region.”

    The group has a growing library of formats and programming of more than 20,000 hours spanning entertainment, factual, drama, factual entertainment, kids and reality.

    Some of the leading formats and shows include Versailles, Occupied, Rebecka Martinsson, The Restaurant, Black Lake, The Secret Life of Four Year Olds, Survivor, Undressed, Temptation Island, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Fort Boyard, All Against One, Wolf Creek, Underbelly, Wife Swap, Wild Things, Being Human, Location LocationLocation and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo among many others.

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