Category: Movies

MUMBAI: National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) will start marketing documentaries made by Films Division (FD) in India and overseas.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to this effect. The signatories were NFDC managing director Neena Lath Gupta and Films Division director general Kuldeep Sinha.

The move will pave way for a global reach of films made by Films Division. NFDC is already marketing Indian feature films in foreign markets through platforms like International Film Festivals in Cannes, Berlin and Karlovy Vary.

NFDC will now vigorously exploit the contents of FD productions in the global film market through major television networks like PBS, Fox, Channel 4, BBC, NBC, Telemundo, ABC, 4 Music and Volksmusik.

With the experience of NFDC in the film/video marketing overseas and its strong tie-ups with leading channels and Indian film importers, it is expected that the Indian documentaries will reach out to overseas audiences.
 

MUMBAI: The film industry has been trying its best to curtail piracy, if not eradicate it. The beginning of the year saw a joint front formed by Hollyood and Bollywood studios that was later named Alliance Against Copyright Theft (AACT).

Taking its task forward, the industry has hired Aiplex Software to deliver copyright takedown notices. If these are ignored, they have been given the right to bring out the big guns and hit the site with a denial-of-service (DoS) attack that host illegal torrents.

Says Girish Kumar of Aiplex Software, “Most films release on Friday morning at 10 am in India and by afternoon it‘s on the internet. What we at Aiplex do is see all those links on the net. We find the hosting computer server and send them a copyright infringement notice because they‘re not meant to have those links. If they don‘t remove the link, we send them a second notice and ask them again to remove it. If that too doesn‘t work, then a denial-of-service attack is sanctioned on the computer servers that is hosting the site.”

One of the major clients of Aiplex Software is Fox Star Studios
 

MUMBAI: PVR Pictures Limited has signed a development deal with Dibakar Banerjee Productions (DBP) for a film to be directed by Banerjee himself.
PVR will finance and distribute the film worldwide.

Shanghai is in an advanced stage of casting and is slated for release next year with Abhay Deol as the lead star.

‘Banerjee is undoubtedly one of the finest among the new breed of Indian filmmakers. We are delighted to present his next film and look forward to launching many more films under the ambit of this relationship with him,‘ said PVR Group chairman and managing director Ajay Bijli.

Banerjee has directed successful films like Khosla Ka Ghosla, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye‘ and Love, Sex Aur Dhoka in the past.b
 

NEW DELHI: D Ramanaidu, the veteran film producer from Andhra Pradesh, is set to receive the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2009 for outstanding contribution in the field of Indian Cinema.

Dr Ramanaidu is the 41st recipient of the award instituted in 1969 – the birth centenary of D G Phalke, who is generally regarded as the father of Indian cinema as he produced the country’s first indigenous award ‘Raja Harishchandra’ in 1913.

Dr Ramanidu is the 10th producer to have received the award.

The award consists of a Swarn Kamal, a cash prize of Rs 1 million and a shawl. The award is given on the basis of recommendations of a Committee of eminent persons. The award will be given at the National Films Awards Function scheduled to be held next month.

Born in Karamchedu in Prakasam District of Andhra Pradesh in 1936, Dr Ramanaidu entered the film world in 1963 with his first film Anuragam, followed by the superhit Ramudu-Bheemudu starring N T Rama Rao (NTR) in 1964. Over the last 47 years, he has produced over 130 films in several Indian languages and finds mention in the Guinness Book of Records.

Apart from Telugu films, he has produced films in Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi and Bhojpuri.

His film Surigadu was selected for the Indian Panorama in 1993. Asukh, a Bengali film, won the National Award for the Best Film in that language in 1999. Apart from this, his films have won several state awards.

The galaxy of artistes who have worked in his films include N T Rama Rao, A Nageswara Rao, Sivaji Ganesan, Pandari Bai, Jamuna, Padmini, Sobhan Babu, Kamal Haasan, Jayaprada, Chiranjeevi, Rajnikanth, Rajesh Khanna, Hema Malini, Rekha, Jeetendra and Sreedevi.

 
Dr Ramanaidu has built an envious track record in the film world for having introduced numerous film directors as well as artistes and technicians. A few well known artistes introduced by him include his son Venkatesh, Harish, Vanisri, Aryan Rajesh, Tabu, Khushboo, Allari Naresh and Malasree.

His Hindi films include Premanagar, Dildar, and Bandish while the Bengali films are Asukh and Sudhu Ekbar Bolo. The Telugu films include Premanagar, Srikrishna Tulabharam, Preminchu, Ramudu Bheemudu, Bobbili Raja, Ahana Pellanta, Andhra Vaibhavam and Kathanayakudu. The Kannada films include Maduve Agona Baa and Thavarumane Udugore; the Tamil films include Vasantha Maligai, Thiru Mangalam, and Thannikattu Raja. He also made films in Oriya (Dharma Devatha); Assamese (Maina Mor Dhuniya); Malayalam (Ashwaroodhan); Marathi (Mazi Aai); and Bhojpuri (Shiva).

His Hindi film Hamari Beti focused on how handicapped people can lead a normal life and achieve their goals. The protagonist in the film is a girl who is severely handicapped in real life. This film has been screened in International Film Festivals like Chicago and Venice.

Dr Ramanaidu has set up studios, recording, preview and dubbing theatres and laboratories in Hyderabad and Vishakapatnam. During his entire career span, Dr Ramanaidu has been associated with every aspect of film making, thereby delivering a bouquet of entertaining films to the people.

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), has invited aspiring directors from the city to compete in the ‘Dimensions Mumbai‘ section at the 12th Mumbai Film Festival (MFF) to be held between 21 to 28 October.

A MAMI statement reads, ‘a new section that includes short films on the city requires ‘all aspiring directors to direct and submit a short film.‘
 
‘The competition is open to young Mumbaikars below the age of 25 years to submit films of up to five minutes duration on the theme of ‘Mumbai, The Metropolis.‘
A panel comprising experts will select top 20 films from the received entries that will be screened at the gala.

The ‘Dimensions Mumbai‘ jury consists of eminent personalities who will select films and honour winners with prizes that include Silver Gateway trophies and cash prizes of Rs 100,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively for the winning director(s) and the runner-up.

Organised by MAMI, the festival is a Reliance Big Entertainment Ltd (RBEL) initiative which is the flagship media and entertainment arm of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. 

NEW DELHI: India and Poland have signed a Cooperation Programme in the Field of Culture which will include supporting direct cooperation between institutions, organisations and other entities in the domain of film production.

The agreement says facilities will be given to provide film services, exchange of films on commercial and non-commercial terms, organisation of film presentation and participation in international festivals organised in the other party’s country.

Both the countries will support cooperation between association of filmmakers and National Film Archive of India and Poland. 

India and Poland will support cooperation in the field of dance, theatre, music, folklore with a view to present the most valuable elements in cultural heritage of India and Poland.

Both the countries will support presentation of musical pieces of composers origination from the other party’s country.

The agreement for the years 2010 to 2013 was held in New Delhi after the delegation level talks between the two countries led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk.

MUMBAI: Coinciding with the completion of 60 years of his banner Navketan, Dev Anand will release two films this year.

Firstly, he will re-release his 1961 black-and-white film Hum Dono in colour. The work to colourise the film was taken up two years ago by Hyderabad-based Goldstone Technology that both restored and colourised the print.

The film stars Anand in a double role with Sadhana and Nanda. 

India‘s evergreen star, producer and director will also release his latest film Chargesheet this year.

The film that has Anand playing a CBI officer has Naseeruddin Shah cast as an underworld don after a long time. The film also features Jackie Shroff and Divya Dutta.

MUMBAI: After having bagged the pan India theatrical rights of Vipul Shah‘s next Action Replayy, PVR has decided to release the movie on 5 November.

Starring Akshay Kumar and Aishawarya Rai Bachchan, the film is a time-travel comedy tale capturing Mumbai in the 50s. The story of an elderly man who travels back in time is based on a 1994 Gujarati play of the same name.

Said PVR Pictures president Kamal Gianchandani, “Action Replayy is a huge film with an enviable star cast and a very successful director. We are incredibly excited and feel honoured to be chosen as the India distributor by Vipul.”
 
Averred Shah, “I am delighted that our creative partnership with PVR Pictures has led to this agreement of Action Replayy being released across India by them. PVR Pictures is a new-age studio with a wide distribution network and I am glad to have found a strong partner. I look forward to a long and fruitful association with them.”

Action Replayy also stars Neha Dhupia and Randhir Kapoor.

MUMBAI: Eros International Media (EIML), a subsidiary of Aim-listed Eros International Plc, has announced that its proposed Rs 3.5 billion initial public offering (IPO) issue will open on 17 September and close on 21 September.

“The price band and the minimum bid lot will be decided by EIML in consultation with the book running lead managers and a further announcement will be made in due course,” the company said.

EIML is raising up to Rs 3.5 billion ($75 million). The company is considering a pre-IPO placement of up to Rs 200 million with certain investors.

Post completion of the IPO and allotment, EIML will list its shares on the National Stock Exchange and the Bombay Stock Exchange.

At present, Eros Worldwide holds 69.60 per cent stake while the Indian company, Eros Digital, holds 30.39 per cent in EIML.

The company intends to use Rs 2.8 billion from the proceeds of the issue to acquire and co-produce Indian film rights, primarily Hindi films, as also Tamil and other regional language films. The surplus amount will be used towards general corporate purposes including meeting future growth requirements.

BANGALORE: 46-year old Kannada and Tamil film actor S Murali expired of a heart attack in Chennai yesterday morning.

Murali, son of Kannada film director G Siddhalingiah, is survived by his wife Shoba, a daughter Kavya and two sons Adharva and Akash. Adharva recently made his acting debut with the Tamil film Baana Kaathadi.

The versatile actor started his acting career in 1984 with a lead role in a Tamil film Poovilangu (Flower Chain). Before that, his film career began when he started assisting his father‘s film directional ventures. His role in the Tamil film Kadal Pookal (Sea Flowers) earned him the Tamil Nadu government‘s best actor award in 2001.

Murali has acted in almost 100 Tamil and Kannada films. Among his notable Tamil films are Idhayam, Thanga Mausukkaran, En Asai Machan, Puthu Vasantham, Porakalam, Vetri Kodi Kattu and Sundara Travels. His latest film Kavasam‘ is slated for release shortly.

Among his Kananda films are Ajay Vijay, Prema Gange, Thayikotta Thali and Swabhimani Yuge Yuge.

The actor also played several supporting roles in films that featured some of the who‘s who of the Kollywood (Tamil) and Sandalwood (Kannada) film industries.