ITV

Category: Movies

  • Randhir, Aditya Raj Kapoor in Rahul Dholakia’s Society

    MUMBAI: Two grandsons of the late Prithiviraj Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor and Aditya Raj Kapoor will play cameo roles in Rahul Dholakia‘s film, Society.


    While Randhir Kapoor is son of the late Raj Kapoor, Aditya is the son of Shammi Kapoor. This will be the first time that these two Kapoors will be seen together in the same frame.


    Dimple Kapadia will also be making a small appearance in the film.


    Aditya Raj Kapoor plays the role of an art collector while Dimple and Randhir are a couple who like to play pranks. In one such prank, the couple tries and sells a book of Kamasutra to him.
     

  • Star to release ‘Vroom Adventures of Smarty, the Magical Car’ on 14 May

    MUMBAI: Star Box-Office is set to release Vroom Adventures of Smarty, the Magical Car, set on an adventurous journey of Smarty the magical car, on 14 May. The film has been directed by debutant director Savin Tuscano.


    Vroom, Adventures of Smarty, the Magical Car is the story of Smarty, a naughty car with a mind of its own. The story is about a scientist, Dr Ramanujam, who is working on a secret artificial intelligence chip which an evil goon, Mr X, wishes to acquire. 


    Mr X sends his henchmen to steal the chip, but Dr Ramanujam manages to escape with it and puts it in a car. It is this car that then gets a mind of its own and starts playing tricks on his new owner and the people around him. What follows is a series of fun filled events that make Smarty the star attraction.


    Speaking about the film, Star India GM Sameer Rao says, “Through Vroom, Adventures of Smarty, the magical car, we have tried to bring back the concept of kids and parents going together to theatres to watch movies. Vroom will prove to be an entertaining film for the entire family.”
     

  • Housefull ends 3-month drought at box-office

    MUMBAI: The three-month drought at the box-office has ended with Sajid Nadiawala‘s Housefull, an episodic comedy that has garnered Rs 640 million in the opening weekend.


    Among the first of the summer releases post IPL, Housefull collected Rs 480 million in India and Rs 160 million overseas in its opening weekend.


    The film, which opened across 2000-plus screens worldwide, has taken a flying start in UK and is positioned at No 11 in that market, having grossed ?2.7 million in three days.


    Says Eros International Media senior VP Nandu Ahuja, “Housefull being the first major release post 45 days of IPL cricket frenzy, we were confident that it will open very well. With its excellent weekend performance, the biggest of the year so far, Housefull has lived up to its name”.


    Cinemax senior vice president Devang Sampat agrees that the movie has had a strong start. “Housefull has taken a good opening across all our theatres. It should do well in the coming days too,” he says.


    Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Housefull is the result of an output deal signed between Eros International Media Ltd and Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment with whom Eros has enjoyed a long association.


    A comic caper in Sajid Khan style, Housefull stars a mix of actors including Akshay Kumar and Riteish Deshmukh along with Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Arjun Rampal and Jiah Khan.


    Shah Rukh Khan‘s My Name is Khan is the last significant movie release in the year to have moved the box-office, mopping up Rs 1.92 billion after 17 weeks.

  • Toy Story 3 to premiere at Edinburg Film Fest

    MUMBAI: The Edinburgh International Film Festival will host the international premiere of Toy Story 3 the day after it is first screened in the US. The film festival, now in its 64th year, will screen the film on 19 June.


    The voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack will be once again be used by director Lee Unrich whose previous credits include Monsters Inc and Finding Nemo. Newcomers to the team of the toys‘ voices will include Timothy Dalton as Mr Picklepants and Michael Keaton as Ken.


    The original Toy Story was the first feature-length CG animation film.


    Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) artistic director Hannah McGill said, “To have the first screening after it‘s unveiled in the US is an incredible honour for us.This is going to be one of the highlights of the festival, and I‘m looking forward to working with our friends at Disney to make it truly spectacular.”


    The premiere shows Disney‘s relationship with the EIFF, that earlier premiered their productions such as Wall-e and Ratatouille. In the upcoming film Andy‘s toys face an unpredictable future and have to make sure “no toy gets left behind” as Andy heads off to college.
     

  • Polanski speaks out against his extradition

    MUMBAI: Ending his silence, Roman Polanski accused American authorities of “trying to serve me on a platter to the media of the world,” instead of honouring what he described as an agreement, made decades ago, to limit his punishment to the time already served.


    “I have decided to break my silence in order to address myself directly to you without any intermediaries and in my own words,” Polanski said in the statement.


    Charged with various offenses, including rape, Polanski pleaded guilty to having unlawful sex with a minor. He spent 42 days in a California state prison during a psychiatric evaluation, but fled the country before final sentencing by Judge Laurence J. Rittenband.


    Lawyers of Polanski have argued in court that Judge Rittenband, who died in 1993, committed improprieties in the case and had promised that the psychiatric evaluation would be the filmmaker‘s entire sentence.


    Prosecutors and a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge have insisted that Polanski cannot pursue his claims until he returns to the United States. But his lawyers have argued that an extradition request sent to Swiss authorities concealed facts that would show that he does not qualify for extradition.


    The Los Angeles County district attorney‘s office has strongly disputed that claim

  • MS Sathyu’s Ijjodu releases today in Bangalore

    BANGALORE: After a beak of 12 years, Mysore Srinivas Sathyu (M S Sathyu) returns to cinema with his Kannada film on the Devadasi theme ‘Ijjodu’, which has has released today.


    Reliance Big Pictures (RBP) the producer and distributor of the film, has planned a small release in just five to six theaters in Bangalore initially. RBP expects the film’s popularity to spread by word-of-mouth. Depending upon the fate of the film in Bangalore, the film will be released in other cities in Karnataka.


    Ijjodu has been screened at four domestic film festivals and has already received immense critical acclaim.


    Reliance BIG Pictures CEO Sanjeev Lamba said, “Ijjodu not only marks the return of a director par excellence but also explores a social practice which has officially been banned from our society. Reliance Big Pictures is proud to be associated with such meaningful cinema.”


    The film, scripted by Sathyu himself, has noted South Indian actress Meera Jasmine playing the female lead “Chenni”. Meera was the recipient of the National Award in 2004. The film also stars popular Kannada actor Aniruddha Jatkar as the male protagonist. The film’s music has been composed by Manikanth Kadri and cinematography is by GS Bhaskar.


    The sound rights for the film have been purchased by Sony BMG.
     

  • Raj Babbar to make film on Maharaja Ranjit Singh

    MUMBAI: After making a television serial on Maharaja Ranjit Singh, actor turned politician Raj Babbar is making a film on the Sikh ruler naming it The Lord of Five Rivers: Maharaja Ranjit Singh.


    According to Babbar, youngsters remember Ranjit Singh as someone who had lost his one eye and who brought back the Kohinoor diamond to India. But there were many pages of his life waiting to be told.


    Ranjit Singh was not like other rulers who only killed people and dictated. He also was an efficient strategist. He ruled for nearly 47 years, even seven years more than Akbar, and brought many reforms in the society. In his entire rule, not even a single capital punishment was awarded.


    His kingdom was the most secular where there were Muslims, Hindus and Christians holding significant positions and he was the first to start the practice of paying salaries to army men.

  • No show for Indian films in Bangladesh

    MUMBAI: The Bangladesh government has once again decided not to allow exhibition of Indian films in cinema halls across the country.


    Cinema owners, however, say that the trend in Bangladesh was in favour of Bollywood fare. People watch pirated versions of Indian releases on DVDs while the popularity of domestic films falls in comparison.


    Bangladeshi actors don‘t want the ban to be lifted, as they claim that at least 25,000 jobs could be lost as a result.


    In order to protect the local film industry, the ban was first enforced in 1972.
    The decision to renege it was announced by the Commerce minister. It was taken to help cinema owners and boost occupancy.
     

  • Overseas releases during World Cup being rescheduled

    MUMBAI: Scheduled between 11June to 11 July in South Africa, the football World Cup is giving Hollywood film executives a big headache.


    The 30-day sports event has forced studio distribution units to execute intricate overseas booking maneuvers to avoid opening their biggest movies during the soccer-saturated period. This could well mean that the annual international box-office could see a downward trend from last year‘s tally.


    The U.K. saw the box-office dipping 1 per cent and admissions slid 5 per cent when Germany hosted the World Cup in 2006.


    Commented Warner Bros. international distribution president Veronika Kwan-Rubinek “Many countries come to a standstill during the World Cup games, especially if the home team is playing.”


    Research shows the first three weeks of a film‘s overseas run before the World Cup begins generate anywhere from 75 to 85 per cent of overall box-office while the film marking weekly declines of up to 50 per cent


    Taking no chances, Disney will begin the overseas run of its video game-based Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time nine days before its 28 May domestic opening.


    Universal will launch its male-targeting Russell Crowe starrer Robin Hood on 12 May in France, the same day the film opens at the Cannes.


    Warners will release Sex and the City 2 in most offshore markets day-and-date with its May 27 domestic bow. The first Sex lapped up $263 million in the overseas market in 2008.


    Summit‘s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third instalment of the Twilight franchise, will open in the foreign circuit within two weeks of its 30 June domestic opening.


    Paramount will release DreamWorks Animation‘s 3D sequel Shrek Forever After on 30 June 30 in France. Disney‘s Toy Story 3 will begin foreign bookings about a week after its 18 June domestic release. The film‘s overseas opening fall in the thick of World Cup action.


    Targeting a broader audience, Sony‘s remake of The Karate Kid is opening selectively overseas. It will debut nearly day-and-date with its 11June domestic release in Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia and Middle Eastern territories.
     

  • The Tree to be closing-night film at Cannes

    MUMBAI: Julie Bertucelli‘s The Tree starring Charlotte Gainsbourg will be the closing-night film at the Cannes Film Festival on 23 May.


    The Tree is Bertucelli‘s second feature after Since Otar Left which won the prize for best first film at the 2004 Cesar Awards, France‘s top movie honors.


    In addition to Gainsbourg, the film stars Marton Csokas and Aden Young in a drama about a family mourning the death of their father.


    The film, an adaptation of Judy Pascoe‘s novel Our Father Who Art in a Tree was shot in Australia.


    The festival opens on 12 May.