Category: Movies

MUMBAI: This Friday‘s releases Love Sex Aur Dhokha, Shaapit and Lahore fared better than last week‘s releases.

Love Sex Aur Dhokha opened well at multiplexes. Though the film opened poorly at between 15 to 20 per cent, the collections turned to more than 40 per cent by the weekend on the basis of good reviews and word-of-mouth publicity. Deft handling of script with hidden cameras makes Love Sex Aur Dhokha a first-of-its-kind viewing experience.

The film is voyeuristic but it‘s not sleazy; neither has the film any similarities to Scorsese‘s Sex ,Lies and Videotape. The film is a leap in the evolution of Hindi cinema, by being inventive and highly laudable.

The same was the case with Lahore. People got curious after the news that the film was banned in Pakistan for exhibition. Because of its title, the film was considered to be another film on Indo-Pak indifference. But it‘s a film on kick-boxing, a sport rarely showcased on the relations of two brothers and also two countries. 

Later, on its release, the film was raved by viewers for being the best-as-yet sports action film. Though the film didn‘t open well, its collection registered a sharp rise and by the weekend, it registered attendance of between 35 to 40 per cent.

Though the Aditya Narayan-starrer Shaapit didn‘t open well at multiplexes, the Vikram Bhatt directed film did better at single screens. The film makes for a very good viewing and is a great treat for all lovers of horror films.

The coming week will be a kind of an acid test for all the three films. If they are able to sustain, their run at the box-office will naturally grow.

Meanwhile, after a dull first-week opening, IPL registered an attendance of 70 per cent in among the 700 screens all over the country.

Comments trade analyst Taran Adarsh, “There are as many as five releases per week and some from the likes of Subhash Ghai and Shyam Benegal. If IPL screening works and matches get interesting, the film industry will be doomed because theatres will start screening all big matches.”

Next week will see the release of Well Done Abba, Hum Tum Aur Ghost, Prem Ka Game, Mittle vs Mittle and The Great Indian Butterfly.

MUMBAI: Eros International Media has appointed Rajesh Bahl as chief digital officer.

Bahl will spearhead Eros‘ digital initiatives across all the new media platforms including mobile, online, DTH, IPTV, cable and other emerging platforms.

Bahl moves in from Star India where he headed the mobile business as part of Star Digital group.

Said Eros International Plc Group CEO & MD Jyoti Deshpande, “The Indian market is at an inflection point as far as the digital revolution is concerned, be it mobile, DTH, IPTV or broadband. We hope to monetise our large content library through these new media platforms and also make strategic inroads in the space. Rajesh‘s experience in music, home entertainment and television made him an ideal candidate to spearhead our digital strategy in India.”

Avers Bahl, “Eros is an established global player with the advantage of a large content library. With the advent of new digital opportunities in India, I am extremely keen to put my experience into motion. The width and depth of the opportunity both internally for Eros and externally for the sector is exciting and I am confident that the next 2-3 years will be ground-breaking.”

Bahl brings with him over 12 years of experience in the media and entertainment space. Besides spending more than three years at Star, Bahl has also worked with international music labels like Universal Music and Sony Music handling various assignments including A&R and marketing, content acquisition and licensing, sales and business development for around 9 years.

MUMBAI: Anil Ambani‘s Reliance ADAG seems to have stepped out of the ring for buying out the debt-laden Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

There are reportedly just three likely bidders – Access Industries, Lionsgate and Time Warner. MGM, however, declined to comment on the development.

The deadline for submitting bidding offers was on Friday. But it now seems that the deadline has been pushed back – at least till Monday.

In January, Reliance Entertainment had signed MGM‘s confidentiality agreements to make bid offers.

MGM has run into financial stress, skipping an interest payment last year on its $3.7bn in debt when it failed to raise the capital required to support an ambitious production schedule. Its lenders have granted it forbearance from interest payments for some time.

MGM boasts of a library of 4,000 titles, including classics such as the Pink Panther and James Bond movies.

First-round offers are expected to come in between $1.5 to $2 billion, well below the $3.7 billion debt that the studio owes. If the bids come too low, MGM‘s creditors could decide to keep the company and restructure it, possibly filing for a pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has said the film industry today faces the challenge of balancing and catering to a new generation of viewers and a growing middle class which is more able to and more capable of spending on entertainment.

“Our heritage and culture is a great source of knowledge, which can be drawn upon to develop storylines that can appeal to our younger audiences, by making them more appealing and presenting them in the contemporary context,” said Patil.

Presenting the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2008 to veteran cinematographer V K Murthy and the 56th National Film Awards, she said “it is true that the audience in India, which is the market for films, is undergoing transformation” and this is leading to an increasing demand for better cinematography and overall quality of films. “Other media of entertainment such as television and the internet are also factors that are influencing the film industry, its approach and its outreach,” she said.

She said great care must be taken in the manner in which creativity finds expression and quoted a famous film director having observed that “what is really important for a creator, is not what it is we want to say, recall, regret, or rebel against, but what is important is the way we say it, as art is all about craftsmanship.”

Cinema has an immense influence on thinking and on lifestyles of the young generation and “there is much positive energy that can be generated by using films, for conveying the message of good values to society and also eradicating harmful social evils,” she added.

Noting that there was a time when Indian films were said to be influenced by films from the west, she said this had given way to a two-way interaction. “Our diverse and growing film sector is being noticed and indeed, wooed around the world. Our film industry is beginning to influence the foreign film industry, both financially and creatively. This has resulted in increased collaborations between the Indian film industry and Hollywood.”

She said during her trips overseas, references are made to the popularity of Indian films and their role in promoting cultural understanding. “Our film industry can play a part in bringing a progressive and fast developing India, anchored in thousands of years of a rich civilization, to the minds of viewers”, she added.

At the outset, she said Indian cinema was a vast ocean with a variety that was enviable. Therefore, she said cinema needed to be continuously nurtured “as a part of our efforts to not only excel in making films, but also to use it as a medium to tell our stories, as well as give expression to the importance of a humane approach in life.”

Speaking on the occasion, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said the Expert Committee constituted to suggest changes in the National Film Awards had completed its deliberations. The Committee had been set up recognizing the sweeping changes that have come about in the film industry across all aspects of production, distribution, exhibition and marketing, with the advent of new ideas, new business models and new technologies. The Ministry also proposed to spearhead the participation and promotion of Indian cinema in key markets and festivals abroad in a much bigger way, she said.

Soni noted that the robust growth and development of the film industry in India was high on the agenda of the Government and the Ministry was ready to facilitate this process in every possible way.

For the first time the ceremony was hosted by film personalities – Divya Dutta and Ashutosh Rana. Hariharan gave a live rendition of his award winning song in the Marathi film “Jogva’, “Jeev Dangla Gungla Rangla”, and Bonnie Chakravorty performed the Best choreographed award winning song of “Jodhaa Akbar’, ”Azeem-o– shaan Shahenshah”.

Murthy received a standing ovation as he received his award, the first ever to be given to a cinematographer. One hundred thirty awardees in 69 categories received their Swaran and Rajat Kamal medals along with cash rewards.

MUMBAI: Delhi-based cinema exhibition major PVR Ltd has announced that its board has approved the merger of Leisure World, a promoter‘s closely held company, with itself.

Leisure World owns PVR Anupam multiplex, a prime property at Saket area in New Delhi.

PVR said in a filing that the board has also approved to appoint either Deloitte or Price Waterhouse (PWC) to get the valuation of PVR Ltd and Leisure World and to suggest the swap ratio.

PVR will also appoint AZB & Partners, advocates and solicitors, to carry out the due diligence of Leisure World, while Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj (JLL) and CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), the two property consultants, will be appointed to carry out their independent valuation and submit their report in respect of property PVR Anupam.

Law firm Restructuring Management Group will prepare the scheme of merger.

The board will also appoint a merchant banker for fairness certificate of the swap ratio.