ITV

Category: Press Release

  • Zee Wonder Kids – The Perfect Silver Screen Debut For The Rising Stars

    Zee Wonder Kids – The Perfect Silver Screen Debut For The Rising Stars

    MUMVBAI: A drummer who is just five years old, a young girl who can ‘see’ colours and ‘read’ sentences blindfolded, a mathematical genius who can mentally calculate 10 digit sums in fifteen seconds – the Generation Z sure has astounding talent which is being brought forth by Zee News with its new show “Zee Wonder Kids”. The latest offering by Zee News, Part of Zee Media Corporation Limited, India’s largest news network, ‘Zee Wonder Kids’ will kick off this weekend and be a 13 episode series.

    Zee Wonder Kids is the perfect platform for your kid to show his hidden talents on the big screen and catapult to fame. The show will identify and introduce various child prodigies from across the country and showcase their creative genius to millions of viewers.

    The whiz kids on the show, will be mentored by leading maestros of the entertainment industry like background music composer of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Dhoom 2, percussionist Taufiq Qureshi (brother of Zakir Hussain and son of Ustad Allah Rakha), India’s leading fusion band Indian Ocean’s drummer Amit Kilam and the dancing sensation-Bollywood choreographer Mudassar, of Bodyguard and Ready fame. What makes this show unique and different from the regular talent hunt shows for kids that air on TV, is that it is paving the way for a bright future for this bunch of super talented kids. Even after the show, the mentors will take these young achievers under their wing and continue to support and train them to be the future of the entertainment world.

    The show will begin with a small profile story of the Wonder Kid featured on the show which will feature snippets of interviews with him, his family, friends and teachers. Then comes the highlight of the show-the dazzling performance of the wonder kids in front of a live audience. The show will also offer an opportunity for interactions with the wonder kids, their parents and the audience. The show will end on a high note with the mentor doing an impromptu performance with the Wonder Kid.

    An hour long programme, Zee Wonder Kids will be aired every Saturday at 1500 to 1600 hrs. Be enthralled by the antics of the cute little wonders and make your weekend entertaining with Zee Wonder Kids!

  • Deepika Padukone voted in as the Number 1 Bollywood heroine

    Deepika Padukone voted in as the Number 1 Bollywood heroine

    MUMBAI: It serves as evidence that Deepika Padukone has stolen the hearts of countless Bollywood fans across the nation, as she got voted for the top spot on India Today’s Mood of the Nation: Bollywood’s Heroine No. 1 Poll.

     

    India Today holds the Mood of the Nation Poll, a comprehensive annual poll to gauge mass opinion on a variety of topics. The poll is conducted online on topics ranging from politics, sports and entertainment. In the ‘Bollywood’s Number 1 Heroine’ category, Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor earned 10% vote each to come in after Deepika Padukone, who received 13%. Sonakshi Sinha and Priyanka Chopra secured 9% and 6% votes respectively.

     

    Deepika Padukone received rave reviews for her very first performance in Om Shanti Om in 2007. She won 4 Best Female Debut Awards and was even nominated as Best Actress for the same. Delivering hits after hits with ‘Cocktail’, ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, ‘Ram Leela’ and ‘Chennai Express’, she has won several esteemed awards for her performances in her acting career of 8 years.

     

    Deepika Padukone also leads the way on social media with the most number of followers on social networking websites Facebook and Twitter as compared to the rest of the film industry. Humbled by the massive fanfare, Deepika even engaged in a live chat with her fans on Facebook to celebrate hitting 15 million followers. The graceful actress is also among the few Bollywood personalities who have an account on photo-sharing website Instagram.

     

    Apart from wowing audiences with her skill as an impeccable actress, Deepika Padukone has also turned heads as a style diva, having received awards for her wonderful fashion sense. Practically every look she has donned has worked for the ever graceful Deepika Padukone. She was also voted as the sexiest woman in the world in a poll conducted by FHM Magazine in July this year.

  • Ready to train like MC Mary Kom?

    Ready to train like MC Mary Kom?

    MUMBAI: Everybody is envying Priyanka Chopra’s toned body and all credit goes to the training same as that of MC Mary Kom! People obsessed about health and good physique are going crazy trying to achieve this new benchmark, and makers of the movie Mary Kom have just made it easy! In a brand new on-ground campaign launched recently and continuing till month end, fans can take part in the ‘Mary Kom Boot Kamp’ challenge and get access to MC Mary Kom’s daily routine workout!

     

    In association with Gold’s Gym, MC Mary Kom has set a vigorous routine for all Bollywood and fitness enthusiasts. This challenge is open to all fans willing to go up against ‘Mary Kom’s set routine of five activities in the stipulated time. The ‘Mary Kom Boot Kamp’ will be held in select Gold’s Gyms across Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Panchkula, Delhi NCR, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati and Kolkata. Participants will be divided in three batches of 10 each and those who complete the fastest will be the winners of their respective batch.

     

    The nation’s fastest 35 who complete the tasks in the least amount of time will be declared by Viacom 18 on 1st September on their social properties and win cool prizes like one month/year free gym membership, exclusive Mary Kom merchandise, movie tickets etc. Adding to the excitement would be a chance to meet PC herself! The actress is planning a visit to all the nine cities to motivate her fans, and the winners get a special chance to meet and greet this Bollywood Diva.

     

    The fans are equally inquisitive about a day in the life of our five-time successive World Boxing Champion MC Mary Kom, to give a sneak peak, she herself created this exercise routine which involves exercises such as burpees, kettle bell swings, roll over push-ups, jab cross punches, kettle bell, single handed clean & press, swiss ball plank hold, chin ups, squat and overhead press.

     

    To register, participants can walk into the nearest branch of Gold’s Gym and register at the ‘Mary Kom’ registration desk.

     

    ‘Mary Kom’, the film is about the Indian Boxer and Olympic Bronze medallist MC Mary Kom. Depicting her life, struggles, family and her perseverance to be the best – Priyanka Chopra stars as Mary Kom along with Darshan Kumaar, Sunil Thapa, Shishir Sharma and American actor Zachary Coffin. Directed by Omung Kumar, ‘Mary Kom’ is produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures & Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film is scheduled for release on September 5, 2014.

  • First Look: Humsafar starring Fawad Khan on Zindagi

    First Look: Humsafar starring Fawad Khan on Zindagi

    MUMBAI: Here’s the first look of Humsafar, Zindagi’s upcoming show premiering on the channel soon. The show marks the comeback of popular Pakistani actor Fawad Khan on the channel after his hit show Zindagi Gulzar Hai. Humsafar will also mark the debut of Pakistani sensation Mahira Khan who is a popular VJ, actor and model. Also debuting on Indian Television with this show is Naveen Waqar, famous VJ, actor, model and RJ.

     

    Straight from across the border, Humsafar is a beautiful story about the trials and tribulations in married couple’s life and how the same are overcome. Humsafar was a huge hit in Pakistan and the winner of many awards for acting, direction, OST, etc.

     

    Humsafar will soon hit your television screens on Zindagi channel. Block your date to meet your beloved star Fawad Khan along with two talented actors, Mahira Khan and Naveen Waqar.

  • 92.7 BIG FM’s BIG Green Ganesha is back in its seventh successful year!

    92.7 BIG FM’s BIG Green Ganesha is back in its seventh successful year!

    MUMBAI: 92.7 BIG FM’s mega successful green campaign – BIG Green Ganesha enters its seventh year! With a vision, a thought for a better eco-friendly future was laid down in 2008 and the campaign was created.  BIG Green Ganesha aims at creating social consciousness towards making one of India’s largest and most popular festivals more ecologically sound and has so far touched over millions of Indians.

     

    With a massive on-ground newspaper collection drive already underway in 14 major cities across India, tons of newspapers collected from residential areas, celebrity houses, offices, shops and other commercial establishments will be supplied to renowned sculptors to transform them into artistic and beautiful Ganesha idols through paper mache and clay. The idols will be placed at prominent locations across cities where lakhs of people can come to pay their obeisance.

     

    With the aim to enrich content and build a stronger local connect, this year’s festivities get bigger and better with a 7-day radio marathon including special performances by popular local talents; inspirational short stories narrations on Lord Ganesha by Bollywood celebrities; dedicated time slots for devotional aarti and bhajans sung in local pandals with Musical Benchmarks; special vignettes of Baal Ganesha promoting eco-friendly celebrations and lots more.

     

    As a unique initiative, listeners will be asked to write about the obstacles they want to eliminate from their path of progress. The old newspapers contributed for Green Ganesha will be scribed with these obstacles.

     

    Furthermore, 92.7 BIG FM will also commence the BIG Green Ganesha Pandal Awards from 29th August 2014 with RJs and celebrities making the rounds to select some of the best and most eco-friendly pandals in the city.

     

    Mr. Ashwin Padmanabhan, Business Head – 92.7 BIG FM said, “We are elated to enter the seventh year of one of our biggest campaigns. Growing strength to strength each year and garnering tremendous popularity among the masses along the journey, the campaign has set a benchmark to associate with, for environment friendly celebrations. As we aim to create social consciousness for greener celebrations, we always hope that people across the nation will also walk with us shoulder to shoulder to do their bit for a better, cleaner and greener environment. With the support from partners we hope we can make this campaign bigger, better and greener each year”

     

    BIG Green Ganesha 2014 is being conducted across 14 major cities in India including Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa, Sholapur, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Surat, Baroda, Mysore, Tirupati, Vishakhapatnam and Mangalore along with a paper collection drive in the towns around these cities like Virar, Vasai near Mumbai, Hoskote & Tumkur, near Bangalore, Kapra & Jeedimetla around Hyderabad, Navsari near Surat etc.

     

    One of the biggest green initiatives in the country, BIG Green Ganesha has over the years won awards for excellence in on-ground activations and creativity including the prestigious India Radio Forum Excellence in Radio Award and Golden Mikes.

  • Mukesh Bhatt re-elected as President of Guild at 60th Annual General Meeting

    Mukesh Bhatt re-elected as President of Guild at 60th Annual General Meeting

    MUMBAI: Shri Mukesh Bhatt was unanimously re-elected as President of The Film & Television Producers Guild of India Ltd. (“Guild”) at the first meeting of its newly constituted Guild Council of Management which was held immediately after the 60th Annual General Meeting on 27th August, 2014 at Hotel Sun-n-Sand, Juhu, Mumbai.

     

    The other office bearers re-elected as part of Shri Bhatt’s Management Team are Shri Dheeraj Kumar & Shri Siddharth Roy Kapur as Vice Presidents & Shri Ashim Samanta as Treasurer. Additionally, Shri Manish Goswami & Shri Vijay Singh, CEO, Fox Star Studios were elected as Vice Presidents and Ms. Shrishti Arya was elected as Treasurer.

     

    Veteran Guild member Shri Kamalkumar Barjatya was honored by the Council on being accorded the privilege as a Member Emeritus of the Council of Management. Shri Madhu Mantena, Shri Sabbas Joseph & Shri Hiren Gada were elected as new members in the Guild Council of Management for the year 2014-15 whilst Ms. Guneet Monga was nominated by the Council as a Special Invitee.

     

    Kulmeet Makkar will continue to manage the affairs of the Film & Television Producers Guild of India Ltd. as its Chief Executive Officer.

     

    In his opening speech at the Guild Annual General Meeting – President Shri Mukesh Bhatt, in the course of apprising the members about various initiatives of Guild during last 12 months, also said …… “Since my anointment as President 2 years back, we have continued to tread on the holy grail of strengthening ‘Brand Guild’ and in all modesty, the process towards achieving this end has yielded providential results for the Guild. In this endeavor, I would like to mention the name of Kulmeet Makkar, Guild CEO, who has undertaken concerted efforts to give a professional and refined outlook to the Guild in the eyes of all stakeholders. By and large, the Guild has grown in stature over the last 2 years, with the kind of recognition it has been getting from all quarters such as Central & State Governments, foreign delegates & emissaries and friendly trade bodies. This year, with the new Government in place, we hope to establish channels of communication with the new order in our endeavor to further boost the healthy relationship we enjoyed with the previous regime which will positively lead to exponential growth of the film industry in the next 5 years.”

     

    The following are the members of the newly elected Council of Management of Guild:-
     

    1. Shri Mukesh Bhatt (President)

    2. Shri Dheeraj Kumar (Vice President)

    3. Shri Siddharth Roy Kapur (Vice President)

    4. Shri Manish Goswami (Vice President)
     
    5. Shri Vijay Singh (Vice President)

    6. Shri Ashim Samanta (Treasurer)

    7. Ms. Shrishti Arya (Treasurer)

    8. Shri Ramesh Sippy

    9. Shri Manmohan Shetty

    10. Shri Ashutosh Gowariker

    11. Shri Vipul Shah

    12. Shri Rakesh Roshan

    13. Shri Bobby Bedi

    14. Shri Sushilkumar Agrawal

    15. Shri Karan Johar

    16. Shri Farhan Akhtar

    17. Ms. Ekta Kapoor

    18. Shri Ratan Jain

    19. Shri N P Singh

    20. Shri Madhu Mantena

    21. Shri Hiren Gada

    22. Shri Sabbas Joseph

    23. Shri Kiran Shantaram (Permanent Member)

    24. Shri Randhir Kapoor (Permanent Member)

    25. Shri Amit Khanna (Permanent Member)

    26. Shri Kamalkumar Barjatya (Member Emeritus)

    27. Shri Rajkumar Kohli (Co-opted Member)

    Issued by the Film & Television Producers Guild of India Limited 28th August 2014.

  • YuppTV launches ETV Telegu for US viewers

    YuppTV launches ETV Telegu for US viewers

    MUMBAI:  The popular and prestigious Telegu channel ETV will now be available on YuppTV again. With ETV in the bouquet, YuppTV becomes the most dominant provider of Telugu content to the US region.

     

    As a favorite channel of the Telugu diaspora in the US, ETV is one of the most sought after paid channels included in the Telugu package offered to US customers by YuppTV.

     

    Talking about the launch, YuppTV CEO Uday Reddy said, “By offering ETV, we have become the dominant provider of Telugu content in the US Region. It is for the benefit and pleasure of thousands of Telugu viewers in the US that we have gone this extra mile to bring ETV back on YuppTV.”

     

    “Our aim is to give viewers a 360-degree experience and we will not compromise on any front, to deliver on our promise. We are sure that TV viewers in the US will welcome this new launch with enthusiasm. We are happy to give them the channels of their choice and trust that they enjoy every viewing moment,” he added.

     

    The Telugu package offered by YuppTV will cover all the important Telugu channels being aired in India. Viewers in US can stay completely updated of any key coverage, news bulletins or entertainment.

     

    Also, Yupp TV recently launched its own streaming player. Viewers will now be able to access more than 180 channels worldwide using any compact or portable wi-fi enabled player. Content will be made available as live V, catch-up TV, TV shows and movies in 1080p high definition (HD) quality to subscribers, turning normal TVs to smart TVs.

     

    YuppTV delivers more than 180 Indian television channels worldwide in 11 languages that comprise Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Oriya and Assamese to its viewers.

  • Sometimes, even the most protected places need extra security

    Sometimes, even the most protected places need extra security

    MUMBAI: White House is more than a home to the most powerful person in the world – the President of the United States. To the men and women who protect it, it’s a fortress. So what happens when the world’s most heavily guarded residence comes under attack? Find out how the Secret Service responds to national security threats in the Indian television premiere of MOVIES NOW Xclusive: Olympus Has Fallenthis Sunday31st August 2014 at 9 PMpresented by Airtel and powered by New Park Avenue Deo and co-powered by Nestle Everyday.

     

    When the White House (Secret Service Code: ‘Olympus’) is attacked, it’s up to one ex-Special Forces agent (Gerard Butler) to recapture the White House and save the President. To do so, he must navigate around challenging security protocols that are already in place to protect the White House. To ensure that the film seemed true to life, producer and actor Gerard Butler trained with and consulted ex-special forces and Navy SEALS while filming. Their experiences can be seen throughout the movie.

     

    When the White House is first attacked in Olympus Has Fallen, helicopters are seen firing at the building from the grounds itself. This scene was inspired by true events from White House history. In 1974, a stolen Army helicopter landed without authorization on the South Lawn of the White House grounds. Twenty years later, a light plane crashed on the White House grounds, killing the pilot on impact. Following the 2001 attacks, the restricted airspace above the White House was expanded and strictly enforced.

     

    To minimize the risks of further terrorist attacks, a script of Olympus Has Fallen was shared with the Pentagon prior to production to review any potential security breaches that they film may contain. This is a standard security procedure that all films depicting White House security, or the assassination of the President, must undertake before filming.

     

    This Sunday, don’t miss a North-Korean guerilla army outmaneuver the world’s highest security protocols in the Indian television premiere of the blockbuster Olympus Has Fallen on MOVIES NOW. Catch the giants of Hollywood – Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart and Ashely Benson – as they attempt to re-capture Olympus.

     

    Join the battle for the White House this Sunday 31st August at 9pm only on MOVIES NOW!

  • Smirnoff gets Bold with Black

    Smirnoff gets Bold with Black

    MUMBAI: SMIRNOFF, the world’s leading vodka, is set to redefine the vodka category in India with the launch of Smirnoff Black. The all new vodka brings forth the proposition of ‘Tonight’s Bold, Tonight’s Black’, reflecting the product as well as the attitude of the consumers today. Smirnoff Black is the perfect choice for bold occasions and displays its attitude through a premium ‘BLACK’ packaging and bold character of liquid. This is Smirnoff’s most significant launch in the recent years.

     

    With its full-bodied, smooth and distinct taste, it’s a vodka for those bold occasions where you want to do something that is a cut above the ordinary and breaks away from the mundane. Smirnoff Black has been carefully crafted using the award winning Smirnoff No.21 recipe and finished with a slow-flow filtration for a bold cut. This renders a unique smoky & malty note to the liquid that is best enjoyed on-the-rocks. With an international, bold and edgy look, Smirnoff Black is the boldest alternative in the playful world of Smirnoff.

     

    At the launch of Smirnoff Black, Bhavesh Somaya, Marketing & Innovation Director, Diageo India, said, “As a brand, Smirnoff stands for revolutionizing the Vodka category and introducing new experiences to its consumers. Staying true to this philosophy, we are proud to launch Smirnoff Black. This is a bold and unconventional addition to our portfolio, which reaches out to consumers who want to break free from the ordinary on those bold nights. India is one of the first markets to launch this product and we are confident that the consumers will love the experience that Smirnoff Black offers.”

     

    Speaking on the launch, Chris Armes, Innovation Technical Director Asia Pacific, Diageo, said, “Smirnoff Black presents an opportunity to the consumers to experience something that is truly unusual. We have created this unique product for consumers to enjoy a bold, full bodied and sophisticated vodka with surprisingly smoky & malty notes. Since Smirnoff Black is carefully crafted using the award winning recipe of Smirnoff No. 21, the consumers of our classic vodka will love this new addition to our portfolio. The uniqueness of this liquid is best savored in its signature serve, which is straight on-the-rocks, which makes stand apart from any other vodka in the country.”

     

    Smirnoff Black is available in Maharashtra and will be available in Karnataka from September 22, 2014, across all major outlets. With an ABV of 42.8% v/v, it is priced at Rs. 1300 in Maharashtra and Rs. 1240 in Karnataka, for 750ml.

     

    Diageo encourages you to drink responsibly!

  • CNN-IBN redefines prime time with ‘Bullet News’

    CNN-IBN redefines prime time with ‘Bullet News’

    CNN IBN, India’s leading English News Channel, has launched “Bullet News”, a new show that will feature the top stories of the day, non-stop in a niftier format. The show will be more about news than views that will keep the viewers abreast of all the happenings across the globe in just half an hour.

     

    Bullet News will be a bulletin featuring 30-40 important news of the day that will include stories across varied fields, from politics, business, international & domestic affairs to sports and entertainment. Through this special show, the channel intends to do a round-up of news to cater to those who miss out on the top news stories of the day.

     

    This is yet another path-breaking initiative from CNN-IBN that is likely to be a game changer in the English news genre. Don’t miss ‘Bullet News’, every Monday to Friday @ 10 PM, only on CNN-IBN.