ITV

Category: Press Release

  • Catch the MAX premiere of ‘Gunday’ at 1 pm on Sunday 17th and at 8 pm on Saturday 23rd August

    Catch the MAX premiere of ‘Gunday’ at 1 pm on Sunday 17th and at 8 pm on Saturday 23rd August

    MAX, the premium Hindi movies and special events channel brings you the fast paced action thriller, ‘Gunday,’ at 1 pm on Sunday, 17th August with a repeat telecast on Saturday, 23rd August at 8 pm.

     

    In his latest directorial venture, Ali Abbas Zafar has brought together Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Irrfan Khan to create a power house of a crime thriller. Packed with action, emotions, friendship, drama and some terrific performances, the film is a must watch for viewers at home.

     

    Set against the backdrop of the partition of Bangladesh from India in the 1970s, Gunday tracks the story of two Bangladeshi refugees Bikram (Ranveer Singh) and Bala (Arjun Kapoor) who arrive in Kolkata to escape the paedophilic industry. From stealing coal from trains as children to becoming the biggest coal mafia in Calcutta, they turn into the quintessential ‘Gunday’ who undertake a lot of charity work on the side.

     

    On finding filming in the fish market a challenge, Priyanka Chopra says, “The fish market really distracted me. Such a bad smell! I thought I would throw up after every five minutes. It was a distraction as there’s nothing you can do about your olfactory senses. It was horrible.”

     

    On being paired opposite his costar Priyanka Chopra for the first time, Ranveer Singh says, “She is actor-friendly, director-friendly, and producer-friendly. She makes everyone’s task easier by tapping-in her experience. She is a one-take artist.”

     

    Tune-in to watch the action-drama-cum-romance ‘Gunday’ that premieres at 1pm on Sunday, 17th and at 8 pm on Saturday 23rd August only on Sony MAX

  • Cartoon Network wins ‘Superbrands 2014-15’ in Satellite Channel – Children category

    Cartoon Network wins ‘Superbrands 2014-15’ in Satellite Channel – Children category

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network,home of the biggest and most iconic cartoon shows and characters, has once again been named a ‘Superbrand’ by consumers and the independent Superbrands Council Members of India.

     

    Cartoon Network emerged as the leading brand in the category ‘Satellite Channel – Children’ for the year 2014 – 2015. Infact, Cartoon Network received a net score of 8 out of 10, rankingit amongst the top 10% of all brands across all categories in India.The channel reclaims the title, having won the accolade in the same category in 2012 – 2013.

     

    Siddharth Jain, Managing Director, South Asia, Turner International India Pvt. Ltd. commented on this achievement by saying: “We are very pleased that Cartoon Network continues to not only be the highest rated channel within the kids’ genre but has also earned great brand value and loyalty with its audience. Being awarded by Superbrandsyet again is truly an honour.”

     

    The network’s success is built on top-rating series such as Roll No. 21, Oggy and the Cockroaches, Adventure Time and Steven Universe as well as perennial favourites like Tom and Jerry and Ben 10. Siddharth continued, “These franchises are proven hits and, as we make headway into our 20th anniversary, they’ll be complemented by some exciting new comedies. We’ll also be announcing some big-name acquisitions and adding more locally-produced animation to our line-up.”

     

    Lastly, acknowledging the efforts of the India team, Siddharth said, “As a global media conglomerate, we couldn’t be more thrilled that Turner India is the only network to have both its channels as leaders within the same genre. It gives us great pride to know that a young brand like POGO was a close runner for Super brand and missed it by a whisker.I am extremely proud of the teams and would like to congratulate them for their passion for thebrands that has led to this success.”

     

    Superbrands is an independent global organization that selects winning brands basedon their excellent work. The selection is done by thousands of consumers, highly reckoned professionals from the Indian advertising, media, marketing and corporate world.

  • India’s Mobile Internet Users now sing the Idea Anthem – ‘Hum Nahi Banege Ullu Aaj Se’

    India’s Mobile Internet Users now sing the Idea Anthem – ‘Hum Nahi Banege Ullu Aaj Se’

    MUMBAI: Continuing with its effort to drive Mobile Internet penetration in India, Idea Cellular, one of the largest mobile operators in India, has come up with a new advertisement with a catchy jingle based Anthem, and an unconventional creative.

     

    Breaking the clutter of similar looking ads on Television, Idea’s new TVC shows a choir with people from across the country, singing the anthem – “Hum Nahi Banege Ullu Aaj Se…” – and thanking Idea Mobile Internet! The song is based on humorous lyrics and a hummable tune, and is sung in a celebratory manner for the freedom begotten from mobile internet. The ad shows people getting the light of knowledge from their mobile screens and caution those who try to con unassuming people lacking knowledge.

     

    The ad is based on Idea’s successful ‘No Ullu Banaoing’ campaign which helped the mobile operator build relevance of mobile internet in India and increase trials amongst its users in non-metro locations, leading to data revenue and subscriber growth.

     

    Speaking about the new TVC, Mr. Sashi Shankar, Chief Marketing Officer, Idea Cellular said, “The new Idea ad is in line with our advertising strategy of being simple, creative, and using Music, to deliver the message in an emotionally appealing manner. I am hopeful, that our new ad will stimulate audiences and get them to sing along, and spread the message that Mobile Internet empowers users with knowledge and information.”

     

    The theme is in line with the sentiment of Independence Day, and has been released on Television on Sunday, 10th, August. The campaign will be amplified across various media outlets including TV, Radio, Digital and Social media over the next few weeks.

     

    The ad created by Lowe can be viewed on: Link

  • ‘Aata Majhi Satakli’: Unleash Singham’s fury with two exciting games based on the much awaited movie Singham Returns

    ‘Aata Majhi Satakli’: Unleash Singham’s fury with two exciting games based on the much awaited movie Singham Returns

    MUMBAI: ‘Aata Majhi Satakli’, that’s right you’ll be hearing a lot of it alongside ferocious lions roaring while you play supercop ‘Bajirao Singham’ with two exciting games that have been launched to enthrall gamers. At one moment you could be riding a sports car on a high speed action packed mobile racing game and in the next you could be in an exciting and thrilling running chase behind villains on the streets of Mumbai. The two games are based on the most anticipated movie of this year and it sure won’t disappoint you.

    On the running action thriller, Singham Returns – The Game, players can test their reflexes and collect coins as they jump, kick enemies and wield the famous Singham belt. The game features five stunning and beautiful environments of Mumbai City. Your villains have no chance as the fearless Singham unleashes his rage and hops on a police bullet chasing down his enemies. The game has been localized into Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada so players across India can enjoy the full gaming experience in their vernacular.

    Reliance Games is also excited with their partnership with Roosh Interactive for Singham Returns – TakeDown. This 3D racing game pops open a real map based on your phones geo-location and plots in other players playing the game awaiting a challenge. A selection of rides from exotic sport cars to even a military grade tank makes you feel indestructible.

    “Our vision for India has been to launch a bouquet of games that appeals to the diverse tastes of Indian mobile gaming audiences. Singham Returns presents the perfect opportunity to develop exciting games around a hugely popular movie IP that has captured the imagination of Indian fans worldwide. Gamers can now partake in the same excitement and energy as Bajirao Singham while playing on their mobile devices,” said Manish Agarwal, CEO of Reliance Games

    Deepak Ali, CEO of Roosh Interactive said “It has been a pleasure to partner with Reliance Games for Singham Returns – TakeDown and we look forward to many such associations in the future to launch exciting gaming titles in India”

     

    Celebrate this Independence Day by downloading these thrilling games and unleash the inner lion in you!

  • 7th Advantage India Short Film Contest organized by Pocket Films, calls for entries

    7th Advantage India Short Film Contest organized by Pocket Films, calls for entries

    MUMBAI: Pocket Films has organized a short film contest, 7th Advantage India in association with River to River Florence Indian Film Festival, Italy. With a promise to be bigger and better like every year, 7th Advantage India Short Film contest is calling for entries from young budding film makers as well as professional filmmakers.

     

    Organized with an aim to uplift the filmmakers and give them the ‘center stage’ in the film industry by recognizing their talent internationally, the contest has carved its name in the industry through its initiative taken for short filmmakers.

     

    7th Advantage India organized by Pocket Films will render a lot of opportunities to filmmakers to show up their talent in filmmaking. It opens the doors for the 3 winning films to reach out to audiences and other festivals in Europe through screening at River to River and as promised 7th Advantage India is back this time to take the film makers a step closer to their dreams.

     

    The 3 winning films will be broadcast on the show ‘Prime Talkies with Pocket Films’ on NDTV Prime, getting a national audience.

     

    Further, Pocket Films is proud to present the first ever ‘India Chapter of the River To River, Florence Indian Film Festival’ in Mumbai in March 2015. All the winning films of the festival (not just Advantage India) will be screened at this event to be held at Blue Frog.

     

    The film entries will be judged by esteemed jury members like Film maker, Nagesh Kukunoor, Director of River to River, Florence Indian Film Festival, Selvaggia Velo and Specializer in casting, film programming and Academic research, and Editor of Film India Worldwide ‘Uma Da Cunha.

     

    According to Saameer Mody, Managing Director, Pocket films, “7th Advantage India is an initiative by Pocket films which is aimed to showcase the talent to respected professionals and veteran film directors from the industry. We aim to be at the forefront of these exciting, challenging and transformative times by giving alternate content and its creators the exposure and acclaim they deserve.”

     

    By organizing such contests, especially in association with respected International Film Festivals, Pocket Films provides a fantastic platform for filmmakers to show case their talent not only domestically but worldwide.

     

    River to River is the only festival in Italy that is totally devoted to films from and about India. This year will be its 14th edition, starting from 6 to 12 December in Florence and 13-14 December in Rome, under the direction of Selvaggia Velo and the Patronage of the Embassy of India.

  • Police Watches announces its association with the much-awaited Bollywood movie Singham Returns

    Police Watches announces its association with the much-awaited Bollywood movie Singham Returns

    MUMBAI: At a star-studded event today, Police Watches, licensed exclusively by Titan Company in India, launched its special edition collection of timepieces inspired by Bajirao Singham, the lead character of the blockbuster SINGHAM Returns. Slated to release this Independence Day, Singham is played by Ajay Devgn who can be seen sporting many of the flagship Police watches. Police is the fashion time partner for the Bollywood movie Singham Returns.

     

    The special edition Singham collection from Police is true to its name and comprises a range of watches for those who are bold enough to follow their own rules and like to wear their personality on their wrist. A confluence of classic and contemporary styles – the dials are trendy grunge and the straps are classical textured leather. Like Bajirao Singham, this range of watches is representative of the unconventional, yet remains true to its identity.

     

    Speaking about the exciting association, Mr. H G Raghunath – CEO Titan Watches and Accessories Division at Titan Company Ltd. said, “This is a proud moment for us to announce the association of our licensed brand Police watches with the much-awaited Singham Returns. Titan is always on the look-out for unique associations to create excitement for our consumers while offering the best in world-class products. The brand Police represents unconventional and individualistic fashion sense and Bajirao Singham mirrors this philosophy is his character. Singham’s bold and larger-than-life attitude is much suited to the brand – it goes against the stereotype. We are very excited to be the fashion time partner for Singham Returns.”

     

    Sharing his thoughts at the event, Director Rohit Shetty expressed his enthusiasm to be associated with a brand like Police. “Singham and Singham Returns are movies that are very close to my heart. I am delighted to have Police watches as the fashion time partner for Singham Returns as there is such a unique connect. These special edition watches represent everything that Bajirao Singham stands for – they are unique, unconventional and an exceptionally designed collection”, he said.

     

    Bollywood star Ajay Devgn, the protagonist of the movie, was equally elated. “It is an honour to have a collection of Police watches created especially for my character in the movie. The watches are a reflection of Bajirao Singham, standing out of the crowd and unabashed. Police as a brand is iconic in the fashion space and this unique collection is for someone like me, who loves to wear their personality on their wrist.”

     

    The special edition Protector watches are available in four cities – Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad, on special pre-bookings at Helios, Shoppers Stop, Amazon.com and other key multi-brand stores. Priced at Rs. 16995, the watch comes with a customized army chain in a specially designed.

  • Star runs marathon specials of Emmy nominated shows

    Star runs marathon specials of Emmy nominated shows

    MUMBAI: Intensifying the anticipation around televisions most iconic awards night, The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, the Star Network, the official broadcast partner for in India has special plans to promote the same. Celebrating the simulcast of the starry gala across its 5 channels i.e. Star World, Star World HD, Star World Premiere HD, Fox Crime and FX, the network has a special programming plan in place wherein a marathon run  of select 2014 Emmy Nominated shows will go on air on Star World, as a precursor.

     

    Perfectly timed with the ongoing Emmy fever,  eager audiences can look forward to the extravaganza and root for their favorite shows, Star World will rerun shows like Mad Men (Season 7), Modern Family (Season 4), The Big Bang Theory (Season 5) and The Simpsons (Season 23), all of whom find themselves among the nominees this year. Starting from 9th August, Mad Men Season 7 will air from 11am to 6pm, followed by The Simpsons Season 23, airing from 11AM to 6PM on 16th & 17th Aug, The Big Bang Theory Season 5 on 23rd and 24th August from 11AM to 6PM and finally Modern Family Season 4 from 8:30AM to 8PM on 26th August.

     

    Along with the special programming, The Emmys will be heavily promoted on the digital platform with specially designed activations.  A poll will also run on social media to predict and vote who they think would win the Emmys this year across categories in the hope of winning exciting and exclusive gifts including an iPad Mini.

     

    Nominated in 10 categories, the popular comedy show Modern Family vying for the Emmys in the Outstanding Comedy Series among other categories,  follows three different, yet related families and their lives as they face trials and tribulations in their own uniquely comedic ways. Also earning a nod in the Outstanding Comedy Series category is the popular American sitcom The Big Bang Theory having garnered 7 nominations for the Emmys this year. The brilliant comedy revolves around a pair of physicists who understand how the universe works but have no clue about how to interact with people.  Also in the run for an Emmy this year is the animated satire and the longest-running scripted show in television history- The Simpsons. The series, a satirical depiction of middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, struck a chord among viewers from the time it went on air 20 years back. With 8 nominations, the classic drama Mad Men stands tall having been nominated for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in Drama series among other categories for the year. Set in the 1960’s, the period drama revolves around one of New York’s most prestigious ad agencies, while focusing on one of the firm’s most mysterious but extremely talented ad executives, Donald Draper.

     

    Watch the three-hour Emmys Live on 26th of August at 5:30 am on Star World, Star World HD, Star World Premiere HD, Fox Crime and FX and at 8: 00 pm (repeat) on Star World, Star World HD, Fox Crime and FX.

  • How Cinema influences Culture & Marketing: Mahesh Bhatt and Stuart Sender

    How Cinema influences Culture & Marketing: Mahesh Bhatt and Stuart Sender

    MUMBAI: The International Convention Hall at the iconic Bombay Stock Exchange towers played host to the second edition of the IAA Young Turks Forum on Tuesday, August 6. Well-known film-makers Mahesh Bhatt and Stuart Sender participated in a discussion that was moderated by Hungama Digital Media MD and CEO Neeraj Roy. The topic of the discussion was ‘How Cinema influences Culture and Marketing’.

     

    “The question is how we can put some star power and thinking in terms of how we market media, culture and ideas – to work for some other issues and causes that will make people think and make an impact in meaningful ways,” said Stuart Sender.

     

    Director and Producer Mahesh Bhatt in turn was matter-of-fact. He said, “Having believed that movies do not influence human nature and bring any change, I discovered that some movies that came from my heart did have a significant impact on the lives of people; therefore, it had an impact on culture.”

     

    The evening ended with well-known singer and musician Joi Barua regaling the audience with his foot-tapping songs.

     

    Welcoming the gathering and speakers, Srinivasan K. Swamy, President, IAA India Chapter & Vice President, Development, Asia/Pacific region of IAA, said, “Young Turks Forum initiative attempts to bring global captains face-to-face with the youth so that they can get first-hand knowledge on issues that concern us all.”

     

    “Given our strong connect with the youth, HBO is delighted to be associated with the Young Turks Forum, an excellent thought exchange platform for future leaders,” said Monica Tata, Managing Director HBO South Asia, Presenting Partner of the IAA Young Turks Forum.

     

    “The response to this edition of the IAA Young Turks Forum was phenomenal with an audience of over 800 people. We promise to come back with an equally enriching Young Turks Forum event in two months,” added Manish Advani, Head, Marketing and Public Relations, Mahindra Special Services Group, and Chair of the IAA Young Turks Forum series.

  • 92.7 Big FM celebrates Independence Day at the Wagah Border with ‘BIG Paigham – Sarhad Ke Naam’

    92.7 Big FM celebrates Independence Day at the Wagah Border with ‘BIG Paigham – Sarhad Ke Naam’

    MUMBAI: Independence Day is the only event where people across the country come together to celebrate regardless of their caste, creed or religion. As the nation celebrates the 68th year of Indian independence on 15th August 2014, 92.7 BIG FM too is all set to wave the Indian tricolor high up in the sky this year! In a one of its kind initiative, 92.7 BIG FM along with its RJs – RJ Siddharth, RJ Neelesh Misra and RJ Prateek will visit the Wagah border to celebrate this occasion with the BSF Jawans to soak in the feeling of freedom, patriotism and pride.

     

    As a part of this very special initiative, 92.7 BIG FM will connect with family and friends of the jawans before the journey; RJ Neelesh Misra will carry along their specially recorded messages and gifts to be conveyed to the jawans as a surprise from their loved ones.

     

    The entertaining celebrations will also comprise of a LIVE storytelling event based on a true story surrounding the life of a soldier and will be hosted at the Attari border by RJ Neelesh Misra and his team. RJ Prateek, on the other hand, will travel to the Wagah border on his bike with his comrades and collect gifts and messages for the soldiers from people along the way. RJ Siddharth will be an integral part of the celebrations, interacting with the jawans and providing updates via radio.

     

    Speaking of this initiative, Ashwin Padmanabhan, National Business Head, 92.7 BIG FM stated, “A day attributed to our nation can only be best spent with the ones who safeguard it. We are extremely delighted and honoured to execute an initiative as noble as this one. Through this initiative, we wish to make Independence Day a livelier and happier celebration for our Jawans and aim to spread this cheer throughout the country.”

     

    Jawans, who spend most of their time training, use their spare time entertaining themselves by singing songs, narrating stories around a campfire or simply writing back to their loved ones. This Independence Day, 92.7 BIG FM along with its RJs will spend time entertaining the jawans through a host of various fun activities and interactions. With jocks like RJ Siddharth – the most popular RJ of the highly rated Breakfast Show in Mumbai, RJ Neelesh Misra – famous lyricist and host of popular show ‘Yaadon Ka Idiot Box’ and RJ Prateek who comes with the promise of Happy Hours in the lives of the people from Delhi, listeners across the country will be witness to the unique celebrations LIVE through 92.7 BIG FM all day on August 15, 2014.

     

    While all of the 36 Hindi Speaking markets will air the day’s special LIVE from the Wagah border, 92.7 BIG FM has also developed a 360 degree marketing campaign to back this gracious initiative.

  • ‘Holiday: A Soldier is never Off Duty’ this Independence Day on Zee Cinema

    ‘Holiday: A Soldier is never Off Duty’ this Independence Day on Zee Cinema

    MUMBAI: Zee Cinema, India’s No. 1 Hindi movie channel aims to offer something special to its discerning viewers this Independence Day with the World Television Premier of the action-thriller movie ‘Holiday: A Soldier is never off Duty’. This Friday, August 15, 2014 at 12 noon, Zee Cinema will air Akshay Kumar’s latest blockbuster film which grossed the box office with approximately 145 crores globally. Having tasted box office success after long, this Akshay Kumar starrer promises to offer viewers an insight into the life of a soldier through an interesting plot, Zee Cinema recognized the threat that the country faces with ‘Sleeper Cells’ and hence chose the creative route of ‘Freedom From Terrorism’ to spread awareness to the common man.

     

    For the World Television Premiere of Holiday, Zee Cinema has undertaken a robust 360 degree campaign across key HSM markets with the message of ‘Aatankwaad se Aazadi’ across press, television, digital, theatres, outdoor in Mumbai and Mumbai Airport. The presenting sponsor for this blockbuster is Vimal Pan Masala and it is powered by L’Oreal Paris Total Repair 5 and Mahindra.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Ruchir Tiwari, Deputy Business Head, Hindi Movie Channels, ZEEL stated, “At Zee Cinema, it has been our constant endeavour to provide our viewers with the best of movies and entertainment. We are confident that with our creative communication of ‘Freedom From Terrorism’, this film will be appreciated as much on television as during the theatrical release.”

     

    He further added: “The story of Holiday revolves around an Army officer who fights against terrorism and therefore premiering it on 15th August is perfect. What distinguishes this movie from the rest is its fresh take towards patriotism where the thrust is firmly on common man’s duty towards his country and we are sure that this will resonate with the mass audiences.”

     

    The story follows the life of Captain Virat (Akshay Kumar), an officer in DIA – a wing of the Indian Army who returns home to Mumbai for a holiday. Upon his arrival, not only does he fall in love with a feisty Saiba (Sonakshi Sinha), he also experiences a life-altering situation that calls for him to take charge of the country’s security. While vacationing, Virat and his friend cum sub-inspector Mukund (Sumeet Raghavan) incidentally witness a bomb explosion only to realize that it was a part of a larger scam. A terrorist organization headed by an anonymous leader (Freddy Daruwala) is about to plant bombs across Mumbai with the help of 12 sleeper cells thus causing serial bomb blasts in the city. What is Virat’s plan of action to protect the citizens of India?

     

    So here is your chance to experience a true patriotic and entertaining film, this Independence Day… Only on Zee Cinema!