ITV

Category: Movie Channels

  • Disney UTV presents a movie slate with the biggest stars across multiple languages!

    Disney UTV presents a movie slate with the biggest stars across multiple languages!

    MUMBAI: After witnessing the most successful year for any studio ever in 2013, on the back of commercial blockbusters such as Chennai Express, YehJawaaniHaiDeewani and Race 2; and high concept films such as Kai Po Che, ABCD, Ship of Theseus, The Lunchbox and Shahid; Disney UTV will pack the very best in movie entertainment for audiences in 2014 and beyond, with an incredible line up of movies!  The Studio is all set to gun for an even bigger piece of the Box Office pie with a power packed slate of releases, featuring the biggest stars in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Hollywood.  At the same time, the studio is committed to continue to push the envelope, with concept driven films showcasing young new talent in front of the camera and behind it. With this slate, Disney UTV will have films that span a wide variety of genres from drama, action and horror to romance, comedy and thrillers. The slate also features the first slate of locally produced Disney branded  movies including Khoobsurat, P.K.. ABCD 2 and JaggaJasoos.

     

    “Disney UTV has produced some of the most trendsetting and cult movies of the past decade and we are confident that our upcoming releases will keep the same tradition alive. Our foremost effort is to ensure that we bring our audiences great stories that are original, innovative and delivered by the best talent in the business. We are delighted to associate with some of the most talented names in the industry – established names and debutants – to deliver a slate of movies that will entertain audiences of all ages and tastes.” added Amrita Pandey, VP and Head, Theatrical, Television & Digital Distribution – Studio, Disney UTV

  • TNT bags premier rights to The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

    TNT bags premier rights to The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

    MUMBAI: Time Warner’s Turner Broadcasting System has bagged the television rights to The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. TNT already has rights to Peter Jackson’s first Hobbit, from New Line and MGM. The movie will premier on TNT in 2016, while the 2012 release The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be aired in 2015.

     

    The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was acquired by TNT post its huge box office success. Reports suggest that the movie has bagged more than $400 million in worldwide BO and $ 127.5 million domestically, since its release earlier this month.

     

    TNT had first ventured into Tolkien’s Middle Earth with its network television premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 2004. Since then the network has been acquiring movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in 2005 and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2006.

     

    TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies president, head of programming Michael Wright said in a release, “TNT has been the primary television home to Tolkien’s Middle Earth for nearly a decade, beginning with our network television premieres of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. We’re proud to continue our association with these extraordinary and enormously popular epics with the acquisition of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.”

  • India, buckle up for Here Comes Honey Boo Boo

    India, buckle up for Here Comes Honey Boo Boo

    MUMBAI: India is set to witness the fascinating world of Boo Boo family and their hijinks in TLC’s new series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. The international hit series will bring an inside look into the world of beauty pageant queen and reality star Honey Boo Boo aka Alana Thompson. Here Comes Honey Boo Boo will make its debut on Indian television on 17 January, Friday-Sunday at 10 pm on TLC.

     

    Featured as one of the ‘Most Influential Women in TV’ under 30 years, Honey Boo Boo, in the new series, will showcase her antics along with her mom June, dad Sugar Bear, three older sisters and uncle Poodle at the family home in McIntyre, Georgia.

     

    “Over the years TLC has entertained Indian audience with its eclectic programmes and wide variety presented through unique formats, hosts and themes. We are expanding our offering by bringing the international hit series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo to Indian television screen this January,” said Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific senior VP and general manager – South Asia and head of revenue, pan-regional ad sales and southeast Asia Rahul Johri.

     

    Here Comes Honey Boo Boo follows the charming eight-year-old Alana and her family in rural Georgia doing what they do best: four-wheeling through mud pits and picking up road kill for the family cookout. Alana’s amusing personality and self-confidence has won millions of viewers across the world and her self-proclaimed nickname has become a fixture in pop culture.

     

    From family outings to loud and crazy family get-togethers, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo aims at taking the viewers off the pageant stage and into the unapologetically outrageous family life of the Honey Boo Boo clan.

  • CBFC gets CEO in Railways’ Rakesh Kumar

    CBFC gets CEO in Railways’ Rakesh Kumar

    MUMBAI: The Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has finally found its CEO.  Rakesh Kumar, who is currently a senior Divisional Personnel Officer in the Indian Railways Personnel Service (IRPS) in Vadodara has been chosen as the new CEO for three years. He steps into the shoes of former CEO Pankaja Thakur, who completed her three year term on 20 September 2013.

     

    Press Information Bureau (PIB) Mumbai director Manish Desai had been given additional responsibility as CEO following Thakur’s departure. The CBFC had been CEO-less for almost a decade and had been run by its chairpersons until Thakur joined in 2010.

     

    Kumar was selected after a long process for which the CBFC received many applications. About five to seven officials were shortlisted to be interviewed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and CBFC chairperson Leela Samson.

     

    Kumar is on a Central Stopping Deputation, which means he will be on deputation to the CBFC for three years, and after that he may resume his current job. According to official sources, the appointment order came in yesterday and Kumar is set to join within a fortnight.

  • Case against Sanjay Leela, Censor Board Chief

    Case against Sanjay Leela, Censor Board Chief

    NEW DELHI: The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Lucknow, has sought report by 8 December from the Station Officer, Gomti Nagar, regarding social activist Nutan Thakur’s case for registration of FIR against Kishore Lulla, producer, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, director of Goliyon ki Raasleela: Ram Leela and Leela Samson, Censor Board Chairperson.

     

    As per the complaint, this title was given despite specific order of the Allahabad High Court in a previous case filed by her where the Court had said that religious sensitivity needs to be addressed.

     

    Later the Censor Board under Samson passed this film despite knowledge of orders of Allahabad High Court in Vinod Shanker Misra case where Court had regarded use of word Raasleela as hurting the sentiments of Hindus, a fact which was proved when the High Court banned this film in UP, saying that its title hurt the Hindu sentiments.

     

    Based on these facts, Thakur had presented an FIR before the Police and approached the Court when the police refused to register the FIR.

  • Ajay Devgn to promote indie films with a US production house

    Ajay Devgn to promote indie films with a US production house

    MUMBAI: Usually made on a shoestring budget and with limited resources, independent films have to grapple a lot to find their place among the right audience. But it seems there’s some help at hand for the indie filmmakers now.

     

    Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn and Brillstein Entertainment Partners (BEP) have announced a partnership to form LA-based Shivalaya Entertainment. The development and financing outfit will focus on independent films that will aim for broad appeal.

     

    Shivalaya has given a go ahead to its first film, Parched, that is centered on the bitter-sweet journey of women in the parched rural landscape of India. It was written and is to be directed by Leena Yadav who has directed Teen Patti, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley.

     

    “At one end, traditional films continue to entertain and make business sense. At the other, there is a resounding presence of some new forms and voices making a mark in this ever expanding medium. I am keen to be a part of that growth, that change,” said Devgn in a release.

     

    “I am coming forth to support the independent film process where we can share important stories that need to be told — global stories that will resonate with international audiences. Our collaboration with Brillstein is an important step in that direction, to ensure we have the best resources from the west to engage a wider audience,” he added.

     

    BEP executive Jai Khanna said that the production house has projects in the pipeline targeted for an international appeal. “We will also be looking at working on projects with a diversity of talent, American or otherwise, with an aim to reach out to wider audiences,” he said Khanna in a release.

     

    “The stories could be from any culture but with a universal appeal. We at Brillstein are perfectly positioned to bring these kinds of films to the table while packaging the appropriate talent that such stories merit.”

  • 9XO and Sony Music to present ‘Teach 1D to dance Bollywood style

    9XO and Sony Music to present ‘Teach 1D to dance Bollywood style

    MUMBAI: 9XO, the international music channel from 9X Media is providing One Direction fans in India, an opportunity never to be missed.  The channel in association with Sony Music is the official partner celebrating the 1 D Day in India. 9XO has launched a contest titled ‘Teach 1D to dance Bollywood style,’ offering the viewers an opportunity to teach some cool Bollywood style dancing to this popular English-Irish pop boy band.

     

    1D Day which will be held on 23 November is a global event providing an exclusive insight into the lives of ‘One Direction’ band members consisting of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. Being the official partner of 1 D Day, 9XO will also premiere their latest song Story of My Life exclusively in India. The channel has also created the ‘Teach 1D to dance Bollywood style’ contest for the fans to showcase their love for One Direction.

     

    9XO channel head Luke Kenny said “Our exclusive partnership with Sony Music, will give our viewers the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to associate with One Direction. Every country has planned a unique challenge for the boys and with Indian cinema going global; we were keen on the band members experiencing the vibrant flavor of Bollywood through the ‘Teach 1D to dance Bollywood style,’ contest. One Direction is a rage amongst the youth across the globe and this is our treat to their fans across India. So, bring it on all you One Direction fans and let’s teach them some super cool Bollywood moves!”

     

    ‘Teach 1D to dance Bollywood style’ contest by 9XO will provide the hardcore fans a chance to teach the Boys their most favourite Bollywood moves. The best video selected will be played on 1 D Day on 23 November for the band.

    The ‘Teach 1D to dance Bollywood style’ contest will be promoted on air and across all the digital platforms.  Fans can also log on to Twitter.com/9XOIndia for the latest updates. Last date for participating in the #1DDayIndia challenge is 19 November.

  • ‘Chennai Express’ halts on &pictures

    ‘Chennai Express’ halts on &pictures

    MUMBAI: Did you get a reminder call from Shah Rukh Khan to watch Chennai Express on &pictures? Following the success on Zee TV which garnered 19,541 TVTs, Shah Rukh Khan and Rohit Shetty’s gigantic blockbuster, Chennai Express will now halt on &pictures on 23 November at 8:00 pm.

    The new Hindi movie channel is pulling all stops to make this premiere an even a bigger success than Zee TV. The channel has devised an interesting digital mechanism to promote the premiere of this blockbuster film.

    “It is the first of its kind initiative on Hindi movie genre space,” asserts Zeel marketing head (national channels) Akash Chawla. “It is a challenge now for &pictures. When there is a platform as big as Zee TV and when there is a movie as big as Chennai Express and the ratings are as big as what they had come when it was last aired, it makes it that very important for the newly launched &pictures. The challenge for us it to come up with a strategy that is new and different from what was used the last time it was telecast on Zee TV.”

    “But in terms of the way in which we are building Chennai Express on the channel is aggressive and different. While we are very aggressive on the traditional medium, a lot of hoardings are up in Bombay and for print we are digging deep into the markets also. The brand &pictures is very different as compared to Zee TV so the tonality of the promotion is extremely different as compared to what you saw on Zee. A complete blend of mass media and digital in a big way.”

    The brand &pictures is very different as compared to Zee TV, says Akash Chawla

    So what are the innovations? Breaking new ground, a unique IVRS (Interactive Voice Response System) model has been created. Through this, viewers can just give a missed call on this toll free number 18001035515 and get a reminder about the movie on their phones in Shah Rukh Khan’s own voice. It works like an alarm clock wherein one can set a reminder about the telecast of the movie and receive a call on the D-Day. The channel is promoting this number on-air as well as on social media.

    Interestingly, Brandlogist, a digital creative agency based in Delhi has been roped in for these innovations.

    There’s more good news for all movie bloggers and travel freaks! Tapping again into the digital media, the channel is sending four lucky bloggers on the actual Chennai Express train. The group of bloggers will take the train from Mumbai and will go to Chennai and while they travel, they will tweet and write on various forums with regards to their actual travel experience happening on the Chennai Express with the &pictures hashtag. This is another novel way that the movie is going to be promoted via blogging community. Actual experiences and pictures will also be uploaded real-time.

    With the help of the blogging community associated with Indi Bloggers, these bloggers from Mumbai and Delhi will get to win this experience on the Chennai Express train.  A page on Indi Blogger will track the entire journey from start to finish in real time. There will also be a live feed of their tweets, blogs and pictures on social media.

    Over and above the digital initiatives, an aggressive marketing strategy has been initiated on other mediums including TV, Radio, Print, Outdoor, OOH and Cable.

    At present, the new channel has its official Twitter page with twitter handle @AndPicturesIN and boasts of more than 4,300 followers. The page is buzzing with tweets and re-tweets related to Chennai Express with hashtags #chennaiexpressandyou. It has also launched its official Facebook page which has more than 57,000 likes.

  • Zee to capture world viewers with a corporate film

    Zee to capture world viewers with a corporate film

    MUMBAI: Films are one of the best ways to express oneself. And that is exactly what even Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zee) is doing with a Corporate Brand film that was unveiled today. It is based on its brand positioning – “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The World is My Family”.

    Through the film, the company reinforces its vision to welcome the entire world to be a part of the Zee Family in an extremely unique and creative manner.

    The musical film, which has been created by Scarecrow Communications, blends people from various countries staying with Indians like a joint family – working together, enjoying rituals and celebrating festivals in an Indian style. It reflects the essence of Zee’s brand image, conveying that it has been a cultural ambassador of India, to millions of viewers across the globe for more than two decades. The network has also roped in Hot Films Production Company for the corporate brand film.

    Zee’s head corporate brand Roland Landers said in a release: “I am extremely glad to unveil the new brand film. Zee’s brand positioning envisions its world as a unified family, without any caste, boundary or religion, which this film has beautifully brought to life showcasing a blend of multiple nationalities celebrating togetherness.”

    Zees brand positioning envisions its world as a unified family, says Roland Landers
    		 We are confident that this communication will establish the perfect connect with the audience, says Manish Bhatt

    The channel will be rolling out the film on all Zee channels, social media platforms and the newly launched corporate website and other key on ground properties very soon. It will certainly ensure that the film reaches all the key internal and external stakeholders of Zee.

    Scarecrow Communications founder director Manish Bhatt, said: “It was like an opportunity to create this one-of-its-kind World Anthem. Creating communication for the brand that connects with more than 700 million viewers and over 169 countries was a mammoth as well as a prestigious assignment for Scarecrow. We are confident that this communication will establish the perfect connect with the audience.”

    The entire music video has been shot at exotic locations – like the Royal lands of Rajasthan and scenic Maharashtra. Monumental sites like Patwa Haveli, Jaisalmer Fort, Gadisar Lake, Suryagarh Palace along with Streets of Jaisalmer and Koyna Lake in Satara were chosen to bring out the essence of distinct visual that the world identify India with.

    The song in film is sung by Keerthi Sagathia, who became popular after singing the title song for Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate. She has also sung A R Rahman’s compositions like Maiya Maiya from Guru, Veera from Raavan among others, Vivienne Pocha, who has sung many hits for movies like Taare Zameen Par, Housefull, Fashion, Delhi-6, Bachna ae Haseeno, The Blue Umbrella, Bas Yun Hi, Yuvvraaj among others, and Akshat, a young classical singer.

    It is composed by Rooshin Dalal, one of the youngest music directors known for his composition and background score for Ram Gopal Varma’s The Attacks of 26/11, Rajat Kapoor’s Mithya and Dibakar Banerjee’s Love Sex aur Dhoka.

    The music video has been directed by Vijay Maurya of Hot Films, who is known for his performance as an actor in movies like Socha Na Tha, Black Friday, Paanch and Mumbai Meri Jaan. 

    This brand film can be watched on www.zeetelevision.com

  • BAG Films bags Urmila Gupta as additional director

    BAG Films bags Urmila Gupta as additional director

    MUMBAI: The Anurradha Prasad owned BAG Films has been strengthening its senior management. A couple of months ago, it announced the appointment of television veteran Ravina Raj Kohli as an advisor. Today, it informed the Bombay stock exchange (BSE) that it had roped in a new additional director in former DD and Star TV professional Urmila Gupta.

     

    Currently, Gupta is a trustee director at Cinema Capital, an investment advisory company. She is also a producer/promoter at Taal India Communication. Confirming her appointment, BAG Network MD and chairperson Anurradha Prasad says, “We welcome her to the company. She is an old TV hand with a 360 degree experience. She will add a lot of value to BAG.”

     

    Gupta has over 35 years of experience in the media and entertainment sector. She was the head of the India International Film Festival for many years. Later, she joined Doordarshan as deputy director general of its news and current affairs division.

     

    In 1996, Gupta joined Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp as executive director of Star TV group. She headed its DTH operation in India called I Sky B which got dissolved, leading to her leaving the company in 1999. Apart from this, she has also worked with the Indian government for nearly 28 years.