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Tag: Agent Vinod

  • Reliance MediaWorks studios emerges as a preferred destination

    Reliance MediaWorks studios emerges as a preferred destination

    MUMBAI: Reliance MediaWorks studios Mumbai’s Largest and India’s first ‘Hollywood benchmarked’ super silent ‘sync sound’ capable sound stages built to stringent acoustical and structural specifications attracts the entire film television and commercial facility, as a one stop destination for all their production needs. Next years most awaited releases Salman Khan Starrer, Jai Ho and Aamir Khan’s P.K. were amongst of a host of movies shot at the studio.

    Commenting on the Reliance MediaWorks studio actor Salman Khan said, “It is fun to work in such a close to nature environment, with utmost peace and best standard of quality, the best thing about working in RMW Studios is that everything is so organized that we do not have to wait for anything, all shooting measures have been taken care of, nicely”.

    Commenting about the facilities at the Reliance MediaWorks Studio, Director Mr. Sohail Khan, said, “The RMW studio is a unique experience that makes filming a simple, effortless experience. We shot at the RMW studio for “Jai Ho”, our next production starring Salman Khan, and I am very impressed with the ease in which they were able to manage our shoot. Thank you so much for a stress free and enjoyable shooting schedule. The Reliance MediaWorks studio is a great facility and has great people to work with. I will definitely be back with bigger projects.”

    Raj Kumar Hirani, who filmed P.K. starring Aamir Khan at the Reliance MediaWorks studio, commented “We had a great time filming at Reliance MediaWorks Studios, things were made much easier by the access to all the facilities and having everything we needed at our fingertips. I was very impressed with the level of detail and focus on Western standards that went into building your sound stages and the supporting workshops. Way to go Reliance MediaWorks team. The combination of great facilities and friendly, knowledgeable staff made sure the shoot was problem free”.

    “The studios have been designed to meet both local and international film needs. “We aspired to create a total world-class facility here to enable producers capture their creative imagination in celluloid. What has been really encouraging is the number of producers and shows that keep coming back to use our facilities which are of real International standards.” Mr. Ashish Chakravorty of Reliance MediaWorks said. He further added that Phases II and III of the studio is gearing up to be operational from FY’14.

    The RMW studios offer enviable height options; unmatched data transfer connectivity and sync sound, making it an ideal choice for both film productions and broadcasters. RMW has fully operational 3 Sound Stages (Popularly called Studio 7), and 24 rooms of attached comprehensive production support facilities, to make the most extensive and complex design concepts possible. The RMW studio encompasses multipurpose workshops, art departments, make-up rooms, wardrobe rooms, star rooms, production offices, green rooms and storage spaces form part of the of the studio.

    The studios provides uncompromised access to a range of production & post production services for all media including Film and Digital Cameras, Broadcast Multicam Solutions, Automated Lighting Solutions, the finest Film Lab in India, DI Suites, VFX facilities and a world class Dolby Certified Preview Theatre.

    The Reliance MediaWorks Studio is on par with international standards. It provides sync-sound i.e. a noise co-efficient less than 30 db, which is not offered by any other Indian studio. It is the largest, fully air-conditioned facility in Mumbai with a clear internal height of 58ft. enabling enormous ‘live load’ bearing capacities and elephant doors which allow full truck access on to the stages. The fire safety and security measures are as per Los Angeles County Fire Department regulations.

    The recently concluded IPL “Extra Innings” has used the studio as its home base; Set Max did their direct to edit setups too. Reality shows like, Indian Idol, X-Factor, MTV Coke Studio have used the Reliance MediaWorks sound stages repeatedly over the years.

    Feature Films like Agneepath, Lootera, Agent Vinod, Student of the Year, Singham, Dhoom 3 and Ram Leela amongst others have been extensively shot here. On account of the monsoons in Mumbai, Sanjay Leela Bhansali Films had moved their entire outdoor set into the RMW’s studio facility which ensured continuity of the shoot and no delays.

  • ‘There is no major differentiation among the top 3 players’ – Mohan Gopinath

    ‘There is no major differentiation among the top 3 players’ – Mohan Gopinath

    Zee Cinema, the Hindi movie channel from the Zee stable, has seen it all since its inception in 1995. Right from being the uninterrupted ruler to seeing its territory being eaten into by new players like Star Gold and Max, the channel has weathered all kinds of climate. And it continues to be a cash cow within the Zee network of entertainment channels.

    According to Zee Cinema business head Mohan Gopinath, there is no major differentiation among the top three players. “We are all battling for the same share of the slice and there is no huge lead to say that this channel is number one as that keeps oscillating,” he says.

    Gopinath also believes that digitisation would throw open a lot of growth opportunities for the genre. Segmentation of movie channels would be one such area. He also believes that movie acquisitions would have to be in line with the business economics and strategies of the channel. In a conversation with Indiantelevision.com‘s Javed Farooqui, Gopinath talks about how Zee Cinema has managed to remain steady and relevant all these years despite the rise in competition and the changing consumption pattern.Excerpts:

     

    What are the key takeaways for Zee Cinema from 2012?

    The key takeaways were the premieres that we did. We did a premiere of Agneepath, English Vinglish, Agent Vinod and Joker. So those were the kind of refreshed content that was displayed on Zee Cinema. Then we had ‘Bollywood’s Most Wanted‘ festival during Dussehra which was a take on glorifying the villains. This has been a good year in terms of imagery and mileage that was displayed on Zee Cinema.

    How was the content different from what was offered in 2011?
    Refreshing content, that was the difference. We had heavyweight content which had superstars; and we also had English Vinglish which was so strong on content that people didn’t mind that it lacked a hero. Besides, we had Agent Vinod and Joker which also had stars which we as a channel could boast about.

    Zee Cinema used to rule the roost as numero uno Hindi movie channel but now it is at the second spot on the ratings table?
    In a scenario where you have very little to choose from, it is wrong to say that one is at number one or two because there is no major differentiation among the top three players. We are all battling for the same share of the slice and there is no huge lead to say that this channel is number one as that keeps oscillating. So I would like to believe that all three are on an even par and that is where the content resides at this point of time. The important fact is have you been able to maintain a steady base at the level that you were operating on and are you in the game right now because of so many environmental changes where certain channels have taken a huge lead and certain channels have gone off the boil. So a lot of things have happened in the last 45-50 days. It has been heartening to note that Zee Cinema has been rock steady and continues to do so.

    Have you seen any drastic changes in the ratings post digitisation?
    Not much. In fact competitor channels have fallen by certain points but nothing to suggest that any great upheaval has taken place. So all three are on the same even play. The averages for across the year and the past 13 weeks would seem to suggest so.

    How do you think  digitization will  help Hindi movie channels?

    The opportunity for broadcasters is the level playing field. In fact if I am not seen at all, then what is the incentive for me to say that whether I am good or bad. So I think digital (cable) will help cure that ailment in the sense that I will at least be seen. Then you can shout about the uniqueness that you bring to the table. Secondly, it becomes a completely viewer medium. All this while we were catering to a certain type of viewers who was interested in certain kind of movies but who also wanted to see something different. A case in point being classic: it is a very premium category that watches the the Bharat Bhushan’s and Dilip Kumar’s of the world. The newer generation may not know about them but they have always heard from their parents or grandparents that used to exist. So the quality of song will attract movie watching also. If per se I were to name an Awaara or an Arzoo, it will not ring a bell. But if I sing or hymn a particular song, you will say ‘let’s see that movie’ just to know what is in it that makes my parents rave about them. So that is a huge opportunity of how we can go about things.

    You have already segmented the genre with channels like Premier, Action and Classic. Are these channels getting any traction and how do you see them faring in digital era?

    We have to wait before we pass judgments on these channels because digital offers good scope. We are on the threshold of something that is about to explode, so in three-four months time we will be able to tell what has happened and what hasn’t. We are just waiting on the edge to appreciate it. The availability of these channels have increased. Zee Classic is getting carried across all the DTH operators. So I think that leads to a greater consumption of the channel.

    Zee Cinema was not very aggressive in acquiring big-ticket acquisitions but last year you changed gears?

    See, it depends on where you are and where you want to be in terms of taking the channel forward. Acquisition for the sake of acquisition will never work as you have to take into account the economics, the kind of strategy that the company has in place and the strategy that you (as a channel) have in place. It was a very informed call that this is the year we are going to make our presence felt in the market. You wouldn’t want to be counted out of the race of airing new movies, so that was clear decision and I am happy that it bore fruit.

    But viewers also want more of new content on movie channels?

    New and fresh content always appeals to the viewer but they do not let go the old content. There is this huge fallacy that viewers only like to watch new content. What is also important is do you have enough back-up content and plans in your kitty that once you are done with your premieres and once you are done with three-four telecasts (of new movies) do you have the library to sustain viewership and that is where the history and pedigree of the channel comes and that is where Zee Cinema is on a good footing at this point. We have a huge library to back-up the newer lot. It is so easy to say that I will buy everything in town but it doesn’t work even our competitors would agree it’s just a matter of what you have as a back-up plan.

    What is the brand philosophy of Zee Cinema?

    It carries along the company ethos with it which is that of being a family entertainment channel. We don’t want to be counted as a channel that does bizarre stuff and goes beserk with the kind of movies that we air. We have always been a rock steady channel keeping in mind the consumption pattern of the viewer. We believe that what appeals to us at a certain basic primal level will also appeal to viewers. The numbers (ratings) and the kind of response we have generated seems to suggest so.

    Have movie consumption habits been changing particularly due to the emergence of new platforms?

    It has impacted consumption habits a little bit, but to attribute everything to external factors will also not be right. People initially thought that DVDs would lead to the demise of movie consumption in theatres, but actually you have seen the theatre business grow multi-fold. I think they will co-exist because they are all appealing to a different set of TG.

    How do you decide on the scheduling of content?

    There is a lot of thought that goes into the scheduling because movie consumption can happen at any time. So am I at any given point satisfying the need of my viewer at that particular point in that particular mood? That is the kind of study that goes into deciding the schedule and acquisition of movies for that particular slot. There are lots of packages that are being done.

    Like the branded slots that you have?

    A case in point being ‘Dopahar Zee Cinema Par’ in the month of May. So those kind of things or if there have been new acquisitions that we will have to put into it to give it a different flavour and a different positioning. If I keep on scheduling movies, then not everyone will come to know about it by just running a promo. Here I am giving a different flavour, I am tapping into that aspect of a never before scene or a great content that helps you understand the ethos of the movie or what goes into the making of it.

     

  • Zee Cinema takes digital route to promote Agent Vinod premiere

    MUMBAI: Zee Cinema has lined up digital innovations for the premiere of Agent Vinod on 1 September at 8 pm.

    The presenting sponsor of the movie is Brooke Bond Taj Mahal while the channel has roped in Blackberry as the powered by sponsor.

    To engage the online game buffs, a game has been created by the channel. It is currently hosted on Facebook. The game is about playing pranks with one‘s friends and is titled ‘Mere Dost Ki Pungi‘, taking off from the popular song of the film.

    Also, the channel is engaging with the users online by showing ‘behind the scenes‘ footages and also highlighting unknown facts about ‘Agent Vinod‘.

    According to the channel, the masthead of Youtube will be taken over on 1 September with a creative that will enhance the premiere tune-in, have trailers, behind the scene footage, trivia and the option to play an application. There will also be take-overs on portals like Yahoo and MSN. The channel will create a ‘Youtube Mobile Roadblock,‘ wherein anyone accessing any video on youtube using their mobile will be able to catch the ‘Agent Vinod‘ tune in. The premiere of ‘Agent Vinod‘ is being promoted across the DTH players of India – Dish TV and Airtel – along with a “robust” campaign.

    ‘Agent Vinod‘ promos have played in 400 cinema screens across 13 major cities in the Hindi speaking markets during the screening of ‘Ek Tha Tiger‘. Along with the running outdoor campaign, the on-air campaign of ‘Agent Vinod‘ is also being played out across the Zee Network.

    The promos have been customised for each target genre to ensure maximum brand recall. On kids channels, there is an animation promo, where the protagonists and antagonists are shown in an animated avatar. On music channels, the best songs of the movie are used in the background score while showcasing highlights from the film. Meanwhile, on news channels the creative showcases India and Pakistan coming together.

    Zee Cinema has also taken the television airing rights of ‘Barfi‘, ‘Joker‘ and ‘Heroine‘.

  • Housefull 2 joins Rs 1 bn club

    Housefull 2 joins Rs 1 bn club

    MUMBAI: Housefull 2 continues to do very well at the box office, maintaining steady figures in its second week with a net collection of Rs 297 million to take its total to Rs 955 million.

    Interestingly, the film has already crossed the Rs 1 billion mark during its third weekend by adding approximately Rs 100 million during the Friday-Sunday period.

    Meanwhile, last Friday‘s release Vicky Donor has been appreciated well and despite a weak opening, the positive word of mouth has helped the film tremendously as its Sunday collections showed as much as 90 per cent improvement over its opening Friday figures.

    The film has collected Rs 81 million in its first weekend having found much favour with multiplex audience.

    Hate Story lured some crowds at single screens thanks to its bare back publicity. But in the absence of appreciation, the weekend collected stood at Rs 58 million, indicating that the film‘s best showing may have come to an end looking s evident from its Monday performance.

    Bittoo Boss, a film sans star value as well as content, met a poor fate as it managed to collect Rs 21 million in its first week. Chhodo Kal Ki Baateinalso failed to find audiences.

    Agent Vinod collected Rs 1 million in its fourth week, taking its total to Rs 436.5 million.

    Kahaani continued to contribute a decent Rs 6 million in its sixth week. The movie has so far collected Rs 590.9 million.

    Paan Singh Tomar added Rs 0.8 million in its sixth week, taking its six-week tally to Rs 168.8 million.

  • Bittoo Boss fails to take command of the box office

    Bittoo Boss fails to take command of the box office

    MUMBAI: Bittoo Boss gets a poor response at the box office, collecting a meagre Rs 15 million in its opening weekend.

    The second Friday release, Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein, fared worse earning a negligible amount.

    Housefull 2 did very well in its first week to collect Rs 658 million and continued to swell during its second weekend, adding another Rs 197 million to take its 10-day total to Rs 855 million.

    Though the collections are affected to a certain degree due to the IPL, especially at centres where the home team plays, they are compensated on other days. Being the only entertaining fare to watch during the initial stages of the IPL has worked to the film’s advantage.

    Agent Vinod‘s collections fizzled out as the film managed to take home a mere Rs 2 million in its third week, netting Rs 435.5 million so far.

    Kahaani can be termed a super hit, considering its cost and the fact that the film continues to do well even as the star cast films have faded by week two. The film has gone on the collect Rs 13.5 million in its fifth week, totaling Rs 584.5 million.

    Paan Singh Tomar collected Rs 1.5 million in its fifth week, taking its total to Rs 168 million.

  • Housefull 2 fills up plexes, nets Rs 455 mn

    Housefull 2 fills up plexes, nets Rs 455 mn

    MUMBAI: Housefull 2 opened handsomely, netting Rs 455 million its its first weekend. The movie ran to near full capacity in multiplexes, peaking on Sunday by adding about 25 per cent more than its opening day collections.

    The multi-starrer film maintained a steady business even on Monday.

    Bumboo, a nondescript film, fared poorly at the box office.

    Meanwhile, Saif Ali Khan‘s Agent Vinod added Rs 67.5 million in its second week, taking its total to Rs 433.5 million. The film stands to lose a major chunk of its investment.

    Kahaani continues to hold its own despite new releases. The film collected Rs 45 million in its fourth week, taking its net collections to Rs 569 million.

    Paan Singh Tomar has impressed at the turnstile, considering none had confidence to release the film for about three years. When it hit the theatres eventually, it released at very limited screens. The film has collected Rs 6 million in its fourth week, taking its net box office collections to Rs 166.5 million.

  • Blood Money fails to keep cash counters ringing at the box office

    Blood Money fails to keep cash counters ringing at the box office

    MUMBAI: Blood Money proves a lot of sweat about nothing as the film finds poor patronage. In its first weekend, the film collected a meagre Rs 55 million, making it a disappointing fare.

    Bumboo, the other Friday release, also put up a poor performance at the box office.

    Saif Ali Khan’s Agent Vinod has been rejected outright by the audience as an unpalatable spy thriller. Having opened to below average response, it dropped further after the first weekend to finish with Rs 366 million.

    Kahaani remained a one horse race, maintaining steady collections at select multiplexes. The film has collected Rs 88 million in its third week, taking its total to Rs 524 million.

    Chaar Din Ki Chandni added a symbolic Rs 0.6 million in the third-week taking its total to Rs 62.6 million.

    Paan Singh Tomar collected Rs 10 million in its third week and has netted Rs 160.5 million so far.

  • Agent Vinod fails to thrill weekend audiences, nets Rs 273 mn

    Agent Vinod fails to thrill weekend audiences, nets Rs 273 mn

    MUMBAI: Agent Vinod, the Saif Ali khan thriller, has finished its opening weekend score at Rs 273 million. The film failed to improve its box office performance during the Saturday-Sunday weekend due to lack of good word of mouth, as it found audiences mostly from the multiplexes and failed to influence the single-screen theatres.

    The new releases, Zindagi Tere Naam, Chaurahe, Akkad Bakkad Bam Be Bo, Say Yes To Love and Love Possible, received tepid response at the box office and in their first week appearance managed to collect just a few lakh of rupees.

    Kahaani continued to grip the box office, winning appreciation for its suspense, narration, acting and filmmaking skills. The Sujoy Ghosh movie, with Vidya Balan as the main protagonist, mopped up Rs 189 million in its second week to take its total to Rs 436 million.

    Chaar Din Ki Chandni added Rs 10 million, taking its two-week tally to Rs 62 million.

    Paan Singh Tomar collected Rs 31 million in its second week. The film has so far netted Rs 150.5 million.

    Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya collected Rs 9 million in fourth week. Its total now stands at Rs 182 million.

  • Agent Vinod off High Court hook

    Agent Vinod off High Court hook

    MUMBAI: Earlier this week, it was reported that the Iranian band Barobax Corp sent a legal notice to Agent Vinod’s music director Pritam and distributor Eros International citing copyright infringement of one of their numbers.

    The band had claimed that the initial portion of the film‘s song Pungi was lifted without changes from the band‘s popular number Soosan Khanoom composed way back in 2010 that was registered on 30 June under the Copyright Act in Canada.

    On Wednesday, they moved the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on Agent Vinod’s release, along with a restraining order from using the track in the film.

    However on Thursday, the case was heard and dismissed, with the film opening on Friday as planned. The cause for this dismissal of the case was that the band failed to appear in person and the similarity between the two tracks was marginal.

  • Saif Ali Khan mulls 3D sequel of Agent Vinod

    Saif Ali Khan mulls 3D sequel of Agent Vinod

    MUMBAI: After the release of his spy drama Agent Vinod, Saif Ali has Khan has started work on his next assignments.

    On top of the list of his prioriities is a 3D sequel of Agent Vinod. “I don‘t understand 3D and don‘t enjoy it, but my son does. So, may be for the larger portion of audiences, one should consider it for a sequel,” Khan said.

    Khan is also mulling with the idea of making an action thriller that would be based on a French comic book. He has already procured the rights to adapt the book for a film remake.

    Said Khan, “The film is definitely on the anvil. This is a great story and if it is done in the right way, it would be something unique. Beyond that, it would be premature to talk about the director, cast members and other details. Let‘s wait for a while for the complete announcement.”

    The film, expected to be mounted on a huge scale, would be co-produced by Khan and Fox Star Studios India and directed by Anurag Basu.

    Both Khan and Basu will sit across to finalise other logistics before bringing the film on the floors after the latter finishes his production in progress film Barfi.