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Tag: Anand Gandhi

  • Watch scream-worthy Halloween movies on Tata Play Binge

    Watch scream-worthy Halloween movies on Tata Play Binge

    Mumbai: As the moon rises high in the night sky and the darkness draws nearer, get ready to embrace the spine-tingling chills, the eerie ambiance, and the unmistakable thrill of Halloween, the most bewitching time of the year! Tata Play Binge has pulled out all the stops to curate a list of hair-raising horror movies that will send shivers down your spine and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the spooky season. Here’s a list of top seven spooky Bollywood films that challenged the genre to give viewers a close look of the other realm. Make them your Halloween partner and explore a wickedly delightful cinematic journey on Tata Play Binge!

    1920: Horrors of the Heart on Disney+ Hotstar

    If you’re a fan of classic horror films with a modern twist, then 1920: Horrors of the Heart is the film for you. It’s a chilling tale of revenge, possession, and the dark secrets that families can hide. What really sets 1920: Horrors of the Heart apart from other horror films is its emotional core.  The director, Krishna Bhatt, creates a sense of unease and suspense, building stunning visuals and a haunting score.

    The Nun on Apple TV+

    For an absolutely spine-tingling horror experience, ‘The Nun’ directed by Corin Hardy, is a must-see. It unravels a chilling tale set in a remote Romanian abbey in the 1950s, where a priest and a novice investigate a nun’s suicide and unearth a malevolent force embodied by the demonic Sister Valak. The film boasts a talented cast, including Taissa Farmiga, Demián Bichir, and Jonas Bloquet, who elevate the suspenseful atmosphere. The Nun delivers eerie visuals and a haunting score, creating an intensely terrifying ambiance that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

    Tumbbad on Amazon Prime Video

    If you’re seeking an experience that seamlessly blends spine-tingling horror, mesmerizing fantasy, and a richness of  Indian mythology, Tumbbad is the movie you absolutely can’t miss. Considered one of the greatest works of Bollywood in horror, the Anand Gandhi directorial blends mystery, superstition and human greed to present an unforgettable journey along with Sohum Shah’s believable acting. The film also grabbed many awards like Awards of the International Indian Film Academy for Best Special Effects along with two awards at Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival.

    Stree on Netflix

    Stree is a captivating Bollywood horror-comedy that weaves supernatural elements with humor, offering an unforgettable cinematic delight. Studded with a cast including  Rajkumar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi and many more, it stands apart for its unique blend of combining humour with the age-old story of a vengeful female spirit on the prowl. The movie is considered remarkable as its success paved the way for Bollywood to experiment further with horror comedies and also gained a sequel with Jahanvi Kapoor and Raj Kumar as the lead

    Ragini MMS 2 on Zee 5

    Ragini MMS 2 has a cult following of its own. The film is an electrifying Bollywood horror sequel that seamlessly combines sensuality with supernatural suspense, delivering a gripping and unforgettable cinematic experience. Directed by Bhushan Patel, its uncanny story flow shot through a unique cinematography established Sunny Leonne as an actor in the horror genre.

    Darna Mana Hai on Lionsgate Play

    If you’re seeking a unique and gripping horror experience, do watch Darna Mana Hai directed by Prawaal Raman. The movie features six different short stories woven into a single narrative shared by a group of friends who find themselves stranded due to a car breakdown and decide to tell each other spooky tales to pass the time. With its ensemble cast of Saif Ali Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Boman Irani, Vivek Oberoi, and more, the film received a mixed response from critics, but it garnered a cult fan following for its refreshing approach to horror storytelling.

    Insidious: Chapter 2 on Sony Liv

    ‘Insidious: Chapter 2’ directed by James Wan, is an obvious must-watch for all horror fans! The film picks up right where the first installment left off, exploring the haunting consequences of the Lambert family’s connection to the spirit world. With an exceptional cast that includes Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, and Lin Shaye, this movie maintains a relentless grip on your nerves, offering a mind-bending and eerie narrative filled with twists and surprises. You can also find ‘Insidious: Chapter 3’ on Sony Liv as well for a spooky binge.

    Don’t Breathe on Aha

    For a heart-pounding thriller, watch ‘Don’t Breathe’ directed by Fede Álvarez. It follows young burglars breaking into a blind man’s house, played by Stephen Lang, expecting an easy score. However, their plans quickly unravel as they realize the blind man is far more dangerous and resourceful than anticipated, leading to a relentless game of cat and mouse that keeps you on the edge of your seat. With intense atmosphere and stellar performances from the cast, including Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, and Daniel Zovatto, it’s a suspenseful, nail-biting and breath-holding experience.

    Wondering how to get a subscription of these OTT apps? We have Tata Play Binge for you. Viewers can avail the entire package of 22+ apps (Disney+ Hotstar, Apple TV+, ZEE5, SonyLIV, Hallmark Movies Now, MX Player, Lionsgate Play, Aha, VROTT, Sun NXT, ReelDrama, Chaupal, Namma Flix, Planet Marathi, manoramaMAX, Koode, Tarang Plus, Hungama Play, Eros Now, ShemarooMe, Curiosity Stream, Voot Kids, EPIC ON, Travelxp, DocuBay, and ShortsTV) and Games under one subscription, in one app, without having to subscribe or remember the password of every app. Sounds amazing? It is amazing!!

    Please Note: Netflix and Amazon Prime Video plans are available for Tata Play DTH subscribers only.

    Download the Tata Play Binge app to enjoy the best of entertainment across over 22 OTT platforms. Tune into Tata Play Binge, where the most haunting classics from all corners of the world unite to celebrate the spooktacular magic of Halloween.

  • Anand Gandhi create stunning storyboard with artificial intelligence

    Anand Gandhi create stunning storyboard with artificial intelligence

    Mumbai: Anand Gandhi, known for pushing the boundaries of ideas and possibilities in cinema, games or tech, has taken to Instagram to share something cutting-edge – images from a film storyboard that he created purely using AI technology.

    These gorgeous images are from a hard science-fiction film that he announced in 2019 called Emergence. Since 2015, he has been speculating about a pandemic that brings the world to a halt. Ironically, the film was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    In the post, Gandhi shared, “My exposure to text to image AI happened when I visited MIT Media Lab a decade ago. Computer vision is going to inform our futures in ways I can only vaguely speculate, limited by the ceiling of my imagination.”

    His audiences and industry peers couldn’t contain their excitement at these images. Actor Vijay Verma commented, “This looks extraordinary, Anand.” Many other users also begged, “Please make this happen!”

    Whether Anand Gandhi actually intends to make this now is anybody’s guess. Regardless, we can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

  • Anand Gandhi’s brand film for Vicks wins big at Creative Circle Gong Awards, Singapore

    Anand Gandhi’s brand film for Vicks wins big at Creative Circle Gong Awards, Singapore

    Mumbai: After a hiatus in 2020, the Creative Circle returned with the annual Gong Awards to celebrate creative excellence in advertising. The event held on Sunday in Singapore had set this year’s theme as Create/Change. Celebrated Indian filmmaker Anand Gandhi (the maker of “Ship of Theseus” and “Tumbbad”) won silver for Best Direction for his work on the Vicks – Touch of Care Campaign. The film titled “Care Lives On” is a micro biopic of Dr Dnyaneshwar Bhosale who gave his life treating children with Covid-19.

    “Dr Dnyaneshwar Bhosale dreamed of building robust, empathetic systems of care and medicine. This film is a glimpse into the vision and commitment that he had for his community,” shared Gandhi. “It’s a call to togetherness, a reminder of the debt that we as a society owe to all those who’ve perished while saving our lives. I am grateful to the people at Vicks and Publicis Singapore for getting me on board to bring this story to life.”

    Gandhi has also directed several decorated, high-impact narrative brand films. His “One In a Million” film for Vicks had previously won four Cannes Lions in 2019, the most for a single campaign from India, including a Silver Lion and three Bronze Lions for Creative Strategy, Film Craft, and Film Healthcare. It also won three silvers at Spikes Asia for direction, script, and casting in the Filmcraft category. Gandhi’s Lifebuoy ‘Help a child reach 5’ campaign won Bronze Cannes Lion in 2017 for creative effectiveness, along with the ‘Grand Prix’ in PR, and ‘Silver’ in Healthcare at Spikes Asia 2016. He has also worked with Gillette, Google, and other brand partners.

     

  • A free cup of tea with Brooke Bond Red Lebel

    A free cup of tea with Brooke Bond Red Lebel

    MUMBAI: Meeting for a cup of tea is usually an excuse to connect with people, catch up with the old ones’ and explore new connections. But, what if you land on a couch opposite a sex worker, would you stay and talk or just walk away? Ogilvy and Mather conducted a social experiment on a busy morning at Churchgate station, Mumbai to find out.

    Hindustan Unilever has rolled out its campaign for Brooke Bond Red Label tea, Taste of togetherness. The video starts with setting up a booth on the busy station serving a free cup of tea to passengers.  An insurance agent walks in the booth and sits to have tea, while another lady joins her and begins the conversation. While in the conversation, the insurance woman finds out that other lady is a sex worker. The awkwardness can be seen on the agents’ face, but she could not walk away in between tea and continues to share the table with the sex worker. It all warms up when the agent finds out about sex worker’s daughter and how concerned she is about her.

    public://Screen Shot 2016-07-03 at 11.28.35 PM.png
    “The brand has developed campaigns concerning various issues like Hindu-Muslim neighbors and live-in relationships. It claims to have a purpose and through the campaigns it is attempting to build that image.” Says Ogilvy and Mather SVP Abhik Santara.

    The recent two minutes 24 seconds campaign is directed and produced by maker of Ship of Theseus- Anand Gandhi and conceptualized by Ogilvy and Mather. The production team had set up a booth a night before the experiment. With the pouring rush on a weekday morning, the booth attracted many people to drop in for a free cup of tea. It had a hidden camera set up, where people’s reactions were captured. According to the production, there were mixed reaction when people confronted the sex worker. Some people just walked away and some stayed.

    public://Screen Shot 2016-07-03 at 11.27.57 PM.png

    “The whole of idea of designing such a campaign for a tea product is that it’s a ice breaker. In the Indian context, when someone sits over a tea its personalized and people tend to share” said Ogilvy and Mather ECD Hrashad Rajadhakshya. Tea is called a social lubricant and the brand has tried to break these social barriers through putting across the table. Santara shared that many people just walked away on face, but some that stayed and spoke to the lady realized that no matter what her job was, the sex worker had as normal life like any of us.

    “We have always involved in such campaign because Hindutan Lever has a whole has a purpose to it and through the campaigns like these we convey them to our consumers,” added Karmakar. The basic marketing strategy adopted in the campaigns is to reach out to people on a emotional note by breaking these usual taboos.

    public://Screen Shot 2016-07-03 at 11.22.33 PM.png

    On choosing this particular clip, Santara said that it showed the connection between two women irrespective of their professions. How the insurance agent feels when she finds out about the sex worker’s daughter and how she is equally concerned about her daughter like any other normal parent. The campaign is titled Taste Of Togetherness – That Kind Of A Woman, this showed her first reaction.

    According to the makers, they are laying out many more such campaigns and we might also see more clips from the same experiment. The campaign will only launch on the digital platform. There are separate television- specific advertisements made.

    The advertisement surely leaves an impact on viewers and brings forth the thought to stay and talk or walk away? And how someone like a sex worker can be treated so differently from us? Such campaigns certainly make people to stop and think. Digital platforms have given space to brands to walk out of conventional problem solution promotions.

  • A free cup of tea with Brooke Bond Red Lebel

    A free cup of tea with Brooke Bond Red Lebel

    MUMBAI: Meeting for a cup of tea is usually an excuse to connect with people, catch up with the old ones’ and explore new connections. But, what if you land on a couch opposite a sex worker, would you stay and talk or just walk away? Ogilvy and Mather conducted a social experiment on a busy morning at Churchgate station, Mumbai to find out.

    Hindustan Unilever has rolled out its campaign for Brooke Bond Red Label tea, Taste of togetherness. The video starts with setting up a booth on the busy station serving a free cup of tea to passengers.  An insurance agent walks in the booth and sits to have tea, while another lady joins her and begins the conversation. While in the conversation, the insurance woman finds out that other lady is a sex worker. The awkwardness can be seen on the agents’ face, but she could not walk away in between tea and continues to share the table with the sex worker. It all warms up when the agent finds out about sex worker’s daughter and how concerned she is about her.

    public://Screen Shot 2016-07-03 at 11.28.35 PM.png
    “The brand has developed campaigns concerning various issues like Hindu-Muslim neighbors and live-in relationships. It claims to have a purpose and through the campaigns it is attempting to build that image.” Says Ogilvy and Mather SVP Abhik Santara.

    The recent two minutes 24 seconds campaign is directed and produced by maker of Ship of Theseus- Anand Gandhi and conceptualized by Ogilvy and Mather. The production team had set up a booth a night before the experiment. With the pouring rush on a weekday morning, the booth attracted many people to drop in for a free cup of tea. It had a hidden camera set up, where people’s reactions were captured. According to the production, there were mixed reaction when people confronted the sex worker. Some people just walked away and some stayed.

    public://Screen Shot 2016-07-03 at 11.27.57 PM.png

    “The whole of idea of designing such a campaign for a tea product is that it’s a ice breaker. In the Indian context, when someone sits over a tea its personalized and people tend to share” said Ogilvy and Mather ECD Hrashad Rajadhakshya. Tea is called a social lubricant and the brand has tried to break these social barriers through putting across the table. Santara shared that many people just walked away on face, but some that stayed and spoke to the lady realized that no matter what her job was, the sex worker had as normal life like any of us.

    “We have always involved in such campaign because Hindutan Lever has a whole has a purpose to it and through the campaigns like these we convey them to our consumers,” added Karmakar. The basic marketing strategy adopted in the campaigns is to reach out to people on a emotional note by breaking these usual taboos.

    public://Screen Shot 2016-07-03 at 11.22.33 PM.png

    On choosing this particular clip, Santara said that it showed the connection between two women irrespective of their professions. How the insurance agent feels when she finds out about the sex worker’s daughter and how she is equally concerned about her daughter like any other normal parent. The campaign is titled Taste Of Togetherness – That Kind Of A Woman, this showed her first reaction.

    According to the makers, they are laying out many more such campaigns and we might also see more clips from the same experiment. The campaign will only launch on the digital platform. There are separate television- specific advertisements made.

    The advertisement surely leaves an impact on viewers and brings forth the thought to stay and talk or walk away? And how someone like a sex worker can be treated so differently from us? Such campaigns certainly make people to stop and think. Digital platforms have given space to brands to walk out of conventional problem solution promotions.

  • PVR Director’s Rare and HumaraMovie come together to launch ‘Shuruaat’

    PVR Director’s Rare and HumaraMovie come together to launch ‘Shuruaat’

    MUMBAI: HumaraMovie is associating with PVR Directors Rare- limited release arm of PVR Group to launch Indian short film festival aptly called ‘Shuruaat’.

     

    With over 400 short film entries and 13 finalists, ‘Shuruaat’ promises to be the offspring board for budding film makers, who will be guided throughout the production and have been given access to a script consultant as well as casting, production and editing.

     

    The chosen filmmakers have created a short film around the topic ‘Interval’. The short film festival was open to filmmakers/creative artists all across India. The idea was to bring out the ingenuity in filmmaking and to cradle the creative mind of filmmakers.

     

    The selected participants will have their films screened in PVR as well as on HumaraMovie platforms. The winner will be decided by an audience vote for Rs 1 lakh prize money. The screened films will also get a home video release and the top two films will get a world premiere at the Ladakh International Film Festival.

     

    Filmmakers submitted an already existing film, along with a short 150 word biography about themselves. Participants were shortlisted basis their films and were given a topic on which they submitted screenplays. Based on the screenplays, 13 finalists were shortlisted who are now producing a short film with guidance from the mentors. There is no restriction on the genre of the film. The duration of the short film will be 15 minutes inclusive of opening and end credits.

     

    The relevance of the festival came from the statistics that showcase 15,000 films certified in a year out of which 11000 are short films. This indicates that each year, the number of documentary and short film makers in India taken as a category together rises by at least 20,000.

     

    The participants were mentored by popular names from the industry such as Imtiaz Ali, Anand Gandhi, Vikramaditya Motwane and Imtiaz Ali, Ritesh Shah, Kshiti Nijhawan Agrawal, Bijesh Jayarajan and Mukesh Chabbra.

  • Fortissimo Films acquires international rights of Miss Lovely

    Fortissimo Films acquires international rights of Miss Lovely

    MUMBAI: Days before the Cannes Film Festival, Amsredam-based Fortissimo Films has acquired the international rights of director Ashim Ahluwalia‘s Miss Lovely.

    The film will have its premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at 65th Cannes Film Festival. Taking advantage of the situation, Fortissimo will also market the film at the festival.

    Set in the lower depths of Bombay‘s “C” grade film industry, Miss Lovely follows the devastating story of two brothers who produce sex horror films in the mid-1980s.

    Commented Fortissimo in its official website, “The film gets under the skin of the Bollywood underground, an audacious cinema with wild cinemascope compositions, lurid art direction, rollicking background soundtracks and gut-wrenching melodrama.”

    The production, sales and distribution company has been behind films like Wong Kar Wai‘s In the Mood for Love. It had earlier acquired international rights of Indian director Anand Gandhi‘s Ship of Theseus which is currently under production.