Tag: Anurag Basu

  • MTV and HUL launch ‘MTV Films’

    MTV and HUL launch ‘MTV Films’

    MUMBAI: In a first of its kind collaboration, MTV India, the leading youth entertainment brand and Hindustan Unilever Limited, India’s largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods Company are coming together for the launch of MTV Films.

     

    MTV Films, a unique initiative, will present six original films by six young, cutting edge and cult directors of new age Bollywood –  Anurag Basu, Anurag Kashyap, Rohan Sippy, Nikhil Advani, Abhinay Deo and Shoojit Sircar, each a stalwart in his own right. Starting March 23, 2014 at 7 PM one director’s movie will be showcased each month for six months which will be inspired by the philosophies of different HUL brands such as Sunsilk, Tresemme, Ponds, Lakme and Close Up amongst others. Through each movie, the iconic directors will portray the take of today’s youth on age old topics of love, family, friendship, relationships and ambitions in an hour long entertaining story.

     

    Speaking about this initiative, Aditya Swamy, EVP and Business Head of MTV, said, “Content is the No1. social currency of today and that makes it the most powerful medium to connect with consumers. Our partnership with HUL reflects the thought leadership both partners bring to the media and marketing world. Getting six superstar directors to create wonderful stories for brands is a coup and we are excited to launch a brand new franchise with MTV FILMS.”

     

    Hemant Bakshi, Executive Director, Home & Personal Care, HUL, said, “HUL firmly believes in pioneering and creating newer ways of engaging consumers by leveraging popular culture. With the launch of MTV Films, we will re-define the way in which brands tell their stories to consumers. This initiative will focus on communicating brand purpose and we are confident that it will resonate with our audience and build brand love.”

     

    Ravi Rao, Leader – South Asia, Mindshare, “Mindshare has been instrumental in raising the bar and pioneering Innovations for Unilever through its strategic partnerships and alliances. This is a yet another initiative for Unilever that will usher in a new era in innovation which will set the template for ‘best practices’ in the region. We are very proud of this initiative that we have driven with MTV and we look forward to scaling up the model year on year.”

     

    Amin Lakhani Leader-South Asia, Team Unilever, “Converting India’s passion points into key communication opportunities is our endeavour and a challenge we thrive on. Story telling is the new mantra to connect with our consumers, something that we have done over the years with much success. This initiative is the new benchmark not just from the uniqueness of the concept, but ably complimented with scale and execution. Moving away from branded placement, into branded content in its most pristine form with this initiative, is something we are very proud of.”

     

    This distinctive collaboration goes ‘beyond television’ platform with multiple touch-points like mobile, online and radio to engage the consumers.

     

    So gear up to see a unique film every month from March 23, 2014 at 7 PM kick-starting with Anurag Basu’s film, ‘REAL FM’ only on your favourite youth entertainment channel, MTV

  • ‘Tere Aane Se’ to be shot in Delhi in September

    ‘Tere Aane Se’ to be shot in Delhi in September

    The shooting for Tere Aane Se, a romantic love story, will soon begin in Delhi. Starring Purab Kohli, Gulshan Grover, Rati Agnihotri and Rituparna Sengupta, the movie will be directed by filmmaker Agnidev Chatterjee.

    Rahul Bose, cousin of filmmaker Anurag Basu, has penned the script and Palash Muchhal has composed music for the film. The film will go on floors in September and will be shot at locations like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Delhi, Agra, Shimla, Manali, Nasik, Canada, etc.

    Says Agnidev Chatterjee: “We will start shooting the film from 9th September. We begin at the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, and the next day at Jaipur. Then, we travel to Agra on the 11th. We shall also be shooting at various locations in Delhi on the 13th and 14th. Later, we travel to Manali for a four-day-shoot beginning on the 18th. On the 24th, we shoot at the Chail Palace and then come back to Delhi at end of the month, when we’ll be shooting at the Pataudi Palace till 6th October.”

    Speaking about the story of Tere Aane Se, Chatterjee adds, “The story is a very interesting one; its basically a love story. We have a great supporting cast and will be using real locations for the shoot. Nasik Jail will also be one of our shoot locations. Besides, we shall also be shooting in places like Mehrangarh Fort, Chail Palace and Pataudi Palace for the shoot. In Agra, we plan to shoot a rock song with the backdrop of the Taj Mahal.”

  • Gatsby launches its new TVC for its hair styling product

    Gatsby launches its new TVC for its hair styling product

    MUMBAI: The newly launched hair styling product ‘Gatsby Water Gloss‘ has come up with a new TVC staring actor Varun Dhawan. The TV commercial has been conceptualised by Dentsu Creative Impact.

    The 45 seconds commercial showcases the brand ambassador Varun Dhawan in different roles where he is seen jumping from the helicopter, fighting in a war, talking to his blind mother and dancing on a train‘s rooftop repeating the same dialogue in all the scene ‘Hero ke baal kabhi kharab nahi hotey.‘

    The ad film has been directed by Anurag Basu and produced by Fullmoon Productions.

    On entering India and expanding the presence of the hair grooming brand in India, Mandom India marketing head Takayuki Enomoto said, “We are all very excited about launching Gatsby Water Gloss in India and starting our marketing activities in full swing with our brand ambassador Varun Dhawan. We plan to cultivate a ‘hair styling culture‘ in India. We are looking forward to influencing young men through Varun and expect this association to boost the brand‘s visibility in India with the help of our creative partner Dentsu Creative Impact.”

    According to the Dentsu Creative Impact national creative director Harish Arora said, “The objective of the TVC was to emphasis on the benefits of the product which gives instant styling and strong holding power. We have used some Bollywood scenes in this commercial to make this ad more interesting. Glamour and beauty is a big thing in Bollywood that is the reason that the hero always looks ‘perfect‘- in any situation. The hero will always look like a million dollars. This is where our idea came from. We decided to showcase that even in extreme situations; a hero‘s hairstyle never gets messed up. The reason is Gatsby Hyper Solid.

    When asked about Varun Dhawan being roped in for the ad, Arora added, “We wanted to approach a talented and a new face who can represent the youth and who could have been a better choice than Varun Dhawan.”

  • Anurag Basu’s Barfi! gets 13 nominations at IIFA 2013

    Anurag Basu’s Barfi! gets 13 nominations at IIFA 2013

    MUMBAI: The votes for the 14th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards are in, after the IIFA voting weekend ended in March.

    The nominations reflect the diverse and thriving landscape of the Indian Film Industry today, showcasing 2012 as an eventful year for Bollywood with more than 155 new releases receiving global acclaim.

    Taking the lead with an impressive total of 13 nominations is Anurag Basu’s Barfi, followed by Shoojit Sircar’s comedy Vicky Donor that has garnered nine nominations. Following closely is Gangs of Wasseypur 1 and Dharma Productions‘ remake of Agneepath. Films like Cocktail, Kahaani, Paan Singh Tomar and the Yash Chopra‘s last film as a director Jab Tak Hai Jaan have also secured themselves a place in the 14th IIFA nominations.

    This year’s award will have directors, Anurag Basu (Barfi), Anurag Kashyap (Gangs of Wasseypur-1), Sujoy Ghosh (Kahaani), Tigmanshu Dhulia (Paan Singh Tomar) and Shoojit Sircar (Vicky Donor) compete for the accolade of being the best director.

    Hrithik Roshan (Agneepath), Ranbir Kapoor (Barfi!), Manoj Bajpayee (Gangs of Wasseypur-1), Shahrukh Khan (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), Irrfan Khan (Paan Singh Tomar) and Ayushmaan Khurrana (Vicky Donor) are all contenders for the prized IIFA Award for Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male) while among leading ladies Priyanka Chopra (Barfi!), Deepika Padukone (Cocktail), Sridevi (English Vinglish), Huma Qureshi (Gangs of Wasseypur-1), Kareena Kapoor (Heroine) and Vidya Balan (Kahaani) will battle it out for the Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female).

    Pritam has got two nominations in the category of Best Music Direction for his scores in the films Barfi! and Cocktail. Other nominees in the category include A.R. Rahman (Jab Tak Hai Jaan), Ajay-Atul (Agneepath) and Sneha Khanwalkar (Gangs of Wasseypur-1).

    Mika Singh for ‘Pungi’ (Agent Vinod), Sonu Nigam for ‘Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin’ (Agneepath), Ajay Gogavale for ‘Deva Shree Ganesha’ (Agneepath), Mohit Chauhan for ‘Main Kya Karoon’ and ‘Aashiyan’ (Barfi!) and Ayushmann Khurrana for ‘Paani Da Rang’ (Vicky Donor) are in contention for the Best Playback Singer Male award.

    In the female category, those battling for the Best Playback Singer Female are Shreya Ghoshal for the songs ‘Chikni Chameli’ (Agneepath) and ‘Ashiyan’ (Barfi!) along with Rekha Bhardwaj for ‘Phir Le Aya Dil’ (Barfi!), Kavita Seth for ‘Tumhi Ho Bandhu’ (Cocktail) and Shalmali Kholgade for ‘Pareshan’ (Ishqzaade).

    Wizcraft International Entertainment and IIFA director Sabbas Joseph said, “It’s been a phenomenal year for the Indian Film Industry and the nominations for this year will definitely reflect this. The growth has been remarkable. 2013 will witness the 14th year of the IIFA celebrations, honouring the best of the year gone by.”

  • Cinematographer Ravi Varman injured on the sets of Ram Leela

    Cinematographer Ravi Varman injured on the sets of Ram Leela

    MUMBAI: Cinematographer Ravi Varman, whose visuals in Anurag Basu`s Barfi fetched him several accolades, was injured while shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali‘s film Ram Leela.

     

    Varman fractured his hand, putting a question mark on the rest of the schedule. The film features Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone in lead roles and is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

     

    Said a member of the unit, “Sanjay Sir was of the opinnion that we immediately wrap up the rest of the schedule, however, Varmanji didn`t want Deepika Padukone`s and Ranveer Singh`s dates to go to waste. So he went along. But soon, the pain became unbearable and it turned impossible for him to wield the camera with the fractured hand. Sanjay Sir has now called off the rest of the schedule (two days) till Varmanji is ok.”

     

    It is believed that the losses are minimal as only two days of shooting remained.

     

    Accidents are a regular feature on the sets of a Bhansali film. Last time, a light man Subhash Morkar (40) fell to death while he was handling the lights on the sets on the sets of Devdas at Filmistan Studios.

  • Indo-German film week opens in Berlin

    Indo-German film week opens in Berlin

    MUMBAI: To bring film communities of Germany and India closer, an Indo-German Film Week has been organised in Berlin. The week will see film screenings, workshops, interactions and master classes, all presenting the Indian film and media world to the German and international audiences.

    States the Indo-German Film Week website, “We want to show the German and international audience the whole variety of Indian Cinema, that there is much more than just”song and dance films”. But we will also show the vibrant Fiction Production in Germany which is internationally recognized for its high quality Movies Made for TV.”

    The highlight of the event is the Indo German Screenwriting Workshop from 5 to 7 February that will have lectures by screenwriter and head of screenwriting department at FTII, Anjum Rajabali, Keith Cunningham, a German screenwriter and consultant, author and head of the German Film and Television Academy, Berlin, Jochen Brunow who will talk about principles of storytelling and Indian and Greek mythology.

    Among 15 film screenings, Barfi!, English Vinglish, Shanghai and Inkaar will make their German premieres in the presence of their respective directors.

    While Gauri Shinde (English Vinglish) will speak on women‘s rights in India, Anurag Basu will share his knowledge and experience about the process of turning a screenplay into a movie like he did with Barfi!

    Organised by Life Entertainment and Babylon Berlin, the film week that began from yesterday (5 February) will run till the 11th of this month.

  • Barfi! to screen at Busan Film Fest

    Barfi! to screen at Busan Film Fest

    MUMBAI: Director Anurag Basu‘s upcoming film Barfi! has been selected for the Busan Film Festival to be held next month.

    “There is another good news today for Barfi team and fans, we got selected for Busan film festival. yeaaah!! Thanx Utv,” tweeted Basu.

    Another good news is that the film has also bagged a U certificate from the Censor Board. Basu, who is known for adult and mature themes in his films has said it is the first U certificate film in his career.

    “Just got the censor certificate, ‘Barfi!‘ is my first U certificate film,” tweeted Basu, who earlier directed films like Murder, Gangster and Life in a… Metro.

    Barfi!, that stars Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra along with Ileana D‘Cruz in the lead roles, is slated for a 14 September release.

  • UTV launches interactive application for their upcoming film Barfi

    UTV launches interactive application for their upcoming film Barfi

    MUMBAI: UTV Motion Pictures has launched an innovative and interactive application called The Flavour of Barfi! for their upcoming film Barfi! on YouTube.

    Talking of the new application, Disney UTV, executive director marketing, studios Shikha Kapur said, “We constantly innovate in our film marketing to keep audiences engaged. Ranbir is a youth icon and has a huge online fan following. So, we decided to marry the theme of Barfi! with Ranbir‘s charismatic personality to create an exciting new experience on YouTube that will keep users entertained for hours.”

    Added Ranbir Kapoor, “When UTV came to me with this concept, I loved it because it‘s a totally new way to connect with my fans online. We shot extensively for this YouTube application and I am sure people will have an awesome time discovering the various moods and quirky styles of Barfi!”

    Barfi! directed by Anurag Basu also stars Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D‘Cruz in the lead. The film will hit worldwide theatres on 14 September.

  • UTV announces release dates of Barfi, Joker and Heroine

    UTV announces release dates of Barfi, Joker and Heroine

    MUMBAI: UTV Motion Pictures has announced the release dates of three of its big-ticket films.

    While Anurag Basu-directed film Barfi! will release on 31 August, the Akshay Kumar-Sonakshi Sinha-starrer Joker will release on 14 September and the Madhur Bhandarkar-helmed Kareena Kapoor-starrer Heroine on 21 September.

    Barfi!, which stars Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileyana, is the story of Barfi-the chalu Chaplin who the girls love but the cops hate. He can‘t speak but is always talked about. His naughty antics will make one scream but he never listens, because he can‘t.

    On the other hand, the country‘s first ever extra-terrestrial drama, Shirish Kunder-directed film Joker is the story of Agastya (Akshay Kumar), a researcher probing the existence of aliens in the universe who returns to his small little native village. The out-of-luck Agastya takes it upon himself to put his crazy village on the global map and continues with his exploration on aliens from there.

    While his plan gets the village attention from across the world, it also comes with a great deal of risk. Will aliens save the day for Aghastya or will his plans fall like a pack of cards?

    The film has been produced by UTV Motion Pictures, Three‘s Company and Kumar‘s Hari Om Productions.

    Lastly, Heroine is based on the life and times of a superstar heroine from the dream factory we call ‘Bollywood‘. The film is an entertaining, daring, emotional, shocking, glamorous, scandalous behind the scenes account of the reality behind the world of glitz and glamour that our film stars inhabit.

    For a country obsessed with films and film stars, Heroine will take audiences on a voyeuristic journey to see what really goes on behind the closed doors of make-up rooms and vanity vans. It gives them a chance to go beyond the gorgeous smiles and politically correct quotes, to see what really happens in the lives of India‘s sweethearts.

    The film has been produced by UTV Motion Pictures and Madhur Bhandarkar.

  • 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.