ITV

Tag: Anurag Kashyap

  • Emraan Hashmi starred ‘Tigers’ to release next year

    Emraan Hashmi starred ‘Tigers’ to release next year

    NEW DELHI: The Emraan Hashmi starrer ‘Tigers’ directed by Danis Tanovic will be released in India on 6 March next year.

     

    Produced by Prashita Chaudhary of French company Cinemorphic and co-produced by Guneet Monga of Sikhya Entertainment apart from Anurag Kashyap and others, Tigers is a true story of the salesman who blew the whistle on the baby food scandal in Pakistan.

     

    It also stars Geetanjali Thapa, Supriya Pathak and Khalid Abdalla. The film’s music has been composed by Pritam. A salesman working in the pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan, discovers its truths, while selling baby formula products, and tries to fight against the system.

     

    “I’m curious to see how Indians react to Tigers. I’m very happy with the response at the festivals. The theatrical release is the next frontier,” said Tanovic.

     

    The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September this year followed by a screening at the San Sebastian Film Festival. 

  • ‘Katiyabaaz’ to release in 15 Indian cities on 22 August

    ‘Katiyabaaz’ to release in 15 Indian cities on 22 August

    NEW DELHI: ‘Katiyabaaz’, a documentary by Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar which has already won several awards in India and overseas, is being released in around 45 screens on 22 August.

     

    The film is being presented by Phantom Films owned by Vikramaditya Motwane, Anurag Kashyap, Madhu Mantena and Vikas Bahl.

     

    It will initially be released in 15 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Indore, Kanpur, Chandigarh and Jaipur.

     

    The film revolves around Loha Singh, a nimble young electrician who provides Robin Hood style services to the poor in a city with 15-hour power cuts. But he has to face the first female chief of the electricity supply company who is on a mission to dismantle the illegal connections for good.

     

    ‘Katiyabaaz’ won the 61st National Award for Best Investigative Film. It has been shown at several international film festivals including Berlinale, Tribeca and CPH:DOX.

     

    It won the Jury award at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles early this year and the Best Film (Golden Gateway award) in the India Gold Category at the Mumbai Film Festival last year.

  • Pocket Films to showcase short films on NDTV Prime

    Pocket Films to showcase short films on NDTV Prime

    MUMBAI: Pocket Films in association with NDTV Prime is all set to launch a new show ‘Prime talkies with Pocket Films’ to showcase short films, documentaries and other alternate content by young and aspiring film makers and students.

    Starting 31st July, the show will be aired every Thursday from 9.00 pm to 10.00 pm. Every episode will telecast 3- 4 films that are critically acclaimed spread across various themes like love, passion, patriotism, etc.

     

    Pocket Films is India’s leading aggregator and distributor of alternate content that helps short films, documentaries, indie films, etc., find their target audience on internet and mobile platform. Their aim is to provide a platform to upcoming and new filmmakers who are passionate about short films and documentary genres and are looking for a window to showcase their talent.

     

    All big things have small beginnings’ is the core behind every Pocket Films’ endeavor. ‘Prime talkies with Pocket Films’ is just what the budding film makers need to get noticed and inch closer to a coveted big break. This Pocket Films initiative along with NDTV Prime will prove to be an encouraging pat on the back for many novice film makers and talented students.

     

    Pocket Film’s portfolio of short films is studded with gems like Tubelight Ka Chand and The Joy of Giving By Shlok Sharma, an Anurag Kashyap Production film, Salt and Pepper by Mohinder Pratap Singh starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Padmini Kolhapure, The Break Up by Bahaish Kapoor and 2B or Not 2B by Samvida Nanda among others.

     

    According to Mr Saameer Mody, Managing Director, Pocket Films, “Pocket Films along with NDTV is pleased to launch this initiative to throw the spotlight on talented film makers on a national platform which will prove to be a starting point to become big. The viewers too will benefit as they will now be able to enjoy interesting stories offering varied perspectives along with being entertained.”

     

    Pocket Films has always been associated with promoting talented film makers via various mediums. Screening of these films on television is one big step in providing national visibility to such budding talent.

  • Anurag Kashyap’s psychological thriller to release commercially in September

    Anurag Kashyap’s psychological thriller to release commercially in September

    NEW DELHI: Renowned filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly, which has already done well in the film festival circuit, is expected to be released in September in the country.

     

    The film received a world premiere at Director’s Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in 2013 and has since been screened at several film festivals including Puchon, Warsaw and Melbourne.

     

    The Indian premiere of the film is taking place at the Ladakh International Film Festival next month, and the commercial release will be on 19 September.

     

    A psychological thriller, Ugly deals with a situation where no one can trust anyone amidst the scenes of brutality and psychological games after 10 year old Kali goes missing from the car she was left in by her father. 

     

    The film features Tejaswini Kolhapure and Ronit Roy in lead roles.

     

    The Indian release of the film was delayed by Kashyap to voice his protest against the anti-smoking tickers on screen.

  • Subhash Ghai to get Lifetime Achievement Award at Delhi International Filmfest

    Subhash Ghai to get Lifetime Achievement Award at Delhi International Filmfest

    NEW DELHI: Even as the entries for the third edition of the Delhi International Film Festival (DIFF), to be held in December this year, were called for, one thing which is clear is that versatile showman Subhash Ghai will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Festival.

     

    The Minar-e-Dilli Award is proposed to be presented to Ghazal Maestro Gulam Ali, and Pakistan is expected to be the partner country for the festival to be held from 20-27 December.

     

    DIFF 2014 is an initiative by “The Social Circle, A Society for Cause and – A step toward inclusiveness” to showcase the best of Cinema, Art and Literature from across the globe.

     

    Started in 2012, the advisory board for this festival is headed by Dada Saheb Phalke awardee Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Working closely with him are some of the greats of Indian Cinema including the national award winning directors Tigmanshu Dhulia, Anurag Kashyap and Anooj Kapoor, Mohan Agashe, Manoj Bajpai, Mandira Bedi, Shriram Raghwan, Jimmy Shergill, N. Chandra, Sandeep Marwah, Shailesh Lodha, Yashpal Sharma and Arvind Gaur, apart from Satish Anand from Pakistan.

     

    Now in its third edition, the festival hopes to showcase 200 films from around 45 countries as against 170 in the previous years.

     

    The earlier editions also showcased 100 paintings and sculptures from India. The two editions also had a literature section with 100 NRI poets displaying their work at the venue. The second edition of the festival saw the addition of Fashion, Singing, Band events and Sufi night by Nizami Brothers, thus making DIFF the only festival in the world with so many sections and live events every evening during the seven days of the festival.

     

    The other events during the festival include ‘Band of the Year’ with participation of more than 25 bands from all over India; ‘Singer of the Year’, a tribute to Mohammed Rafi, ‘Face and Designer of the Year’, daily seminars and workshops and book launches on various aspects of cinema, art and literature.

     

     To promote cinema, art and culture, the festival has associated itself with French and Israeli Embassies in New Delhi along with HUNERKADAA, well known Visual Arts and Performance Institute and EVEREADY GROUP, one of the leading film distribution company from Pakistan.

  • ‘Goynar Baksho’ gets nominated in New York Indian Film Festival

    ‘Goynar Baksho’ gets nominated in New York Indian Film Festival

    KOLKATA: Bengali film ‘Goynar Baksho’ by acclaimed filmmaker Aparna Sen has made it to the prestigious New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), vying for honours in three main categories.

     

    The movie focuses on oppression of widows and women emancipation and has been nominated in the Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress categories.

     

    NYIFF is the oldest and most prestigious film festival screening premieres of feature, documentary and short films made from, of and about Indian subcontinent in the independent, art-house, alternate and diaspora genres.

     

    Apart from Aparna, Anurag Kashyap, Rahul Bhatt, Mohan Agashe, Gurinder Chadha, Shahana Goswami, Madhur Jaffrey, Sakina Jaffrey are also slated to attend the festival this year.

     

    The six-day festival which started on 5 May, will showcase a total of 34 films.

  • Bombay Velvet release pushed back to avoid clash with Aamir Khan’s PK

    Bombay Velvet release pushed back to avoid clash with Aamir Khan’s PK

    MUMBAI: If rumors doing the rounds are to be believed, Anurag Kashyap’s dream project Bombay Velvet with Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma will not release as per the schedule.

     

    According to Zoom, the release of Aamir Khan’s movie PK on Christmas may have lead Kashyap to postpone the release of Bombay Velvet. This decision will then call off the clash between Bollywood’s two biggest blockbusters this year.

     

    Further, the makers of Bombay Velvet tried to convince Aamir Khan and the producers of the PK team to adjust the release dates to no avail. However, Khan denied any such news at his birthday party recently.

     

    History says it; there have been enormous losses when two big Bollywood films clash at the box office. While in 2012, the Diwali release of Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Son of Sardaar divided the box office profit, the 2013 Eid release of Chennai Express and Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobara’s clash brought in massive monetary loss to Ekta Kapoor. And the cherry on the cake is the fight within for maximum number of screens with the distributors! Considering this, guess the makers of Bombay Velvet have decided to hold back the release and not compete with the marketing king and perfectionist Khan at the box office.

  • Culinary comedy Jadoo to be Closing Night Gala Film at the 12th annual IFFLA

    Culinary comedy Jadoo to be Closing Night Gala Film at the 12th annual IFFLA

    MUMBAI: On Tuesday, 18 March, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) announced its 2014 lineup of narrative and documentary features and short films for this year’s festival. The impressive program reflects the rich diversity of Indian cinema, as well as the future of Indian filmmaking, with filmmakers bringing their acclaimed films to Los Angeles (LA).

     

    The festival, widely recognized as the premiere showcase of groundbreaking Indian cinema globally is celebrating its 12th year. The IFFLA will run from 8-13 April at ArcLight Hollywood in Los Angeles, the festival’s home since its inception.

     

    The culinary comedy, Jadoo has been chosen as the Closing Night Gala Film. Jadoo, a delightful and delicious exploration of family bonds amidst two feuding brothers’ restaurants in England, will screen as the festival’s Closing Night Gala. Jadoo is written and directed by IFFLA alum Amit Gupta, and first premiered at the 2013 Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival). It features a wonderful ensemble cast that includes Kulvinder Ghir, Amara Karan, Harish Patel, Tom Mison, and Madhur Jaffrey. The red-carpet screening will be followed by an exclusive after-party at Nirvana-Bombay Palace in Beverly Hills.

     

    As previously announced, IFFLA will open with Jeffrey D. Brown’s Sold, produced by Jane Charles, and executive produced by Emma Thompson.

     

     IFFLA’s Artistic Director Jasmine Jaisinghani expressed his excitement in a press release stating that he is proud of this year’s IFFLA line-up which includes an especially diverse range of cinematic experiences, covering many regions of India and the diaspora. Jaisinghani said, “We would like to thank our Programming Advisor in India, Uma Da Cunha, for helping our programming team source some of these exceptional films.”

     

    Program highlights also include the North American premiere of Anurag Kashyap’s latest, Ugly, an intense, masterfully directed psychological thriller that premiered in the 2013 Director’s Fortnight section of Cannes; Liar’s Dice, the remarkable directorial debut of South Indian actress Geetu Mohandas that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival; Anup Singh’s latest feature Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost, starring Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire), winner of NETPAC Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Dioraphte Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam; the Audience Award winner at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival Hank & Asha, an exploratory, romantic look at two people bonding in the digital age by newcomer James E. Duff; Nagraj Manjule’s Fandry, a highly praised debut feature for its multilayered emotion and realism on the subject of caste discrimination; Brahmin Bulls, starring Roshan Seth (Gandhi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Mississippi Masala) and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Beauty and the Beast, Heroes) as an estranged father and son unexpectedly brought together to confront the family’s past; and Siddharth, a nuanced look at a family whose son goes missing, by lauded Canadian director and IFFLA alum Richie Mehta (Amal).

     

    The festival’s feature documentary competition includes an eclectic mix of films from established and upcoming filmmakers that consider India’s unique traditions and dynamic future. The films include: the world premiere of The Auction House, an intimate and funny look at two brothers trying to keep their anachronistic family business going in the digital age; festival favorite Powerless, which depicts intense struggles over electricity in a mid-size Indian city; Faith Connections, IFFLA alum Pan Nalin’s beautiful and rare look at the Kumbh Mela; and the National Award-winning Shepherds of Paradise, about an arduous, mountainous trek through an animal drive in the Kashmiri winter.

     

    The popular Bollywood by Night series returns this year with Bombay Talkies and Monsoon Shoutout. Premiering at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Bombay Talkies is a quartet of short films that celebrates 100 years of Indian cinema. The omnibus film features work by four of India’s most exciting contemporary directors: Karan Johar, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar, and Anurag Kashyap, as well as a stellar cast that includes Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, and Katrina Kaif. Monsoon Shootout is a thrilling debut by IFFLA alum writer/director Amit Kumar, about how a split-second decision made by a rookie police officer has rippling effects in his life and the lives of those around him.

     

    The shorts competition showcases a diverse selection of 15 films that include narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated works. Highlights of this year’s program include Academy Award shortlisted Kush; Sundance award winner Love.Love.Love; and the world premiere of acclaimed director Umesh Kulkarni’s The Fly.

  • Changes in archaic Cinematograph Act can be expected soon

    Changes in archaic Cinematograph Act can be expected soon

    MUMBAI: Aptly titled, “Cuts So Deep: Are We Sacrificing Creativity at the Altar of Morality?”, one of the sessions on the first day of FICCI Frames 2014 spoke about those ‘cuts’ in the films that leave a deep mark in the memory of the filmmakers. Most of the times, these cuts suggested by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) doesn’t even make sense to the people who were involved creatively in the making of the film.

     

    The debate, in the presence of esteemed guests like Sudhir Mishra, Ramesh Sippy, Ravi Kottarakara, Kajol and the newly appointed CEO of CBFC Rakesh Kumar, highlighted many issues that filmmakers are grappling with because of the guidelines stated in the archaic Cinematograph Act of 1952.

     

    However, the film industry is pinning its hopes on the new government for amendments to the Cinematograph Act.

    At the session, the filmwallahs brought to the fore how the guidelines push them back by many years by not giving them the freedom that’s actually their right.
     

     

    “When a director shoots a scene, he envisions it in a certain way. If there’s a smoking scene, an atmosphere is created with that. When it is cut, the shot loses its charm,” remarked Mishra while putting across an example.

     

    Another major issue discussed was that of a scroll on the frame showing smoking, sex scenes etc for which filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has even gone to the court and the matter is still pending in the court.

     

    Another point that came up during the discussion was of giving ‘A’ certificate to certain films based on real issues that need to be promoted all across, while some films just because they come from ‘bigger’ banners are passed with U or U/A even when they have ‘bold’ scenes.

     

    To deal with all this, a committee headed by Justic Mukul Mudgal is travelling across the country to take suggestions from the film fraternity across India, the audiences and all the other stakeholders involved.

    While Rakesh Kumar from CBFC was left in a fix with complex questions being posed to him, Film and TV Producers Guild of India CEO Kulmeet Makkar came to his rescue by stating that the industry needs to be patient for a little more time. “Since the revised guidelines have already been formed, we may expect things to change pretty soon,” said Makkar, also revealing that 18 of the suggestions discussed in Chennai have already been accepted.
     

    It seems the film industry can soon hope for better days ahead.

  • 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