ITV

Tag: Bollywood

  • Carnival Cinemas targets 1000 screens by 2016; to foray into film production & distribution

    Carnival Cinemas targets 1000 screens by 2016; to foray into film production & distribution

    MUMBAI: Carnival Cinemas, which has taken the acquisitions route to spread its footprints across the country, is eyeing a total screen count of 1000 by 2016. The multiplex chain currently operates 300 screens in over 82 cities and is looking to pump in a sum of Rs 800 – 900 crore to reach the 1000 screen milestone.

     

    What’s more, sources close to the development inform Indiantelevision.com that Carnival Cinemas is also aggressively making in-roads in film production and distribution. The group has already started working on three South Indian film projects and has aspirations of making their first Bollywood movie in next three – six months. However, while the company is in talks with several directors, it is yet to zero in on its first commercial script.

     

    Carnival Cinemas has roped in Ssarita Singh as business head of its motion pictures division to spearhead the production initiatives.

     

    The Shrikant Bakshi owned Carnival Cinemas recently acquired the multiplex business of Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) for a little over Rs 100 crore. It has also lapped up Big Cinemas multiplex chain from Anil Ambani’s Reliance MediaWorks for approximately Rs 700 crore. The chain also pocketed Star Gaze’s Glitz Cinemas from Mukesh Ambani-controlled Network 18 Media and Investments Ltd.

  • Hotstar unveils original talk show with Malishka as host

    Hotstar unveils original talk show with Malishka as host

    MUMBAI: Star India’s OTT platform Hotstar, which tasted success on two of its original shows for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 – One Tip One Hand and Juicy Half Volley, is now planning to launch another original show.

     

    RJ Malishka has been roped in to host a 60-minute Hotstar original talk show called M Bole Toh.

     

    Kickstarting the series with actors Kangana Ranaut and Imran Khan, the show will offer quirky conversations between the three on topics ranging from relationships to marriage to what being ‘good friends’ in the industry means. Ranaut and Khan will be seen in the upcoming film Katti Batti.

     

    During the show, Malishka will chat with stars who will share funny behind-the-scene anecdotes and pranks as well as offer insights into their personal lives. The host will also nudge the guests into spilling their hidden secrets through gripping, fun conversations and games with healthy dollops of madness.

     

    M Bole Toh will cater to the ever-growing demands of Bollywood fans, which are always keen on knowing more about stars.

  • Universal Music releases ‘Sholay’ music to celebrate film’s 40 years

    Universal Music releases ‘Sholay’ music to celebrate film’s 40 years

    MUMBAI: On 14 August, Universal Music India released a special anniversary collection to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Bollywood’s legendary blockbuster – Sholay. One of the most iconic films in the industry, Sholay has been the first Indian film to have a Stereophonic soundtrack and to use the 70 mm Wide Screen format.

     

    Over the years Sholay has become a cult classic and was the first film to enjoy a 25-week run in over 100 cinemas. In 1975, it became the highest grossing Bollywood film that year. Sholay holds a still-standing record of 60 Golden jubilees (running 50 consecutive weeks at 60 theaters) across India, and was the first film in India to celebrate a Silver jubilee (25 weeks) at over 100 theatres.

     

    The multi-million selling soundtrack (music and dialogues) continues to sell across new formats including on line and mobile. The music from the film has captured the hearts of generations. Who can forget the iconic voices of Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar and R D Burman crooning to classic tunes like “Mehbooba Mehbooba”, “Yeh Dosti”, “Jab Tak Hai Jaan” and “Koi Haseena” among others. 

     

    ‘Sholay: The 40th Anniversary Collection’ includes over two hours of the dialogues and songs of the iconic film chronologically sequenced to take the listener through a fantastic Sholay experience.

     

    Universal Music Group, South Asia managing director and CEO Devraj Sanyal said, “Sholay is one of the most memorable films of our time… with one of the most endearing soundtracks ever. I don’t think there is any other film in the history of Indian cinema where both the songs and the dialogues have become so iconic! And 40 years later, it gives us immense pleasure to present this Anniversary Collection – an album packed with over two hours of music and dialogues to relive the magic of Sholay. This is indeed a collector’s edition, which every cinema enthusiast out there must possess. And to top it all, the album is now available across all digital formats keeping up with changing consumer preferences.”

     

    Additionally, Universal Music is also rolling out a multi-pronged campaign to celebrate the 40th year of the Soundtrack. DJ Suketu will be creating a five minute mashup that will introduce the music of Sholay to a whole new generation out there. Besides, riding on the film’s popular dialogues and characters, Universal Music has associated with Dubsmash where enthusiasts will have the chance to create their own videos of Gabbar, Jai, Veeru, Jailor and other casts from the film. While Big FM 92.7 – the official radio partner on the album will reach out to the films core audience through its pan-India presence. The station will run innovative campaigns around the film’s characters and it’s music.

     

    The ‘Sholay: 40th Anniversary Collection’ will see a simultaneous worldwide digital download release on 14 August, 2015 exclusively on the iTunes store. The album will also be available across streaming partners as well as on physical formats.

  • Sandip Soparrkar named Cube sport brand ambassador in India

    Sandip Soparrkar named Cube sport brand ambassador in India

    NEW DELHI: Bollywood’s internationally renowned choreographer Sandip Soparrkar is the new brand ambassador for Speed Cubing Mumbai Unlimited (SCMU).

     

    The aim is to bring Bollywood and sports – two of the most loved fields – come closer for the promotion of Cube sport. 

     

    Soparrkar, who was recently seen doing a photoshoot with various cubes, said, “I am having a great time. I feel honoured that SCMU asked me to represent them as their brand ambassador. Cubing is a fantastic sport, which sharpens not just the mind but even develops the motor movements in a person. It is an amazing sport for kids as well as adults and I am glad that I have been chosen as the face of the brand.”

     

    The photoshoot will convey that the cube is just not a toy but a complete sport in itself. Cube is not just a hobby for kids but can be helpful for working professionals too to tackle everyday challenges in life and is a great stress buster.

     

    SCMU head Girish Bhatia added, “We are proud to announce our association with Bollywood’s ace choreographer Sandip Soparrkar as our brand ambassador. He got addicted to speed cubing through his cuber son Arjun who shares a similar passion and wants to take speed cubing to a greater level.”

     

    SCMU is a group of speed cubers from Mumbai formed in 2011 by Akshay Rao who later left the group to pursue higher studies. Since then, the organisation has actively promoted Rubiks Cube as a sport and not as a hobby. 

     

    The group currently headed by Bhatia has about thirty active members who are collectively referred to as Team SCMU. Since 2011, the team organized and supported over 40 cube competitions, and is the only organization in India to promote speedcubing at a professional level. 

     

    Their competition in January 2015 was Asia’s largest competition and world’s eighth largest. Their June 2015 competition was held in Juhu, which turned out to be the world’s largest single day event. 

     

    In 2013, the Team made a Rubik cube mosaic of Sachin Tendulkar, which gave them entry into the Limca book of Records for Rubik’s cube for a mosaic made with 6240 cubes. 

     

    Their next competition – SCMU Freedom open 2015 – will be held on 15 and 16 August at Phoenix Market City, Kurla, Mumbai. It’s an International competition associated with World Cube Association (WCA), where India’s best talents would compete against time to solve the most challenging Rubik’s cube in a matter of few seconds.

  • Eros’ Kishore Lulla wins ‘Entertainment Visionary’ award

    Eros’ Kishore Lulla wins ‘Entertainment Visionary’ award

    MUMBAI: Eros international executive chairman Kishore Lulla has bagged the Entertainment Visionary award at the 2015 Annual Gala Dinner organized by Asia Society Southern California on 20 June. Lulla was recognised for being a game changer as well as for his efforts in taking Bollywood to a global platform. The gala evening honoured Lulla’s quest to connect the Indian diaspora through films and bridging of cultures by introducing Bollywood to non-Indian audiences. 

     

    Lulla said, “It is an honour to be recognised by the reputed Asia Society Southern California and I’m grateful to my family, the Eros team, our associates, investors and the Indian film industry for their unstinted support. It continues to be a remarkable journey for us at Eros and I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the Asia Society in appreciating our endeavor to bring Indian cinema to the forefront globally.”

     

    Asia Society Southern California & of McLain Partners LLC chairman Thomas McLain added, “Kishore Lulla is much more than a head of a successful film studio, who controls 40 per cent of the Hindi language film market in India; he’s also a philanthropist who is seeking to bring 250 million Indian children out of poverty through his educational initiatives and a visionary who is promoting equality for women in the workplace in India. His personal story of starting his business in Israel and Germany inspired all, and at the same time he kept the audience laughing with his great sense of humor. Kishore’s goals are synonymous with those of the Asia Society – we are both building bridges between the East and West through education, culture and business initiatives.”

     

    “We are thrilled to honour Kishore with the Entertainment Visionary Award, for taking Bollywood global and blazing paths to build Eros International into an integrated, worldwide media company, Kishore epitomizes Asia Society’s mission of forging understanding between Asia and the world, as well as among Asians, by championing the power of popular culture,” said Society Southern California executive director Jonathan Karp Asia.

  • MTV India hops on to Hong Kong’s now TV platform

    MTV India hops on to Hong Kong’s now TV platform

    MUMBAI: Starting June, youth entertainment channel MTV India has hopped on to now TV in Hong Kong. Now TV is one of the world’s largest commercial deployments of IPTV and Hong Kong’s largest pay TV provider. It offers a wide range of local and international content on its platform in Hong Kong.

     

    MTV India EVP and business head Aditya Swamy said, “It is extremely exciting for MTV India to enter Hong Kong with now TV. Being the universe of the young, we have never been boxed by geographical boundaries. Our service goes to over 35 countries, broadcasting a heady dose of our local pop culture.  The catchy Bollywood tunes, our original music productions and our super hit reality and drama series will entertain young people across varied cultural backgrounds bringing them together in their love for all things MTV.”

     

    IndiaCast group COO Gaurav Gandhi added, “With the launch of MTV India on now TV, we have further strengthened our relationship with the platform. Together, we look forward to providing the very best of South Asian Entertainment to the diaspora in Hong Kong. This launch increases MTV India’s international footprint to 50 countries as the channel continues to entertain global audiences through its unique offerings including original music programming, Bollywood music and successful fiction and non-fiction format shows targeted to the youth.”

     

    Pay TV PCCW’s executive vice Loke Kheng Tham said, “now TV is Hong Kong’s largest pay-TV provider, offering more than 190 top-class channels to our 1.2 million customers. Adding MTV India to our lineup further demonstrates now TV’s commitment to providing all customers with a wide range of program choices. Indians in Hong Kong can now watch their favorite shows exclusively on now TV as part of the Indian Pack.”

     

    Currently, MTV India is available in 49 countries including the US, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Nigeria, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Singapore among others.

  • Myntra locks up Pocketman as a part of Roadster’s BTL campaign

    Myntra locks up Pocketman as a part of Roadster’s BTL campaign

    BENGALURU: As part of a unique below-the-line (BTL) marketing activity, ‘Pocketman’ Eric Monjon entered a makeshift man-cave – an air-conditioned metal enclosure with an attached toilet, a table, a bed at Bengaluru’s Orion Mall, for 48 hours.

    This was a part of the campaign to mark the unveiling of Italian design studio Parabellum’s creation for Myntra’s private brand Roadster’s limited edition Pocketman Jeans in India.

     

    The jeans has 13 pockets and Monjon loaded as much food and victuals and other odds and ends that he could carry in them to sustain himself over the next two days.

    Monjon’s activities will be monitored on close circuit monitors and will be live-streamed on www.PocketmanLive.com and interaction with him will be possible on Twitter and Facebook, with highlights being shared on Roadster’s YouTube channel.

    Over the two days, Monjon will be digging deep into his pockets to pull off acts such as starting a fire, cooking his food, making music and art and other life hacks, that one can use to brave challenging situations when out on a road trip. The pockets are built to handle rough use and come in useful sizes to accommodate cans, tools, gadgets and plenty more informs the company

    Myntra fashion brands VP – marketing Manish Aggarwal said, “This was a fun collection to create! We wanted to make a point that all a man needs is the right pair of jeans. You have that pair, you are set for anything. Roadster is here to create new, lasting experiences for customer and this experiment is a live demonstration of our commitment.”

    Monjon added, “These jeans are incredible – they are virtually a rucksack for me. As it is, I love going outdoors over the weekend and from now on I will be sure to take these along with me on my fishing trips. I love the functionality of these pockets because it reminds me of where the phrase ‘Baker’s Dozen’ came from. It is almost as if the designer was wary that 12 pockets might not be enough, so he put an extra one! My list of things to carry will be just one from now on – my Pocketman jeans.”

    The limited edition Pocketman Jeans are versatile says Myntra, only two thousand of them have been made. Priced at Rs 3999, they come in four different shades, but Aggarwal told Indiantelevison.com that depending upon consumer response, Myntra could make more available. At present, the company’s promotion activities are limited to online and the event in Bengaluru, but, if required, Aggarwal said he would look at taking the act to other cities also.

    Launched in December 2012, Roadster has been endorsed by Bollywood actors Kunal Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, and is retailed exclusively on the Myntra and Flipkart platforms.

  • Vidya Balan marks a decade in cinema; receives Doctorate from Rai University

    Vidya Balan marks a decade in cinema; receives Doctorate from Rai University

    NEW DELHI: Actress Vidya Balan – known to take on challenging roles and win laurels – has been conferred a Doctor of Arts Honoris Causa by the Ahmedabad-based Rai University. Balan also completed ten years in the film industry this week.

     

    The honour was given earlier this week in appreciation of her contributions to Indian cinema over the past 10 years. Her endeavour to bring out the strong side of a woman in films has contributed to women’s empowerment in society, Rai University chancellor, Dr. Harbeen Arora, said.

     

    The actress thanked God, her parents, the university and “each and every one of you” among the media present at the convocation at the J.W. Marriott International.

     

    The University also announced an annual scholarship named Balan, and she said she was tongue-tied.

     

    She said, “I must also thank my husband Siddharth (Roy Kapur of Disney) even if he is embarrassed by what I am going to say. And that is that just by being with him, I have become a better person! I would like you to be with me all my life and I have to tell you that I will be with you all your life too!”

     

    “It is truly humbling and overwhelming to receive this honour. What makes this even more special is that I complete ten years in the Hindi film industry this year. There can be no bigger compliment for any actor than to have done work that has made a significant mark and also to be looked upon as a role model by young Indians. I hope to live up to the title,” said Balan.

     

    Her parents, sister’s family and her mother-in-law were also present.

     

    “Among the league of iconic actors, Vidya is a pioneer in every way. Her films epitomize a distinct Indian-ness and powerful womanhood,” Arora said. The citation mentioned all the key films in Balan’s career.

     

    Balan has received the four highest civilian award ‘Padma Shri’, a National Award, and Filmfare awards. 

  • Max 2 eternalizes Rajesh Khanna through his legendary movies

    Max 2 eternalizes Rajesh Khanna through his legendary movies

    MUMBAI: Sony MAX 2 will pay homage to the Hindi film legend Rajesh Khanna by airing some of Kaka’s most memorable movies. With the film festival titled “Rajesh Khanna Forever”, Max 2 plans on showcasing a handpicked assortment of the legendary actor’s most successful movies from 23rd – 28th May.

     

    Offering Rajesh Khanna fans with an interesting line- up of his movies, Max 2 promises to take us all back to the evergreen era of Bollywood. The week long film festival showcases some of Kaka’s most iconic movies ranging from the light- hearted comedy, “Bawarchi”, to some of his best romantic films, “Aradhana” and “Amar Prem”, to his melancholic Babumoshai moment in “Anand”. Even after the iconic actor’s demise, Rajesh Khanna’s most classic dialogue from Amar Prem, “Pushpa, I hate tears” still reverberates in every fan’s ears.

     

    Commenting on this film festival, Neeraj Vyas, Sr. EVP & Business Head, Max & Max 2 says, “Rajesh Khanna was one of the finest actors in the history of Indian cinema. This film festival will help Rajesh Khanna fans to relive the golden era of Bollywood associated with the superstar’s classic hits.”

     

    Catch the ‘Rajesh Khanna’ movie festival from 23rd – 28th May during prime time viewing only on Max 2