ITV

Tag: Citylights

  • Vinod Bhanushali & Parag Sanghvi invest in Hansal Mehta’s & Sahil Saigal’s True Story Films

    Vinod Bhanushali & Parag Sanghvi invest in Hansal Mehta’s & Sahil Saigal’s True Story Films

    MUMBAI: Vinod Bhanushali has got a great catch in his bag. The former T-series executive now turned producer has invested along with film producer and former managing director of K Sera Sera Parag Sanghvi in film maker Hansal Mehta and Sahil Saigal’s production house True Story Films.  No details of the amount of investment being pumped in by the two were provided but estimates are that Sanghvi and Bhanushali have committed to bring in at least Rs 75 crore in funds into the company to start with. Company officials were not available to confirm or deny the amount. 

    Hansal is known for films and series such as  Shahid, Citylights, Aligarh, Scam 1992, and Scoop, while Sahil is known for Faraaz and The Buckingham Murders. 

    True Story Films aims to deliver high-quality content across cinema and streaming platforms, with Mehta taking on the dual role of producer and director, with  Saigal handling  business operations.

    The production house plans to develop a diverse slate of projects, including feature films and digital originals, spanning genres like dramas, thrillers, romances, comedies, and inspiring real-life stories. With a commitment to innovation and collaboration, the company intends to work with both seasoned filmmakers and emerging creative talent. True Story Films has set an ambitious production target of projects worth approximately Rs 500 crores, with the first releases expected in early 2026.
     

    “True Story Films is not just a production house; it’s the realisation of a dream to craft meaningful narratives that challenge norms and resonate deeply with audiences,” said Hansal.  “With Sahil Saigal’s expertise and shared vision, we are committed to creating stories that provoke thought, entertain, and leave a lasting impact.”

    Bhanushali expressed his enthusiasm: “Partnering with Hansal Mehta is a step towards pushing creative boundaries and delivering unforgettable cinematic experiences. His visionary storytelling aligns perfectly with our passion for impactful narratives.”

    Parag Sanghvi added: “Hansal’s ability to create socially relevant and engaging stories is unparalleled. Supporting True Story Films is an opportunity to contribute to meaningful and groundbreaking content for audiences globally.”

  • Rajkummar Rao bags Dadasaheb Phalke Award for ‘Citylights’

    Rajkummar Rao bags Dadasaheb Phalke Award for ‘Citylights’

    MUMBAI: Actor Rajkummar Rao has added yet another feather to his cap for his role in Citylights.

     

    The actor, who received recognition for his role in the movie, has now bagged the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. With critically-acclaimed films like Kai Po Che!, Shahid and Queen, Rao is being touted as one of Bollywood’s promising actors.

     

    Rao got to know about the award just three days before the Dadasaheb Phalke Awards function. He said that it was very unexpected and out of the blue but a great feeling nonetheless.

     

    “Citylights is a special film and it’s always a great feeling when your efforts are recognised. I am glad I won this honour for Citylights as a lot of hard work went into the making of the film. I didn’t even know I was being considered for the award so it was a pleasant surprise,” Rao said.

     

    Rao will next be seen in Mohit Suri’s intense love story, Hamari Adhuri Kahani, which is slated to release in June 2015 and in another film titled Shimla Mirchi, which is directed by veteran director Ramesh Sippy.

     

  • Ankhon Dekhi to open Dharmshala Film Festival later this month

    Ankhon Dekhi to open Dharmshala Film Festival later this month

    NEW DELHI: Rajat Kapoor’s critically acclaimed film Ankhon Dekhi will open the third Dharamshala International Film Festival on 30 October.
    The four-day festival will showcase feature films, documentaries, short films and animation films. Besides, DIFF will also host Masterclasses, panel discussions and Harun Farocki Retrospective.

    Feature films to be screened at the festival include Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court, Hansal Mehta’s Citylights, Geetu Mohandas’ Liar’s Dice, Avinash Arun’s Killa, Khyentse Norbu’s Vara: A Blessing, Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi’s Zinda Bhaag, Hany Abu-Assad’s Omar, Gabriela Pichler’s Eat Sleep Die, Byamba Sakhya’sRemote Control, Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze’s Papusza and Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive.

    Gitanjali Rao will conduct a masterclass titled Paintings in Motion where she will take the audience from the origin of the idea, to the characters – who they are, where they come from – the style and design, the animatics with sound and music and finally the film in animation through her film which featured in the Critics Week at Cannes. She will go through the different explorations of mood, colors, sounds and music that shaped the film, and how to spin these together to create an emotional experience.

    The animation section will screen films by Shilpa Ranade, Gitanjali Rao and Nina Sabnani, among others.

    Q’s Nabarun, a documentary about famous Bengali writer Nabarun Bhattacharya who passed away in July, will have its world premiere at the festival.

     

  • Akshay Kumar’s ‘Holiday’ earns Rs 40.2 crore in opening week

    Akshay Kumar’s ‘Holiday’ earns Rs 40.2 crore in opening week

    MUMBAI: Akshay Kumar starrer Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty had a weaker opening than expected on day one, show one. However, the collections improved as the day progressed. The opening also suffered due to colleges reopening and the suspense over pending admissions of many students. The film took a leap on Sunday to end its opening weekend with Rs 40.2 crore which is short of expectations for a solo release and the very high price tag of the film. The film will have to sustain well in the days to come.

     

    Filmistan has proved to be a damp squib with neither face value nor a definite promotion campaign. With Hindi film audience, critical acclaim and awards is no assurance of box office success. The film has collected Rs 2.85 crore in its first weekend.

     

    Heropanti has maintained excellent collections in its second week. The film collected Rs 14.25 crore to take its two week total to Rs 50.15 crore.

     

    Citylights has managed to collect about Rs 5 crore for its first week. While Kuku Mathur Ki Jhand Ho Gayi is poor with figures of Rs 2.15 crore in its first week, 2 States has added Rs 30 lakh in its seventh week to take its seven week tally to Rs 104.05 crore.

  • A dark week for ‘Citylights’ at BO

    A dark week for ‘Citylights’ at BO

    MUMBAI: This was a bad week for the exhibitors, especially with multiplexes having more than one screen to fill. Remake of Manila Metro, Citylights, a gross injustice to a Charles Chaplin’s film title, turns out to be a pretentious film with little to do with the life of migrants in Mumbai. A purportedly black film that is aimed at awards, proves to be poor at box office. It collects a meagre Rs 3.25 crore, despite the actor director pair winning the National Awards last year; another reminder that the National Awards mean nothing to the ticket buying audience.

     

    A colloquially titled Delhi flavoured film, Kuku Mathur Ki Jhand Ho Gayi faces the same fate as its title, whatever it means. Film ‘thand’ ho gayi! The collections with the figures of Rs 1.55 crore for the opening weekend take it nowhere.

     

    Tiger Shroff has always been in media despite not being in films, thanks to his father, Jackie Shroff’s goodwill. Also thanks to this goodwill, the film with average content and shoddy handling,  Tiger’s debut film,  Heropanti, not only takes a healthy weekend but also goes on to take a respectable first week of Rs 35.9 crore. The film has continued to do well into its second weekend as well.

     

    Kochadaiiyan has managed to collect just about Rs 1.65 crore in its first week.

     

    The Xpose has added Rs 50 lakh in its second week to take its total to Rs 12.85 crore. Hawaa Hawaai has added Rs 55 lakh in its third week to take its three week total to Rs 8.5 crore.

     

    2 States has added Rs 80 lakh in its sixth week to take its six week total to Rs 103.75 crore.

  • National Award winning duo’s ‘Citylights’ to release on 30 May

    National Award winning duo’s ‘Citylights’ to release on 30 May

    MUMBAI: The successful team of Fox Star Studios and Vishesh Films is back with ‘Citylights’, this May.

    ‘Citylights’ brings back the National Award winning duo Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao, after their earlier venture ‘Shahid’ wowed the audiences and the critics alike.

    Rajkummar Rao is paired opposite actress Patralekha who will be making her debut with this film.

    ‘Citylights’ is based on the life of a trader in Rajasthan who comes to Mumbai with his wife and daughter in hope of a better life. The challenges they encounter in a big city and how they rise to meet those challenges nurtured by the power of their love is what ‘Citylights’ is all about.

    At heart ‘Citylights’ is a love story, a story about familial bonding, a thriller that explores the depths of human nature and a drama about sacrifice in the city of dreams.

     

    The film is an official remake of the international award winning film ‘Metro Manila’ that has received critical acclaim and won many awards internationally.