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  • Eros International inks co-production pact with Drishyam Films

    Eros International inks co-production pact with Drishyam Films

    Mumbai: Eros International Media Ltd (Eros International) has signed a four-film co-production deal with leading production house, Drishyam Films.

    According to Eros International’s release to the BSE, the first of the four projects, titled Kaamyaab starring Sanjay Mishra along with Deepak Dobriyal and directed by National-Award winning filmmaker Hardik Mehta, has already gone on the floor and commenced shooting on November 25.

    In 2018, Eros and Drishyam will jointly produce four films “to pave the way for presenting a new wave of cinema that the companies have come to stand for.”

    Speaking on the alliance, Jyoti Deshpande, Group CEO, Eros International said, “We feel the kind of cinema Drishyam makes and the agenda we have for the next five years at Eros perfectly match. At Eros, we believe that our future slate should have a mix of blockbusters such as Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Bajirao Mastani as well as beautiful stories made on smaller budgets like Aligarh, Nil Battey Sannata, and Newton. We’ve already started our relationship with Drishyam by distributing Newton, Rukh, and Kadvi Hawa and with this new co-production slate, we are hoping to present some very compelling stories to our audiences worldwide.”

    Manish Mundra, founder of Drishyam Films added, “We are very excited to associate with a leading studio like Eros who are backing our kind of content-driven cinema, and happy that our stories have found a home here. It’s heartening that they have come forward to not only distribute our films but also create a vision to tell stories together. We at Drishyam have built a brand of cinema that we are very proud of and we hope the association with Eros will take our films to a much wider audience.”

  • Women filmmakers’ northeast works to be highlighted at India fest in NY

    Women filmmakers’ northeast works to be highlighted at India fest in NY

    NEW DELHI: Three films from northeast India and a special focus on films made by women filmmakers will be the highlights of the second edition of the India Kaleidoscope Film Festival (IKFF) to be held in New York next month. The festival is being presented by the Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) and The India Centre Foundation (ICF) from 9 to 12 November 2017.

    Drishyam Films’ Kadvi Hawa directed by Nila Madhab Panda will open the festival and it will close with Director Prakash Kunte’s Cycle. Actor-turned-produced Priyanka Chopra’s Pahuna and Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz will also feature at the festival.

    The films to be screened will explore the most relevant and pressing topics facing the subcontinent, are being made by today’s most progressive filmmakers working in regional languages. This year, India Kaleidoscope will span seven different regional Indian languages and include new programming initiatives that bring independent regional Indian cinema to an even wider audience.

    The India Centre Foundation Founding Director Priya Giri Desai said “It is an honour to offer these cinematic works to the film-going community and to give exposure to new sights, sounds and languages from across the Indian subcontinent.”

    Museum of the Moving Image Chief Curator David Schwartz said, “India Kaleidoscope, in just its second year, is already making a great impact as a showcase for the incredible diversity of Indian cinema, with its focus on artistic and independent films from the many regions of this sprawling, culturally rich country.”

    “Indian cinema today is independent and regional language cinema, and these films represent the best and most exciting work from the country. We are thrilled to present this eclectic and wholly original selection of films and filmmakers to the New York and US audience,” said Sudeep Sharma, Festival Programmer.

    India Kaleidoscope Film Festival 2017 will screen eight feature films, seven of which will be US or North American premieres. Most of the films will feature directors in person, and a major chunk of the programming lineup feature films directed by women filmmakers.

    In an effort to expand IKFF to wider audiences, this year’s closing night screening will be held at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Theatre in Manhattan. All films will be screened with English subtitles.

    The IKFF 2017 programming committee includes Priya Giri Desai (The India Center Foundation), Ashok Sinha (The India Center Foundation), Priyadarshini Shanker (NYU Cinema Studies), Anupama Kapse (Loyola Marymount), Tristine Skyler (Writer and Producer), Ritesh Mehta (Film Independent) and Sudeep Sharma (Film Programmer); with additional programming support from Uma da Cunha and Christina Marouda (Museum of the Moving Image, IFFLA).

    The films are: Kadvi Hawa in Hindi stars Sanjay Mishra, Ranvir Shorey, and Tillotama Shome;  Mukkabaaz in Hindi has Vineet Kumar Singh, Zoya Hussain, and Jimmy Shergill; Sonar Baran Pakhi by director Bobby Sarma Baruah in Rajbangshi stars Pranami Borah, Arati Barua, and Pranjal Saikia; Prakasan by Director Bash Mohammed stars Dinesh Prabhakar, and Laya Krishna; Pahuna by director Paakhi Tyrewala in Sikkimese stars Ishika Gurung, Anmoul Limboo, and Manju KC Nanu; and Cycle by director: Prakash Kunte in Marathi stars Hrishikesh Joshi, Priyadarshan Jadhav, and Bhalachandra Kadam.

    The documentaries are Up Down And Sideways (Kho ki pa lü) by directors Anushka Meenakshi and Iswar Srikumar in Chokri on rice cultivators, and Last Days. Last Shot by director Sumira Roy in Hindi/Bengali/Bhojpuri on how Life and death co-exist every day on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi.

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  • Viacom18 showcases strong women characters content: Ajit Andhare, buys Mithali biopic rights

    Viacom18 showcases strong women characters content: Ajit Andhare, buys Mithali biopic rights

    MUMBAI: With a phenomenal record of being the highest run scorer in one-day internationals averaging above 51, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, Mithali Raj, has had a remarkable journey on field. An inspiration to billions of young girls in the country, her life is now all set to be documented on the silver screen. The rights of the film have been acquired by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, the studio that backed content driven films like Queen, Manjhi, Drishyam, Mary Kom, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and the recent hit, Toilet Ek Prem Katha. Viacom18 Motion Pictures COO Ajit Andhare says, “Viacom18 Motion Pictures has always been the pioneer in showcasing content with portrayal of strong women characters right from Queen to Kahani to Mary Kom. We are proud to be collaborating with the young and inspirational Mithali Dorai Raj, a name single-handedly responsible in bringing about a shift in the way women’s cricket team was perceived in our country.” Raj is the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket and the only woman cricketer to surpass the 6,000 run mark in ODIs. She is also the first player to score seven consecutive 50s in ODIs. Raj is the first Indian to have lead the national team to an ICC ODI World Cup final twice – 2005 and 2017. An Arjuna awardee, Mithali was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2015, India’s fourth highest civilian award for her contribution towards the sport of cricket. Raj says, “I am extremely happy on this association with Viacom18 Motion Pictures. Hoping that this movie inspires more people especially young girls to take up sports as a career.” The association between Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Mithali Raj has been facilitated by Medallin Sports director Varun Chopra, who says: “Mithali remains to be an inspiration for multitudes for many years now and her story on the silver screen will keep motivating generations.”

  • US$ 20m Drishyam fund for 10 Indian films in two years, releases showreel

    MUMBAI: Mumbai-based Drishyam Films is set to launch a $20m Production Fund to facilitate the growth of independent Indian cinema and to escalate it to a global reach.

    The fund will be spent in developing and producing cutting edge original content that will be true to the Drishyam vision of cinema, i.e. local in its setting but global in its appeal. It will be put to use for producing 10 independent Indian films over the next two years.

    Manish Mundra, founder of Drishyam Films, expects to announce the first projects under the fund in the early 2018. In addition to the production of the films, the fund will also be used to develop Drishyam Films’ VFX Studio in Mumbai.

    The production fund, which is raised independently by Manish Mundra, will help Drishyam Films towards accomplishing their goals of building a platform for unique voices of Indian independent cinema and create global content with rich Indian flavours. 

    Mundra says: “This fund has been set up with the objective of taking Indian cinema to the next level internationally. We plan to take our focus on content driven cinema and merge it with high technical finesse to make films that will travel across the world.”

    The studio which has produced some of the most acclaimed and globally feted Indian films recently such as Ankhon Dekhi, Masaan, Dhanak, Umrika and Waiting also released a special showreel that celebrates their impressive body of work, and also gives audiences a sneak preview of their forthcoming releases.

    Apart from the fund, Mundra has two new features going into production over the summer – Mohamed Gani’s Cycle, about the importance of the humble bicycle in small-town India, and Ganesh Shetty’s Anonymous, about a woman and her relationship with society as she undergoes an abortion. Both films are being readied for festival submission by the end of the year.

    Drishyam Films has already had a great start to 2017, with their next release Newton starring Rajkummar Rao winning the CICAE Award at the Berlin International Film Festival 2017 and the Jury Prize for Best Film at the 41st Hong Kong Film Festival, 2017. More recently, their films won big at the 64th National Film Awards where Dhanak won Best Children’s Film, while Kadvi Hawa bagged a Special Mention.

  • Drishyam’s Dhanak is ‘Best Children’s Film’, new ‘Kadvi Hawa’ gets special mention

    MUMBAI: Drishyam Films’ much loved film Dhanak has won the 64th National Film Award for Best Children’s Film and their upcoming film, Kadvi Hawa has received a ‘Special Mention’ by the National Awards jury.

    Drishyam Films’ next, Kadvi Hawa is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda (of I am Kalam fame) and is a powerful and heartrending take on climate change. It stars Ranvir Shorey as a young bank loan recovery agent and Sanjay Mishra as a blind old farmer, two ordinary people fighting for survival in two extreme weather conditions not of their making. The film is slated for a nationwide theatrical release later this year and the producers have just released a first look poster of the film (attached below).

    Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, Dhanak stars Krrish Chhabria and Hetal Gada as the loveable siblings who set out on a magical, life-altering journey across Rajasthan. The film made its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival 2015 where it won two prestigious awards. It was released to critical and commercial acclaim on June 17, 2016.

    Drishyam Films founder and producer of Dhanak and Kadvi Hawa Manish Mundra: “Even though all of our films have premiered and won awards at various prestigious international film festivals, the National Awards are the biggest honour for us. For me, as an Indian producer, there is no greater joy than being recognised by the government for our efforts to produce quality content-driven cinema. We are very excited to bring our films Rukh, Newton and Kadvi Hawa to the Indian audiences later this year.”

    Kadvi Hawa: Once famous for farming, the people of Mahua in Rajasthan have forgotten the scent of rainfall on their soil. Lack of rainfall has led many farmers into debt traps set out as bank loans. Unable to grow food grain anymore and to escape repayments, many farmers have committed suicides. Hedu, the blind father of a farmer finds his son’s life threatened by the same pressure. Gunu Baba, a ruthless bank agent arrives with a growing list of suicides in his wake. But frequent cyclones threaten his family in a coastal village in Odisha. Each wanting to save their own family, they end up helping one another.

  • Box Office: ‘All Is Well’ collects Rs 8.45 crore

    Box Office: ‘All Is Well’ collects Rs 8.45 crore

    MUMBAI: All Is Well was much promoted through its popular song, ‘Baaton ko teri.’ While the song became very popular, the film could not reap the benefits. Director Umesh Shukla’s past record of OMG: Oh My God seemed sort of neutralised as the film’s lead star, Abhishek Bachchan who has not been able to create an audience for himself yet.

     

    To add to the poor start was the film’s content, which was mediocre in all aspects. The film, which had a weak start, managed to rake in Rs 8.45 crore in its opening weekend.

     

    Ketan Mehta’s Manjhi: The Mountain Man, a biopic about a Bihar resident who decides to make life easier for his fellow villagers by carving out a road from a mountain after losing his wife due to delay in getting medical attention, has caught the fancy of the media and some discerning film lovers. The film has a story to tell about a selfless man and his determination. The film had a small volume opening but improved bit by bit to end its opening weekend with a reasonable Rs 5.85 crore.

     

    Brothers, despite limited appeal, managed to sustain through its first week showing no major drop in collection. However, the film still remains within the limits set by Akshay Kumar starrers, not breaking any box office barriers. After a fairly decent opening weekend of Rs 49.7 crore, the film has ended its first week with a total of Rs 69.55 crore.

     

    Gour Hari Dastaan, a biopic about a freedom fighter taking on the system to get recognition for his contribution to the movement, makes it to the on the also ran list. Finding no audience, the film has about Rs 25 lakh to show for its first week run.

     

    Drishyam remained steady in its third week holding on to appreciation found among a section of filmgoers. The film collected Rs 7.75 crore in its third week taking its three week total to Rs 66.50 crore.

     

    Bajrangi Bhaijaan continues to squeeze the box office, mainly on the strength of its repeat audience. The film has added Rs 3.6 crore in its fifth week to take its five week total to Rs 316.1 crore.

     

    Bahubali: The Beginning (Hindi – Dubbed) has collected Rs 3.05 crore in its sixth week, which takes its six week tally to Rs 107.2 crore.

  • Box Office: ‘Brothers’ collects Rs 50 crore in opening weekend

    Box Office: ‘Brothers’ collects Rs 50 crore in opening weekend

    MUMBAI: Brothers faced negative reports and a below par opening on Friday. The film had average collections on Friday to show a marked improvement despite bad word of mouth on Saturday thanks to 15 August, the mandatory Independence Day holiday. However, the film’s lack of merit caught up with it soon enough and despite being a Sunday, the film took a drubbing at the box office. The collections dropped instead of growing on Sunday to end its opening weekend with Rs 49.7crore.

     

    Gour Hari Dastaan: The Freedom File is a biopic about a freedom fighter from a small town in Odisha who has contributed to India’s freedom struggle against the British rule. This film about the protagonist’s 32 year determined drive to earn recognition for his contribution from the authorities is rather personal, slow moving account and, hence, not the kind to impact the box office. Though appreciated on the international festival circuits, it has found scant patronage with the moviegoer. 

     

    Bangistan can be called a mediocre effort on all counts. With poor opening weekend, the movie continues with its poor run through its first week to end with collection figures of Rs 5.1 crore.

     

    Jaanisar fails to relive the era that the maker’s earlier film, Umrao Jaan created. The film met with total rejection at the box office as it completes its first week run.

     

    Drishyam fares reasonably well in week two in the absence of any strong opposition. There is a section of people who have positive things to say about the film, which helped it maintain in its second week. The film has collected Rs 17.45 crore to take its two week total to Rs 58.75 crore.

     

    Masaan collects Rs 35 lakh in its third week to take its three week total to Rs 3.8 crore.

     

    Bajrangi Bhaijaan establishes itself as among the biggest hits as it continued to hold sway even its fourth week to collect Rs 11.4 crore, taking its four week total to an unassailable Rs 312.85 crore. 

     

    Baahubali: The Beginning (Hindi- Dubbed) also continues to draw people. The film added an impressive Rs 5.3 crore in its fifth week taking its five week total to Rs 104.15 crore. 

  • Ajay Devgn’s ‘Drishyam’ declared tax free in UP

    Ajay Devgn’s ‘Drishyam’ declared tax free in UP

    MUMBAI: The Ajay Devgn starrer Drishyam, which is directed by Nishikant Kamat, has been declared tax free in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

     

    The film got a go-ahead for the supplementary budget proposal and was declared tax free in the state at a recent cabinet meeting.

     

    Having Drishyam declared tax free in a major state like UP, which is a huge market for the distributors, watching the movie will surely help facilitate and increase the viewing access for the common people of the state.

     

    Meanwhile the movie continues to stay steady at the box office.

     

    A Panorama Studios & Viacom 18 Motion Pictures Production, Drishyam also stars Tabu.

  • Box Office: ‘Bangistan’ bombs; ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ crosses Rs 300 crore

    Box Office: ‘Bangistan’ bombs; ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ crosses Rs 300 crore

    MUMBAI: Coming from a production house, which is known to churn out quality films, Bangistan fails to deliver. Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment, the movie was expected to be a commercial entertainer. However, Bangistan, inspired from a British film Four Lions – about four waylaid terrorists, is an utterly senseless film exhibiting total lack of the film medium. The film managed to put together just about Rs 1 crore on its opening Friday and despite expected improvement over Saturday and Sunday, the first weekend collections stand at a measly Rs 3.35 crore.

     

    On the other hand, Jaanisar, was marketed as ‘From the maker of Umrao Jaan’ and to his credit, Muzaffar Ali did make Umrao Jaan and Gaman, two hugely appreciated films. However, his latest lacks the purpose and the human interest story that his previous two films had. This film lacks identification for any kind of audience, as a result of which, meets with a disastrous fate at the box office: no takers.

     

    Ajay Devgn’s experiment with a family thriller sans action, Drishyam, does not quite work despite all three of its previous versions in Malayalam (original), Telugu and Tamil remakes making their mark at the box office as well as with critics. While critics stayed divided over handing out stars in ratings to the film, ticket buyers remained mostly indifferent. Except Devgn, that too not the way his fans like to see him, the rest came as a patch up job.  You make an economical film but admission rates remain the same at the cinema halls and audiences expect their money’s worth. After an opening weekend of Rs 27.6 crore including collections from paid previews on Thursday before regular release, the film ended its first week with Rs 41.3 crore.

     

    Masaan could muster praise from the critics as well as few who paid to watch it but not enough to register at the box office. It added Rs 1.05 crore to its first week figures taking its two-week total to Rs 3.45 crore.

     

    Bajrangi Bhaijaan still holds sway over the audience also getting some repeat footfalls as it collects over Rs 29.4 crore in its third week. This takes the film’s three-week tally to Rs 301.45 crore.

     

    Bahubali: The Beginning (Hindi- Dubbed) continues to do well during its fourth week. The film has added Rs 10.9 crore to take its four-week tally to Rs 98.85 crore.

  • Box Office: ‘Drishyam’ collects Rs 27.6 crore; ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ going strong

    Box Office: ‘Drishyam’ collects Rs 27.6 crore; ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ going strong

    MUMBAI: Much touted, successful in its Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil versions, Drishyam carried some expectations in the trade but, with only Ajay Devgn in the top billing, the film could not draw the expected audience. Despite praise from the critics, word of mouth failed to do much for the film. 

     

    Drishyam opened at little over Rs 5 crore on Friday and, as expected, did show some improvement on Saturday and got better on Sunday. However, despite its economical making and saving on casting, the weekend figures had Rs 27.6 crore to show including paid previews on Thursday. This being not up to the mark, much will depend on how the film holds through the rest of the week.

     

    Masaan, critically acclaimed film as well as a Cannes awardee, could not do much at the box office. Awards of any kind don’t really matter to the Indian audience. The film collected a measly Rs 2.4 crore in its first week.

     

    On the other hand, Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan maintained a strong trend even in its second week. The film has become a rage all over and Khan’s docile character without action has found much appreciation. What’s more, the film’s climax has been winning the audiences’ hearts. The film added a fantastic Rs 87.2 crore in its second week to take its two week tally to Rs 272.05 crore. 

     

    Baahubali: The Beginning (Hindi-Dubbed) continues its strong run notwithstanding strong opposition from Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The film is already the highest grossing Hindi dubbed film ever and looking at the trend it will most likely also be the first dubbed film to make it to Rs 100 crore club. The film has collected Rs 21.7 crore in its third week, which is barely Rs 3 crore less than its second week. This takes the film’s three week total to Rs 87.95 crore.