ITV

Tag: Farah Khan

  • ‘Happy New Year’ reaches Gulf & Latin American audience via iTunes

    ‘Happy New Year’ reaches Gulf & Latin American audience via iTunes

    MUMBAI: After reaching out to millions of fans across the globe, Red Chillies Entertainments’ (RCE) film Happy New Year (HNY) has added another feather to its cap. The film has got the widest release ever on iTunes, which is a first for any Indian film. Directed by Farah Khan, HNY has become the first Bollywood film to premiere in iTunes Gulf region and in 16 Latin American countries.

     

    RCE chief revenue officer Gaurav Verma said, “Technology has always helped in overcoming barriers, sometimes they are economical and sometime language. Riding on the reach of iTunes, we have been able to cater to audience in over 100 countries with regional subtitles who can now consume our movies on a swipe at their convenience. Theatrically, we reach out to 50-55 countries for a big film and digital platforms help us in expanding our reach as was the case with our earlier initiative Direct-To-Fan, which made the film available to a global audience.” 

     

    An action-packed musical heist, HNY was worldwide distributed by Yash Raj Films and stars Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood and Vivaan Shah. HNY was released in India on 24 October, 2014 and has been released theatrically, on D2F and on home video in many traditional and non-traditional markets since then. HNY also got the biggest release in China on their New Year weekend recently and will be available in German from 20 March on home video as well.

  • Colors syndicates ‘Farah Ki Daawat’ to Pakistan’s TV One

    Colors syndicates ‘Farah Ki Daawat’ to Pakistan’s TV One

    MUMBAI: IndiaCast and Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC), Colors have inked a syndication deal for Farah Ki Daawat to Pakistan’s GEC – TV One. With the syndication of this show, 12 Colors programs now air in Pakistan.

     

    Colors CEO Raj Nayak said that entertainment is at the very core of every initiative it undertakes. “The syndication of Farah Ki Daawat to Pakistan boosts our confidence in going beyond the norm to create differentiated content that appeals to viewers not only in India but across the world,” he added.

     

    IndiaCast COO Gaurav Gandhi said, “The content on Colors is a great proposition for international viewers, especially within the Indian sub-continent. It has been our constant endeavor to present the best of Indian entertainment to viewers across the world and this syndication deal with Pakistan’s TV One furthers this promise. We are pleased to present the audience in Pakistan with a unique concept like Farah Ki Daawat for their weekend viewing.”

     

    The show was launched in India on 22 February, 2015 with an episode featuring Abhishek Bachchan and guest Sargun Mehta. The show had received positive feedback from viewers across social media platforms.

     

    Khan said, “I am thrilled by the feedback that viewers have showered Farah Ki Daawat with. The show is gaining popularity and, across various social platforms, viewers are commenting about the ease with which they have been able to replicate the recipes in their own kitchens. Farah Ki Daawat’s syndication to Pakistan’s TV One, gives me the unique opportunity to reach out to Bollywood fans and food lovers across the border.”

  • Colors bets big on cookery show with Farah Khan as host

    Colors bets big on cookery show with Farah Khan as host

    MUMBAI:  Food is an important part of general entertainment channel’s (GEC) programming line-up these days and this time round Colors is adding the entertainment quotient to it.

    Colors is all set to bring to the table a variety of dishes with the launch of its new cookery show – Farah Ki Daawat, which will be hosted by filmmaker Farah Khan.

    After her successful stint in the channel’s reality TV show, Bigg Boss Halla Bol, Khan is set to return to the small screen with the new series. Produced by Wizcraft Entertainment, the new programme will see Bollywood and television celebrities showcasing their culinary skills by tossing up some delectable dishes. What’s more, Khan will be seen breathing down their neck and emphasizing on perfection as the judge cum host.

    Talking about the concept of the show, Colors CEO Raj Nayak feels that the new offering will provide viewers with an uninhibited glimpse into the kitchen of their favourite celebrities – a concept which has never been seen on television before.

    Nayak says, “At Colors, it is our constant endeavour to present differentiated content, which adds to our bouquet of offerings while making the channel a one-stop entertainment destination for our viewers.”

    The show will see celebrities from different walks of life sharing their favourite food recipes and memories from their kitchen. The series will also feature challengers who, teamed up with the celebrities, to raise the entertainment quotient while engaging in quirky tasks and activities.

    Nayak is of the opinion that apart from the novel concept, Khan – a multi-faceted personality, who is a closet foodie, will be the cherry on the cake. “The combination of good food and great conversations convinced us that the concept could be a potential attention grabber amongst viewers,” asserts Nayak.

    According to Nayak, currently the plan is to shoot 15 episodes. However, that could change on the basis of viewer feedback towards the episodes. As of now, five-six episodes have already been canned.

    If industry sources are to be believed, keeping in mind the celebrity quotient on the show, a 10-sec ad slot on Farah Ki Daawat demands anywhere between Rs 1 – 1.2 lakh per episode.

    Apart from the promos on-air, Khan herself has been aggressive about promoting the show on the social media platform – Twitter. From posting pictures while shooting with celebs to inviting people for the ‘dawaat’ on 22 February, she has created a lot of buzz.

    The celebs that have shot with Khan till now are Abhishek Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh, Avinash Gowariker, Manish Paul, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood, Malaika Arora Khan. What’s more Bigg Boss 8 winner Gautam Gulati and housemates like Pritam Singh, Diandra Soares, Sambhavna Seth, Rahul Mahajan, Ajaz Khan and Praneet Bhat will also be seen on the show.

    For Farah Ki Daawat, the channel has already got thumbs up from advertisers. Colors has roped in a volley of sponsors including Videocon as presenting sponsor, Kenstar as associate sponsors and Everest Masala as taste sponsors. The show will be powered by Mahakosh Cooking Oil.

    According to a media planner the cookery chat show will manage to grab some eyeballs with the celebrity quotient factor. “Initially, the show will have a certain audience, but in the end content is king. Let’s see if Farah is able to pull off her host element well and secondly if an hour-long session is entertaining enough.”

    It may be recalled that channels have for long experimented with food based cooking shows. From brief cookery episodes on Surabhi (DD) to Zee TV’s Khana Khazana, which launched Sanjeev Kapoor as a celebrity chef, the small screen has had a lot of shows revolving around producing gastronomic delights, apart from dedicated food channels like Zee Khana Khazana, Food First and Food Food.

    Competition is hotting up in this space too. Post MasterChef India’s (Star Plus) launch in 2010, a plethora of cookery talent hunt shows followed suit, including Kitchen Champion, with celebrity chef Gauti (Colors), Cook It Up with Tarla Dalal (Sony), Zaike Ka Safar (Zee TV), Mirch Masala (Star Plus) and Shipra Khanna Cookery Show (Star Plus), amongst others. What’s more, in a renewed attempt at the segment in 2013, Sony had launched Sanjeev Kapoor Ke Kitchen Khiladi, its first cookery-based competition show. Star Plus too continued its MasterChef series with MasterChef Junior.

    Today’s broadcasters realise that there is a show for every segment of the audience, from kids to grand-parents, from a 10-year old to health conscious corporate executives, house wives, working men and women to a 70-year old grandmother, is discussing food and tuning into food shows on television for recipes and more. It remains to be seen whether Farah Ki Daawat is able to tingle the audiences’ taste buds.

    Farah Ki Daawat will air from 22 February every Sunday at 8 pm and will see competition from shows like Private Investigator on Star Plus, Adaalat on Sony, Peterson Hill on Sab, Neeli Chatri Waale on Zee TV and Savdhaan India on Life OK.

  • Double dose of action in ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 6’

    Double dose of action in ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi 6’

    MUMBAI: It seems to have become an unwritten rule of the game. Now-a-days broadcasters have started to realise that reality shows can run by getting celebrity hosts to garner more eyeballs. 

     

    A big celebrity host is a prerequisite to launch a reality show in India. Celebrity participants, though important, are not mandatory; but the bigger the host, the better. 

     

    From Salman Khan and Farah Khan in Big Boss to Shah Rukh Khan for a game show – India Poochega – Sabse Shaana Kaun in the yet-to-be launched general entertainment channel (GEC) ‘&TV’ under the Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) stable. Likewise, there are many more names in the basket. 

     

    After having popular celebrity faces like Priyanka Chopra and Akshay Kumar as hosts for its adventure based reality show – Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi, last year the show got a new face on-board. 

     

    The director, who is known for reviving the action genre on the celluloid, Rohit Shetty who hosted the fifth edition of the series, will continue to host the sixth season as well. 

     

    According to Colors CEO Raj Nayak casting in this season is the best so far. “All faces are popular. Moreover, the number of stunts has increased and you will see a lot of variations. Last year, it was the best season ever and this time we hope it surpasses that.”

     

    The show, which goes on air from 7 February every Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm, will see Ashish Choudhary, Hussain Kuwarjerwala, Harshad Arora, Iqbal Khan, Sana Khan. Sagrika Ghartge, Rashami Desai, Asha Negi, Ridhhi Dogra, Meiyang Chang, Rakesh Kumar, Siddharth Bharadwaj, Nathalia Kaur and Archana Vijaya battling it out.

     

    The contestants will stay in a ‘Darr ka Ghar’ this time to keep the entertainment quotient up. Adding a twist to the take and urging the contestants to push their boundaries will be last year’s finalist Salman Yusuff Khan who will be seen as a challenger.

     

    Endemol MD Deepak Dhar said, “Khatron … will be riveting for the viewers as it has been taxing for the contestants. We have doubled the dose of danger, action and entertainment this season while introducing new concepts and themes to make the show a truly engaging watch. Rohit Shetty’s contribution in making the show a complete blockbuster has been unparalleled and as the show prepares for launch, we are all set for the true action to begin.”

     

    According to sources, the budget has also gone up by about 25 per cent as compared to the last season. While last season the production of the non-fiction show was pegged at Rs 50-55 crore, this season media planners estimate it to be around Rs 60-65 crore. 

     

    Media planners believe that the show will definitely continue to work wonders for the channel, thanks to the celebrity power status and power packed stunts that will keep viewers hooked onto the show.

  • Colors to launch ‘Bigg Boss Halla Bol’ series

    Colors to launch ‘Bigg Boss Halla Bol’ series

    MUMBAI: After engaging viewers for 15 weeks, Bigg Boss season eight is ready to take the quotient of entertainment a notch higher.  Come 4 January, it is set to launch Bigg Boss Halla Bol which will not only include the five champions, but also open doors to five challengers namely Rahul Mahajan, Sambhavna Seth, Ajaz Khan, Mahek Chahal and one more from the previous Bigg Boss seasons.

    As the new leg of the game kicks-off, the series will welcome Bigg Boss enthusiast Farah Khan as the host of the show. Following a successful association, the channel has roped in Snapdeal.com as the presenting sponsor for Bigg Boss Halla Bol. It will air everyday at 9pm on the channel.

    According to Colors CEO Raj Nayak, be it in terms of ratings or in terms of entertainment, season eight has lived up to its promise of having a mast safar with zabardast twists.
    “This New Year we bring the Bigg Boss buffs another engrossing series packed with newer twists and interesting characters. This show is our New Year gift to all our Bigg Boss fans. Further, we are happy to announce that we have roped in Snapdeal.com as the presenting sponsor for Bigg Boss Halla Bol following the stupendous response that both – the show and the brand – have received for the eighth season of the show.”

    Confirming her participation, Farah Khan said: “I have loved watching Bigg Boss and enjoy everything about it. The series is unlike anything that regular viewers of the show could have ever perceived. Salman Khan has been truly entertaining as a host with his affable style and quick wit. I am looking forward to building a unique experience for the viewers through this venture and hope they enjoy every bit of it.”

    The special series will have a mix of 10 enigmatic contestants and will bring entertainment to the forefront as competitiveness reaches an all-time high which will make their stay in the Bigg Boss house tougher than ever before. The champions and challengers will engage in a battle of sorts as they strive to stay inside the house and move closer to the grand finale where a contestant from either party could claim the spot of the winner of the show. The effervescent Farah Khan will be the guiding light for the champions and challengers while questioning their actions and decisions as the show races to the end.    

     

  • ‘Happy New Year’ to go digital

    ‘Happy New Year’ to go digital

    MUMBAI: It is rightly said that digital is the only way forward. Filmmakers too have understood that in today’s time the exchange of information is much faster, thanks to digital platforms.

     

    And so, Red Chillies Entertainments (RCE) has decided to take its film, Happy New Year (HNY) to the audiences internationally in a unique manner. After making a mark with the worldwide theatrical release, HNY will now be available for the international fans to view it online.

     

    The Direct-To-Fan model of release of any content has been so far used for the music industry internationally. Breaking the record and to be the first one, it is the first commercial film worldwide to release on DTF model.

     

    “We at Red Chillies have always taken pride in establishing new trends and delighting our fans. Along these lines we bring the biggest entertainer – Happy New Year, directly to our fans through online streaming for the first time ever!” shared RCE CEO Venky Mysore.

     

    This is the first time, any film after the theatrical release, will now release on the digital platform. While the traditional distribution markets like India and China enjoy a wide release of a Hindi film, DTF will release in other countries, barring these two traditional ones, to reach the most unconventional distribution markets.

     

    The film will be available on Happy New Year’s website to be viewed by the fans worldwide. All you need is three very basic things for the viewing – basic internet connection, a device to watch it on and a credit card. At a minimum price the film can be viewed and the best part is that it can be watched on ones computer, phone or any other digital device as long as you have a very basic internet connection.

  • 92.7 Big FM, Virender Sehwag join hands with Goonj for 4th edition of Daryadili

    92.7 Big FM, Virender Sehwag join hands with Goonj for 4th edition of Daryadili

    MUMBAI: 92.7 Big FM has always been at the forefront to contribute to the welfare of the nation. The largest FM conglomerate is all set to announce the 4th successful year of its heart-warming initiative – Daryadili. In an endeavor to support people battling against the bitter cold each year, 92.7 BIG FM has been bracing its 3 year old campaign by bringing together people from different strata of  society  to provide warm winter clothes and other  essentials to those in need.  A marquee initiative, Darya Dili 2014 will see the coming together of Radio Industry’s No. 1 Network – 92.7 BIG FM with Ace Cricketer Virender Sehwag and renowned NGO Goonj to support and uplift the marginalized. Over the last three successful years of the campaign, 92.7 BIG FM has been scaling up its social campaign to go pan India across its 45 station network dramatically increasing the reach to 4.3 Cr. To help accomplish the bold mission this year, the face of Darya Dilli, Virender Sehwag will come on the breakfast show every morning and promote auctions with a message.

     
    Eminent celebrities such as Sunidhi Chauhan, Farah Khan, Smriti Irani, Bappi Lahiri, Chetan Bhagat and Shaan have whole heartedly come forward to support the campaign. Renowned BIG FM RJs- RJ Siddharth, Yaadon Ka Idiot Box fame Neelesh Misra, Celeb RJ Richa will contribute to the cause. In Hyderabad, BIG FM RJs along with NGO will appeal listeners to educate kids from the street. In Bangalore and Chennai 92.7 BIG FM will support the under-privileged to hone their hidden talents and skills along with NGO Bhumi. In Chennai, RJs will appeal listeners to provide lesser privileged kids with stationary, toys and books. 92.7 BIG FM RJs across the country will touch the philanthropic side of listeners to make a positive impact on society.

     
    Speaking on the occasion, National Business Head, 92.7 BIG FM, Mr. Ashwin Padmanabhan stated, “92.7 BIG FM has always pioneered initiatives that contribute to the welfare and well-being of the society. It wasn’t long ago when we launched Darya Dilli with the aim of bringing people together to assist and aid those in need and it gives me great pleasure to announce that we have made good progress in a short span of just 3 years.  We are also delighted to announce the expansion of our campaign down south and Maharashtra that increases the reach to more than 4.3 crore across the nation. It is humbling to see how an idea that we thought of three years ago, has grown from strength and strength and today we have here with us a cricketing icon, Mr. Virender Sehwag, who has chosen to come forward and associate with us for this noble cause.”

     
    Speaking of his association with 92.7 BIG FM and Darya Dilli, Virender Sehwag stated, “It is with a deep sense of humility that I have associated with Daryadili. Making an effort to give warm blankets in the sheer cold of the north is a cause I’m personally and emotionally involved with.   These initiatives bring people together to realize, understand and contribute to building a more caring and compassionate society. I am extremely proud to be associated with 92.7 BIG FM, a brand that has been at the forefront of the helm in their endeavor to sensitize everyone towards issues that plague people every year and the steps one can really take to help one another.”

     

  • ‘Happy New Year’ continues its successful run

    ‘Happy New Year’ continues its successful run

    MUMBAI: Rekha on screen after a long gap does not quite manage to attract the audience in Super Nani. Her fans, old as well as those who grew up on her legend did not quite fancy her in the role of a suppressed grandmother. The film has had a very poor opening despite limited screenings. The film has collected Rs 1.4 crore for the opening weekend.

     

    Roar, with its curiosity value and effective promos, has opened fairly well despite a theme with appeal mainly limited to young audience and has managed to put together a face saving Rs 4.7 crore for its first weekend.

     

    Happy New Year collection figures vary from one media to another as in most cases they are guess estimates and according to loyalists since the figures are being released to media only by the producers with other sources having been blocked.

     

    However, according to numbers  put together with inputs from circuits, the first week total for the film is expected to be from Rs 128 – 130 crore. While the opening day collections were huge, the gap between the opening day and the days between days that followed started widening each day. The film faces poor opposition from two new releases, Super Nani and Roar which will help the film with decent figures in its second week.

     

    Haider has added Rs 45 lakh in its fourth week to take its four week tally to Rs 40.40 crore.

     

    Bang Bang has collected about Rs 1 crore in fourth week to take its four week total to Rs 145.65 crore.

  • ‘Happy New Year’ game is our biggest marketing tool: Shah Rukh Khan

    ‘Happy New Year’ game is our biggest marketing tool: Shah Rukh Khan

    MUMBAI: With Farah Khan’s Happy New Year already breaking records at the box office, the cast and crew has another reason to celebrate.

     

    Known for his marketing skills, the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan along with Vroovy (a joint venture between Hungama and game service company Gameshastra) launched the official Happy New Year game on iOS, Android and Facebook two days before the release of the film to enthrall the fans on the mobile devices.

     

    A week after its launch, the cast and crew on the movie along with Hungama Digital Media MD and CEO Neeraj Roy announced that the game witnessed more than 1.6 million game sessions in just a week and will soon cross the 50 million mark.

     

    Currently with eight levels in the game, it has six playable characters. The characters are meticulously modelled after the real life actors from the movie – SRK (Charlie), Deepika Padukone (Mohini), Sonu Sood (Jag), Boman Irani (Tammy), Abhishek Bachchan (Nandu) and Vivaan Shah (Rohan).

     

    The goal of the game is to complete a heist successfully by navigating through a barrage of obstacles in eight different environments such as the bank, the dockyard, the streets of Dubai etc. The obstacles come in the form of guards, mercenaries, flamethrowers, flaming barrels etc. The final level takes place in the Atlantis hotel where the heist will take place.

     

    The mobile game encapsulates the essence of the film, which allows gamers to play as Champion Charlie, Marvelous Mohini, Notorious Nandu, Juggernaut Jag, Terrific Tammy or Rowdy Rohan and gear up for an action-packed adventure where they have to unlock doors, break walls, hack alarm systems, and outmaneuver guards.

     

    According to Roy, the game employs a one of a kind tag team format in which the player can switch between characters within a level.

     

    “Besides the single player story mode, there is also a real time multiplayer mode in which you can invite your friend through Facebook and race against them or duel with a random opponent if you wish”, he added.

     

    Talking about the extent in which the game was helpful in marketing the movie, superstar Shah Rukh Khan said, “The game is making a huge effect. It is the biggest marketing tool for us currently in the country. People in India are a little more bent towards online video games. The attempt is to entice the younger generation which loves games.”

     

    “Social media’s reach is not as much as you would like it to be in India, but internationally social media helps a lot in the promotion and marketing of the films,” he added expressing his views on social media’s effect on movies’ reach.

     

    Adding to that, Roy opined, “In India, the gaming sector is growing significantly. There are over a 100 million smart phones in the country, even where people don’t have computers they use phones and hence, moves like giving a miss call for the trailer or launching the game will reach more audiences even in the most interior parts of the country increasing the reach of the film.”

     

    Commenting on expanding the game in future, Roy revealed that they will release a new version of the game in a couple of months. They are also planning to increase the number of levels.

     

    “The game is available for free download currently but add-ons and more levels will cost the user a bit extra,” he added.

     

    Happy and content with the game gaining popularity, the director of the movie said, “The game appeals to audiences of all age group like the movie. It is easy to play, user friendly and most of all, it is not bloody which makes it suitable for children to play.”

     

    From launching the trailer on Whatsapp to initiating the SLAM tour and a dance reality show, the team has also promoted the film on popular television shows like ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil’, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ and ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah’. King Khan certainly did not leave any stone unturned when it came to promotions and marketing of Happy New Year.

     

    Happy New Year, which released in the theatres on 24 October has already collected Rs 108.86 crore in the opening weekend. The movie stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani, Vivaan Shah and Jackie Shroff. Directed by Farah Khan, the movie has been produced by Red Chillies. 

  • ‘Happy New Year’ collects Rs 95 crore at the opening weekend

    ‘Happy New Year’ collects Rs 95 crore at the opening weekend

    MUMBAI: Being a solo release with a festival weekend to back it up, Happy New Year took a bumper opening day as expected. The film was well promoted and a big hype was created around it before its release. Although the film did not enjoy positive public reports, such a big film would hardly be affected on its opening day, especially considering the release period.

     

    However, the film’s collections started dropping from day two. The collections given out to the media are controlled by the producers, Red Chillies, while distributors have been instructed not to reveal figures to media. The figures put together from sources come to around Rs 95 crore. The collections have shown a bigger drop as the new week begins and the long weekend of holidays is over. 

     

    Mumbai 125KM collects Rs 1.5 crore in its first week. Sonali Cable fails to cross even the crore mark in its first week collecting just Rs 85 lakh. Ekkees Topon Ki Salaami fared badly in the first week and totally sank in the second week managing to collect just Rs 10 lakh. Its two week total rounds up to Rs 1.65 crore. Tamanchey, another wasted effort, collects Rs 10 lakh in its second week and its two week collections total up to Rs 1.35 crore. Haider adds Rs 3.5 crore for its third week to take its three week tally to Rs 48.95 crore. Bang Bang has collected about Rs 8.05 crore for its third week taking its three week total to Rs 144.65 crore.