ITV

Tag: Gulzar

  • Special programming initiative by 9X Jalwa

    Special programming initiative by 9X Jalwa

    MUMBAI: 9X Jalwa will commemorate the birth anniversary of RD Burman with power packed programming initiatives. Starting June 22, 2016, 9X Jalwa will air series of special RD Burman centric music blocks and vignettes from the award winning documentary of RD Burman by Brahmanand Singh.

    The week-long programming titled ‘FULL RD’ will air every day between 9-10pm showcasing songs and special segments of RD BURMAN with the legendary singers, lyricist and RD himself. Specials of RD with other singing legends such as Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Gulzar and Kishore Kumar will be played across the channel along with the vignettes. 9X Jalwa will also air Info graphics highlighting the career of RD BURMAN.

    Commenting on ‘Full RD’, Imtiaz Baghdadi, Programming Head 9X Jalwa said, “Pancham Da a.k.a RD Burman is a music legend. His music compositions are forever young and are enjoyed by the youth even today. RD Burman’s music complements the essence of 9X Jalwa of airing forever young music. Besides curating the best of RD Burman playlist we have also put together creative info graphics highlighting the career of RD Burman. We are confident that Bollywood music lover will relish this musical treat on 9X Jalwa. ”

    9X Jalwa will also showcase Full RD, a special musical on the legend featuring the very best of RD Burman. Full RD will air between 10-11pm and 7-8am and 3-4pm throughout the week.

    ‘Full RD’ on 9X Jawla will be promoted across the digital and social media platforms through contests and promos.

    Stay tuned to 9X Jalwa to relish the special musical tribute called ‘Full RD’ from 22nd June to 27th June 2016.

  • Shreya Ghoshal: Today Bollywood is compromising a lot on good content

    Shreya Ghoshal: Today Bollywood is compromising a lot on good content

    Her fans address her by various names like ‘Selfie Queen,’ ‘Princess,’ ‘Songstress’ but the most common is ‘Queen of Melody.’ Shreya Ghoshal’s single post on social networking websites creates a hullabaloo. Fans flood her with praises and the songstress at times even replies to a few messages.

     

    In this exclusive interview with Dhairya Ingle of Indiantelevision.com the singer talks about various aspects of her life including Rabindranath Tagore’s project, which is collaboration between her, Shaan, Shantanu Moitra and Gulzar.

     

    Excerpts:

     

    How has your journey as a musician been so far?

     

    Quite exciting! Every day brings me something new and I think that is the beauty of being a musician. Especially in a country like ours where we are most of the time working for films. There is so much happening in this industry with so many languages, where different types of music comes together and co-exists. So it is wonderful being in the field of music, working with the seniors and new comers, learning new things everyday.

     

    You have crooned a few songs for ‘Jaanisaar.’ How was it working with Muzaffar Ali? And how different is it to sing a classical song as compared to a regular Bollywood number?

     

    I think there is a lot more freedom in this genre because if you hear the songs of ‘Jaanisar,’ each is a performance and there’s a constant need of improvisation. It is not something that can one can learn by heart and sing. Every line is different and there is a new expression that is required. Hailing from the era of mujra, every word has to be expressed, with the essence of pure classical music i.e. thumri, dadra, kajre.

     

    So I had an amalgamation of ghazals and classical music, which gave me more freedom. I don’t get to do that in any of the other songs, though I still have scope to improvise but not as much. It is not a commercial song. The songs of ‘Jaanisar’ are for people who understand and follow Indian classical music. One of the biggest reasons I did my album ‘Humnasheen’ was pretty much to feel that experience.

     

    Muzaffar sahab is a very revered man and I respect him a lot. His presence in the studio itself was very supportive and you know that he is there to appreciate the song and the art you possess. I give equal credits to Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan, who is the son of Salamat Ali Khan sahab. He is more of a singer composer and once he starts singing, you definitely get mesmerised and often get tongue tied.

     

    Which veteran musician did you always dream of working with?

     

    I cannot work with people who are no longer with us and so it will always remain a dream. Artists from earlier eras like Madan Mohan sahab was gifted with putting a soul into the music he composed. Same was with Anand Bakishiji, Gulzar sahab and Sahir Ludhianvi sahab, wherein the first word and the first sentence itself is poetry as it came naturally to them. These are gifted people, who possess power and sensitivity. I feel that there is still a lot of talent around and we have the audiences to appreciate the same. However, what lacks is a platform to do express freely.

     

    Previously a lyricist, singer or composer did not have the pressure of creating a hit song. All that a person required to do was to create a song, but now the pressure is to make a blockbuster money-making track. Hence it becomes very hard for talented people to portray their art. Today Bollywood is compromising a lot on good content.

     

    Tell us about your riyaaz schedule.

     

    I will be very honest with you. I was a very disciplined student of music in my early days and I would thank my parents for making me do so. I would travel long distances for learning music and my parents made sure that after coming from there, I would do my riyaaz. Even before going to school, my mother would wake me up at 6.30 am and I would do my riyaaz on a tanpura.

     

    No child would actually like doing their riyaaz so early, but that’s what built a strong foundation for me. Now I don’t give that many hours for my riyaaz but I do light vocal exercises to warm up my voice. There are thing that I cannot do very well and I keep practicing them so as to improve.

     

    I don’t devote hours and hours for praticising ragas as I’m in the studio the whole day and I end up singing too much. All I need to do is keep my voice intact and get better at my execution than tiring my voice. I think that is how every professional singer functions when they get to a very hectic lifestyle.

     

    Any non-film projects that you are currently working on?

     

    Yes. I just got the mixes for Gulzar sahab’s project on Rabindranath Tagore. Shaan and I have sung songs for the project and the music is composed by Shantanu Moitra. The project is very special and will be releasing under Saregama. Tagore’s style of writing has been adapted by Gulzar sahab. It takes you to an era of Tagore but completely in a new fashion. It will release in a couple of months.

     

    Which non-film song sung by you is your favorite?

     

    It would be ‘Yeh Kya Hua Tere Mere Pyaar Ki Baatein,’ from the album ‘Chandni Raatein’ in 2004, which I did very long ago. This was the first time I was doing a Hindi album song and it was really loved by people then.

     

    You sung Kishore Kumar’s old melody ‘Mere Mehboob.’ Do you wish to re-render any of the olden melodies? If yes, which one?

     

    Actually the song ‘Mere Mehboob’ got stuck in my head and I was recording a new song but ‘Mere Mehboob’ did not go off. So I got back home, sat on my piano and recorded it on my phone. I put it up on my social media and people loved it. I keep my social media very private and have never given it to any agency like many others. I personally read each and every tweet that comes to me and I was so overwhelmed with the love.

     

    When it comes to re-rendering any other tracks, I would say there are many. I love all Madan Mohan sahab and Lataji’s tracks. I would love to do the song ‘Jalte Hain Jiske Liye’ from the film ‘Sujata’ crooned by Talat Mehmood sahab.

     

    Basically I love re-rendering tracks, which are sung by male voices because when you sing a female version of the same track, you reinterpret the whole track.

     

    How does your partner Shiladitya react to the fame and love that you get as a singer? Is he your best critic?

     

    He is my best friend and likes everything I do, which is why he cannot criticise me. I feel my best critics are my parents. My dad will only point put crucial problems in what I do. 

     

    When it comes to Shiladitya, he has been my bestest buddy for ten years so we are each others’ confidant and now that we are married, there is an additional level of responsibility for each other. However, he is exactly the kind of spirit that I would want to be. He is the one who will push me to do all the good things even when I doubt myself. He will just ask me to follow my heart and do what I wish to do and makes me believe in me. Even my parents make me believe in myself, I feel a little responsible in front of my parents. But with Shiladitya around I can do anything I want to.

  • Colors to air season 2 of ‘The Anupam Kher Show’ from 2 August

    Colors to air season 2 of ‘The Anupam Kher Show’ from 2 August

    MUMBAI: The second season of Colors’ talk show – The Anupam Kher Show – Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai is all set to go on air from 2 August. Slotted to air every Sunday at 8 pm, the show is developed by Kher’s production house Actor Prepares Production.

      

    The conversations, this year, will focus on the importance of hard-work and self-belief in overcoming challenges to taste success and achieve accolades.

     

    The chat show will feature celebrities like Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Kajol, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Suresh Raina, Gulzar, Rishi Kapoor, Tabu, Manoj Bajpai, Irrfan Khan, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Paresh Rawal, Boman Irani, Sania Mirza, and Sonu Nigam.

     

    Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “Uninhibited chats are the best form of conversation; and Kher is a master at urging people to open up about their lives. Last season, the show created waves as celebrities from different walks of life surprised viewers with their candid revelations about the inner workings of their minds through adversity. With the launch of the second season of the show, we are looking forward to extending the conversations across a larger audience group and engaging them further about daring to dream and achieving success they have strived for.”

     

    Kher added, “Through my experiences in the industry, I have learnt that giving up is never an option; it is only an escape route from the challenges that could in fact, be monumental in shaping one’s lives. As we return with the second season of the show, the aim was to make The Anupam Kher Show – Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai an endearing proposition that strikes an emotional chord with viewers while narrating a tale of positivity and perseverance. I hope that the nuggets of inspiration that we have been able to extract from the guests this year will appeal to viewers and convince them that the silver lining will find them in even the most clouded situations.”

     

    The show will be promoted extensively across traditional and digital media platforms. Colors has roped in Henko Detergents as the powered by sponsor for the second year in a row.

  • The 60th Britannia Filmfare Awards 2014: New beginnings

    The 60th Britannia Filmfare Awards 2014: New beginnings

    Mumbai: As the Award reaches the landmark 60th year, it does so in partnership with the globally iconic brand – Britannia. Both Britannia and Filmfare are not only household names but leaders in their respective fields. It’s going to be a master class in excellence as two distinguished brands come together to honour the best of Indian cinema.   

    With six decades at the top, Filmfare magazine and the Awards hold pride of place in the hearts of stars and fans alike. Starting with a modest ceremony of just 5 awards, it is now an extravagant gala with over 35 awards. A R Rahman leads with the highest number of the Filmfare Awards, a whopping 29, followed by Kamal Hassan and Gulzar at 20 each.  Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Black and Devdas have been the most successful films at the Filmfare Awards.  They’ve bagged an amazing 10 awards each.

    The Black Lady too has changed over time; from a 5kg hand crafted bronze trophy to a golden avatar at the 50th anniversary.  A diamond-studded trophy, the 2500th piece, was given away to A R Rahman in 2012. In 2013, gold plating at the base of the trophy was done to mark the centenary of Indian Cinema and a year later, keeping up with the advent of 3D in films and 3D printing technology in real life, Filmfare took a futuristic leap. All the trophies that year were 3D printed.
    Britannia Industries is one of India’s leading food companies with annual revenues in excess of Rs. 6000 Cr. In it’s close to 100 year journey, Britannia has become one of India’s favorite and most trusted food brands and houses power brands like Good Day, Tiger, NutriChoice and MarieGold which are household names in India.  Britannia’s product portfolio includes biscuits, bread, cakes, rusk, and dairy products including cheese, beverages, Milk and yoghurt. Britannia products are available across the country in over 35 lakh retail outlets and reach over 50% of Indian homes.  It’s most recent product launches – NutriChoice Heavens and Goodday Chunkies showcase the Company’s ability to offer World- class bakery experiences to the Indian consumer.

    To announce this momentous occasion, Britannia and Filmfare came together at the hotel JW Marriott in Mumbai on December 7, 2014. Gracing the event to announce this grand new association was B-town’s favourite actress and now international pop icon Priyanka Chopra along   with Mr. Varun Berry, Managing Director, Britannia Industries Limited and Mr. Tarun Rai, Chief Executive Officer, Worldwide Media, the publishers of Filmfare magazine.  Together they lit the lamp marking the start of a new magical journey to honour Hindi cinema’s best.

    Talking about their decision to partner with the Filmfare Awards Mr. Varun Berry said, “Britannia is happy to announce its association with the Filmfare Awards 2014 as a Title Sponsor. The Britannia Filmfare Awards 2014 will bring together the two things that every Indian loves – Good food and Great Fun.”

    Mr. Tarun Rai, CEO, Worldwide Media said, “In the 60th year of the Filmfare Awards, I am very happy to announce that Britannia is making their debut with us as partners. Britannia is an iconic brand and I am sure their association with Filmfare Awards will only raise the stature of our event. I look forward to this new journey.”

    The 60th Britannia Filmfare Awards 2014 will be held on January 31, 2015 at the Yash Raj Studios, Andheri, Mumbai.

     

  • Rajnikant, Wong Kar Wai to be honoured at International Film Festival of India, China is country in Focus

    Rajnikant, Wong Kar Wai to be honoured at International Film Festival of India, China is country in Focus

    NEW DELHI: A total of 179 films from 75 countries across different categories would be screened and China will be the focus country for the forthcoming International Film Festival of India in Panaji, later this month.

     
    Megastar Amitabh Bachchan will inaugurate the annual filmfest to be held from 20 to 30 November.

     
    Popular star Rajnikant would be bestowed with the Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year, and Chinese filmmaker Wong Kar Wai would receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

     
    This information was given by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who said the first meeting of the “Indo-China Joint Working Group” would be held on the sidelines of the festival. The Minister added that this partnership provided a platform opening new avenues for film makers from both the countries by sharing best practices and technologies.

     

    Referring to the opening ceremony, the Minister stated Chinese film actress Zhang Ziyi, Swedish filmmaker Jan Troell, and Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi would be the Guests of Honour.

    The President directed by renowned filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf from Iran will be the opening film on 20 November and The Grandmaster by Wong Kar Wai would be the closing film of the festival on 30 November.

     

    The international films include World Cinema (61 films), Master-strokes (11 films), Festival Kaleidoscope (20 films), Soul of Asia (7 films), Documentaries (6 films), and Animated Films (6 films).

    In addition, the Indian Panorama section would include 41 feature and non-feature films. The North-East being the focus region of the festival, IFFI 2014 would be showcasing seven films from that region.

    Retrospectives will be held on Gulzar and Jahnu Baruah and a special tribute to Farooq Sheikh. One film each of eminent film personalities who passed away in the past year would be screened. These are Richard Attenborough, Robin Williams, Zohra Sehgal, and Suchitra Sen.

    A special section of films that focus on dance, personality based retrospectives, and Masterclasses and workshops would also form part of IFFI 2014.  

     

  • Zee initiates campaign for Kashmir floods- “HUM HAIN… Umeed-e-Kashmir”

    Zee initiates campaign for Kashmir floods- “HUM HAIN… Umeed-e-Kashmir”

    MUMBAI: The entertainment industry led by the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), the Film and Television Producers Guild and the global mediaconglomerate Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.(ZEE) has initiated a fund-raiser campaign, “HUM HAIN… Umeed-e-Kashmir” to raise funds and awareness for flood-stricken Kashmir. The recent floods in Kashmir have devastated and unhinged the lives of many leaving many casualties and loss of homes, property and livelihoods in its wake.

     
    Acknowledging our chance to be one, the relief campaign kicked off on Gandhi Jayanti and ZEE’s 22nd Anniversary – 2nd October,  with a message from youth icon Ranbir Kapoor calling on the nation to join hands and raise hope for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The message was released along with a thematic music piece composed by Gulzar & Vishal Bharadwaj and sung by Sukhwinder Singh.

     

    HUM HAIN: Umeed-e-Kashmir will strive to work alongside several NGOs, Government bodies, celebrities and civilians to give the cause a unified voice. The concert will include a list of celebrity performers will appeal and urge viewers to donate to key NGOs and specified Disaster Relief Funds in support of the Kashmir relief project. Many other stars and performers will be shortly announced.

     

    On 18 October, HUM HAIN…Ummeed e Kashmir is being hosted at the Indira Gandhi Indoor stadium in Delhi and features a veritable who’s who: Aamir Khan, Vishal Bhardwaj, Farhan Akhtar, Ranbir Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Gulzar, Ayushman Khurrana, Daler Mehndi, Sonu Nigam, Shaan, Sukhwinder Singh, Rekha Bhardwaj, Pritam, Shantanu Moitra, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Dr L Subramanium, Anupam Kher, Imtiaz Ali, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Mukesh Bhatt, Swanand Kirkire, Zaheer Khan, Boney and Sridevi Kapoor and multiple celebrities. More celebrities will continue to join as performers, as the build-up to the event begins. Tickets for the event and all proceeds, which will completely go to the charity United Way will soon be available on Bookmyshow.com and other outlets across the Delhi NCR region.
     

    The campaign’s highpoint is the creation of simultaneous live events on ground across 7 cities on 18th October with the main event at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi and simultaneous events being held in Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkatta and Jaipur.  The spread of events across the country will help demonstrate that India cares.

     
    Zee TV’s 10 News channels will come together to connect the multiple events being held simultaneously across the country. India will be one as the event management industry in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Jaipur, and Kolkata will feature their respective film and entertainment industries. Zee’s anchors and network will connect the cities and performers live from 3 pm onwards on 18th October.

     

    A total of 38 Zee channels will SIMULCAST this initiative on Sunday 26 October including Zee TV, Zee Cinema, & Pictures, Zee Classic, Zee Action, Zee Premiere, Zee Café, Zee Studio, ETC, Zing, Zindagi, Zee Tamil, Zee Talkies, Zee Bangla, Zee Bangla  Cinema, Zee Anmol, Zee Smile, Zee Salaam, Zee Jagran, ZQ, Khana Khazana, Zee TV HD, Zee Cinema HD, & Pictures HD and Zee Studio HD, Zee Kannada, Zee Telugu, Zee Marathi Zee News, Zee Business, Zee 24 Taas, Zee 24 Ghanta, Zee MP CG, Zee Punjab, Zee Sangam, Zee Marudhara, Zee Kalina and Zee Purvaiya.

        
    Studios will also be set up in both New Delhi and Mumbai where celebrities will also send across poignant messages, performances and showcase footage films that bring alive the devastation and relief work undertaken in an effort to strengthen the appeal. Concert tickets for the same will be sold, with all proceeds going to charity. A collection of celebrity memorabilia will also go on auction. ALL money generated through the fund-raiser through sale of tickets, donations, sponsorships, commercial time, auctions, etc. will be given to charities in Jammu & Kashmir and the most-recently hit Assam that the organisers will painstakingly select.

    Amitabh Bachchan speaking about the initiative said, “As human beings and as Indians we need to do all that we can to help our countrymen in need. The plight of the people of Jammu & Kashmir has always been a matter of concern and the floods have only made it worse. All that we do simply won’t be enough to meet the various challenges facing the people; but every drop counts. Hence we call on everyone in our country and from the world community to come forward and provide their support.”

     

    Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEE said “As a nation, we have always treasured Kashmir the most, our precious crown that it has always been. In such a calamity, it is nothing less than a moral responsibility of every citizen and corporate in India to step forward and extend the best possible support towards the relief. As a global media company, with a wide bouquet of multiple channels across the nation, and a strong connect with over 730 million viewers, ZEE aims at offering a dual support to this initiative. Firstly, through the advertisement revenues generated from the broadcast, which would be entirely donated to the relief work, and secondly by offering a nationwide reach to the event. Committed to ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, which we espouse as our brand positioning, it is ZEE’s responsibility to step forward and work for its Family, of which the people of Kashmir are an integral part.”  

     

    Ranbir Kapoor speaking about the initiative said, “Kashmir has always been an intrinsic part of our film industry. The happiness and joy that the Kashmiri people brought me and my Rockstar crew was incredible. The people are peace-loving and love all of us from the entertainment industry. I am grateful to the EEMA and the Film  Producers Guild for initiating this project with Zee TV. It’s important that the country comes together to demonstrate our solidarity with them at this time”

     

    Sabbas Joseph, President of Event and Entertainment Management Association said today, “As we continue to plan the relief campaign, there is an optimistic energy building that we will be able to help rebuild Kashmir with a sense of solidarity that is representative by every film, music and sports icon coming together. The idea of creating multiple simultaneous live events showcases the strength, diversity and unity of our country; it also demonstrates the growing strength of the live and event management industry across the country. Bringing the country together, is at the core of the initiative that we are building.”

     

    Mukesh Bhatt, President of the Film & TV Producers Guild, said, “The land of ethereal beauty & purity is in tatters, devastated by nature’s fury. Kashmir, the embodiment of Indian culture & tradition, is crying for help from millions of fellow Indians. The Indian entertainment industry has shared a wonderful symbiotic relationship with the land of Kashmir over the years & the time has come to repay the generosity & hospitality of Kashmiris in their time of strife. The industry has forever pioneered charitable causes whenever India has been ravaged by tragedies & this time too, we would like to support our Kashmiri brethren & contribute in our own humble way to this gargantuan task of relief & rehabilitation.”Hum Hain ….. Umeed-e-Kashmir” will not only assemble industry forces on a common platform of compassion & nobility but more significantly appeal to the consciousness of the vast multitude of Indians to generously donate funds in our endeavour to provide some succour to the survivors in Kashmir.”

     

    This October, the Event and Entertainment Management Association, along with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. and the Film and Television Producers Guild of India have come together in solidarity with the people of Kashmir and India, at large and is sending out a call-to-action.

     

  • Iconic music films mark 100th FD Zone screening this week

    Iconic music films mark 100th FD Zone screening this week

    NEW DELHI:  Eminent film based on the country’s music legends will mark the 100th FD Zone screening. The films include Ravi Shankar which is based on the Bharat Ratna sitarist and is directed by Pramod Pati. Others include Amir Khan by SNS Sastry, and on Bhimsen Joshi directed by the eminent Gulzar. The screening will begin on 12 July at 4 pm.

     

    All the three films are remarkably individualistic in style. Pramod Pati’s film carries his zany energy, while Sastry’s film is a sublime meditation of the arts of music and film-making. Gulzar’s film is a feature-length documentary which is a sensory delight.

     

    FD Zone commenced two years earlier with a three-day festival of Mani Kaul’s films at the FD office in Mumbai. The programme of weekly screenings began on 14 July 2012 with SNS Sastry’s I am Twenty and Ashim Ahluwalia’s John and Jane.

     

    Since then, films have been shown every Saturday from the archives of the division aimed at creating a dialogue on diverse film-making practices, with emphasis on the non-fiction genre.

     

    The FD Zone screenings are free and open to all and even independent films have been screened along with films from the FD archives.

     

    Filmmakers visiting Mumbai have shared their films, fellow filmmakers have curated programmes and the audience has supported and enthusiastically participated in creating this space. The programme has been running once a month in seven other cities – Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Madurai, Thrissur and Coimbatore, in partnership with local organisations.

     

    The films on Ravi Shankar and Amir Khan were made in 1970, while the film on Joshi was made in 1992.

  • Cinematic content should have desirable impact on social behaviour: Pranab Mukherjee

    Cinematic content should have desirable impact on social behaviour: Pranab Mukherjee

    NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee has said filmmakers should make a concerted effort to distinguish between what clearly is an art form and what is not and the cinematic content of films should have a desirable impact on the social behaviour of people, especially the new generation.

     

    He said, “I take this opportunity to reflect upon an important aspect of cinema. Besides being a strong medium of expression, cinema is a vehicle of influence and persuasion for the youth. When our children witness scenes depicting violence and bloodshed, it does affect their psyche.”

     

    Speaking after presenting the Dadasaheb Phalke award to poet-lyricist-filmmaker Gulzar and the 61st National Film Awards for 2013 over the weekend, Mukherjee said: “Faced with erosion of values in today’s context, cinema should play a catalytic role in resetting our moral compass. Our filmmakers should deploy their creative efforts to present and propagate core values such as patriotism, respect for women, compassion and tolerance, honesty and discipline. I am hopeful that everyone associated with the film industry will use their talent and artistic pursuits to create meaningful and socially relevant cinema.” 

     

    Cinema has played a critical role in highlighting social and political issues of concern as well as exposing the deficiencies in our political system. It is an industry which has provided opportunities for many to rise from rag to riches. He called upon the film industry to nurture and strengthen its openness, pluralism and inclusiveness and disseminate the same throughout the country.

    He added: “India’s media and entertainment industry is today at the cusp of a transformation. It is poised to leapfrog into a completely digital landscape. Indian cinema connects with millions of people – within the country and abroad, directly through theatres, close to 2,000 multiplexes and through TV as well as the internet. In 2013, the Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry registered a growth of 11.8 per cent over 2012 and did a gross business of around Rs 92,000 crore. The industry is expected to register a compound annual growth rate of 14.2 per cent to touch Rs 1.8 lakh crore by 2018.”

     

    Earlier, Gulzar who is turning 80 later this year was given a standing ovation as he went up to the dais of the tastefully decorated Vigyan Bhavan to receive his award for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema. The presentation was preceded by a short showreel into his work, and included tributes paid to him by several cine artistes. The award consists of a Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh and a shawl.

     

     Speaking after receiving the award, Gulzar paid a tribute when he described the film field as the only industry after the Armed Forces which was totally secular and welcomed all.

     

    He said his honour belonged to scores of film personalities like the late Bimal Roy and Sachin Dev Barman who had given him the right chances at the right times and even younger talent like Shankar Ehsaan Loy and A R Rahman. “Many like R D Burman, Madan Mohan, and Laxmikant are no more. But one could not always live in nostalgia had to move on,” he said.

     

    Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari agreed with Gulzar and said cinema was the great unifier. He said the National Film Awards were reflective of the heterogeneity of the film industry which was a confluence of many Indian languages. These awards were truly a tribute to the diversity of thought, and recognition of excellence.

     

    The report of the feature jury was presented by Manju Borah on behalf of chairman Saeed Akhtar Mirza, while the non-feature book jury were presented by chairpersons Reena Mohan and Sharad Dutt respectively.

     

    A total of 41 awards were given by the President in the non-feature film category while 40 were given for feature films. Three awards were given to Best Writing on Cinema, including one for the best film critic. 

     

    The winners of the Best Male playback singer – Rupankar – and Best Female Playback singer Bela Shende renderd their award winning songs ‘E Tumi Kemon Tumi’ from the film Jaatishwar (Bengali) and ‘Khura Khura’ from the film ‘Tuhya Dharma Koncha (Marathi)’ respectively.

    The award for the best feature film was conferred on Ship of Theseus (English-Hindi) produced by Recyclewala Films and directed by Anand Gandhi. In the non-feature film category, the award for the Best Film was conferred to Rangbhoomi (Hindi) produced by Films Division and directed by Kamal Swaroop. In the category of Best Writing on Cinema section, the book Cinema Ga Cinema (Telugu)written by Nandagopal and published by Praga India, Hyderabad bagged the top honour, while Alaka Sahani (English) was conferred the award for the Best film Critic. 

     

    Hindi films once again dominated the National Film Awards by getting as many as 15 awards among feature films. Marathi came next with 10 awards followed by Bengali with six and Tamil and Kannada with five each and Malayalam with four. 

  • Will private channels make ‘Godaan’ or ‘Mirza Ghalib’, asks Gulzar

    Will private channels make ‘Godaan’ or ‘Mirza Ghalib’, asks Gulzar

    NEW DELHI: Eminent lyricist and filmmaker Gulzar, who has been awarded the film industry’s highest Dada Saheb Phalke award for Life Time Achievement, has said that cinema is a mirror and only reflects what is happening in the society.

     

     

    He said that cinema cannot play the part of reformer but merely show through celluloid the ills in society and if these have a positive effect on society, it is incidental. Furthermore, cinema does show the mirror in a somewhat exaggerated manner to get the message home.

     

     

    Gulzar was speaking after releasing the DVDs of two telefilms – ‘Nirmala’ and ‘Godan’ based on Munshi Premchand’s novels – which he had directed for Doordarshan.

     

     

    Answering questions, Gulzar who will turn eighty later this year said that he had always learnt from his seniors and particularly paid a tribute to the late Bimal Roy who had given him his break in writing songs, and to music directors like Sachin Dev Burman and Madan Mohan.

     

     

    Referring to a question about the songs of yesteryears and those of today, he said what lyricists were today was not their fault since society itself was changing. He said a song like ‘Mora gora rang lailey, mohey Shaam rang daidey’ would have no place in a society which gladly accepted songs like ‘Bidi jalai-ley’.

     

     

    He said it was not true that he had only made films based on renowned novels or stories. He referred in this connection to two of his films which were his own – ‘Maachis’ which had won National Awards and ‘Hu Tu Tu’.

     

     

    Asked if there was something he regretted not having done, he cryptically said: ‘I miss what I have not been able to make.’

     

     

    He said in reply to a question about why DD was not changing the way private channels were changing by asking a counter-question: “Do you think any other channel would have made serials or telefilms like ‘Godaan’, ‘Nirmala’ and ‘Mirza Ghalib’?”

     

     

    Earlier in his speech, he said his attempt of making ‘Nirmala’ had been to show that society had not changed since Premchand had written the novel almost a century earlier. The effort was to bring Premchand live before the viewers. At a time when people do not read classics, making the novel for television was one way of making people aware of these classics.

     

     

    He said renowned authors should not only be read, but should be translated in different languages.

     

     

    He noted that finding a village where there were no television antennae or modern gadgetry was not very easy for the setting of ‘Nirmala’. Although he found such a village on the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra, he said he was saddened that sixty years after independence, these villages had remained as cut off from modern society as during the British rule.

     

     

    Earlier, DD director general Tripurari Sharan said DD had been fortunate to have got two eminent persons – the ‘Kahani ka jadugar’ (the magic weaver of stories) Premchand and the ‘Shabdon ka jadugar’ (magic weaver of words) together for these two telefilms.

     

     

    DD additional director general VK Jain described Gulzar as an institution who was an inspiration to all. But he was particularly surprised at the manner in which Gulzar always managed to re-invent himself.

     

     

    Gulzar besides being an acclaimed poet, writer and director, has contributed immensely to Hindi and Urdu literature. In addition to his songs and films, he has penned multiple collections of poems and short stories. Some of his previous works for Doordarshan include the title song for the ‘Jungle Book’ series, ‘Mirza Ghalib’, ‘Potli Baba Ki’ and ‘Guchche’ TV series.

  • AIR, DD to give live coverage National Film Awards ceremony

    AIR, DD to give live coverage National Film Awards ceremony

    NEW DELHI: The 61st National Film Awards for 2013 will be presented by President Pranab Mukherjee on 3 May, the date on which India’s first feature film ‘Raja Harishchandra’ by D G Phalke was released commercially in 1913.

     

    The Dadasaheb Phalke Award to the eminent poet, lyricist, and filmmaker Gulzar will also be presented the same day.

     

    Both Doordarshan and All India Radio will have live broadcast of the awards ceremony from the stately Vigyan Bhavan from 5.45 pm on that day on their national channels.

     

    Prior to that, All India Radio will carry an interview of Directorate of Film Festivals director Shankar Mohan at 8.15 pm on 1 May on its national hook-up.

     

    It will have a featurised programme as the curtain-raiser to the awards on 2 May at 8.15 pm with an interview with Information and Broadcasting Ministry secretary Bimal Julka.

     

    Later on 3 May at 9.30 pm, AIR will broadcast a report on the award ceremony on its national hook-up.