Tag: Kabir Khan

  • Need to focus on self-regulation and less regulation: Amit Khare, Secretary, I&B at FICCI FRAMES 2019

    Need to focus on self-regulation and less regulation: Amit Khare, Secretary, I&B at FICCI FRAMES 2019

    MUMBAI: The 20th edition of three-day global convention covering the entire gamut of media and entertainment industry, FICCI Frames 2019, saw its inauguration today at Grand Hyatt in Mumbai.

    Mr. Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, delivered the keynote address.

    “One should encourage co-production so that content could be greatly enhanced, joining more countries, that will lead to better viewership.” Said Amit Khare.

    “We have taken an initiative of having a national broadcast policy. One should consider self-regulation and less regulation if we want the system to grow.” He added talking about the regulations in Media and Entertainment industry.

    While Mr. Uday Shankar, Vice President, FICCI took to stage for opening remarks, where he mentioned how the media and entertainment industry and FICCI FRAMES is growing by leaps and bounds. “India is one of the most exciting markets for the Media & Entertainment industry. The great Indian media story has just begun,” he said.

    Mr. Ronnie Screwvala in his ‘Media Mastermind Keynote: An Indian Entrepreneur’s Journey’ said he had seen the industry and FICCI FRAMES for so many years and was happy to note that business people were at the centre stage of the conclave.

    “The companies of tomorrow need to be more consumer companies and not just media companies. The Media and Entertainment sector cannot just function with passion, we also need leaders, founders and entrepreneurship,” said Mr. Screwvala talking about how the media and entertainment industry needs to focus on consumers.

    “Learning is story-telling,” Mr. Screwvala concluded.

    The other speakers in the opening session were Mr. Charles H. Rivkin, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Motion Picture Association of America and Mr. Gary Knell, Chief Executive Officer, National Geographic Partners. 

    FICCI-EY 2019 report on Media and Entertainment was also unveiled along with the law book of Cyril Amarchand Mangalda,s and Odisha Film Policy by Dr. Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, Managing Director Odisha Film Development Corporation.

    Apart from the 2nd edition of content market, an initiative to bring together content creators and content buyers from across the globe, another new initiative call 'Frame Your Idea' has been set up this year to help promote script writers in the industry. While the fraternity has been talking about the importance of stories and scripts writers within the industry, FICCI FRAMES will provide a platform as an opportunity for writers to pitch their content to various renowned production houses like Aamir Khan Productions, Balaji Telefilms, Dharma Productions, Disney Studios, Eros Now, RSVP, Kabir Khan Films, SPE Films India Pvt Ltd., Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Fox Star Studios to name a few.

    The pitching sections will be divided into Films, Television, Web shows and short films to make it smoother for the writers to book appointments and to pitch their stories to interested production houses for fruitful associations.

  • Star India’s ambitious foray into content with Hotstar Specials

    Star India’s ambitious foray into content with Hotstar Specials

    MUMBAI: Star India, the nation’s storyteller and its most innovative content company across TV, Films & Sports, is ready with its next big leap in content on the back of its OTT, Hotstar. The company today announced the launch of Hotstar Specials, a bold and ambitious content foray featuring shows from India’s most acclaimed storytellers. 

    “Star has always challenged conventions and been at the forefront of content reinvention in India" said Sanjay Gupta, MD, Star India. “With the mobile phone leading an explosion in the number of screens in the country, we feel that our content also needs to reinvent and boldly move forward. With Hotstar Specials we hope to create the biggest Indian stories delivered to a billion screens. To bring this vision alive, we are proud to partner with a stellar line up of talent who are headlining our first set of Hotstar Specials"

    For its first set ofHotstar Specials, Star India has partnered with the best storytellers of India including Shekhar Kapur, Neeraj Pandey, Kabir Khan, NikkhilAdvani, Ram Madhvani, Venkat Prabhu, Sudhir Mishra, Tigmanshu Dhulia, NageshKukunoor, Mahesh Manjrekar, Vishal Furia, Rohan Sippy, Debbie Rao, Sharad Devarajan and Salman Khan!

    Hotstar Specials will feature an extensive variety of Indian stories, mounted on a big scale, unconstrained by format. The company's ambition is not to make this a narrow or niche play but to explode into the consciousness of the country in an unprecedented way.  

    Hotstar Specials will enable makers to tell their most passionate stories and provide them unmatched reach. The stories will provide a burst of variety across genres and formats and will be available in seven languages for viewers to consume them in a language of their choice. They will leverage the unprecedented reach of Hotstar to reach the length and breadth of the country and also reach global audiences.  With 350 million downloads and over 150mn monthly active users,  Hotstar is the country’s biggest OTT, significantly bigger than its closest competitors. The launch of Hotstar Specials is yet another moment of disruption for Hotstar, which has been at the forefront of change in the space of digital content in India.

  • Striking the right cord, ‘The Reunion’ trailer grabs 1.7 million Youtube and 1.2 million Facebook views

    Striking the right cord, ‘The Reunion’ trailer grabs 1.7 million Youtube and 1.2 million Facebook views

    Mumbai, April 26, 2018: The most talked about trailer this week is The Zoom Studio’s first original show, The Reunion…Jab They Met Again. Slated to premiere on Saturday, April 28 @7:30pm, the show has the young and talented Karishma Kohli making her debut as director of the show. Karishma has assisted Kabir Khan on many blockbusters including Ek Tha Tiger, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Tubelight and New York etc. The trailer of The Reunion… Jab They Met Again has already grabbed 1.7 million YouTube views & on Facebook, it has engaged 1.2 million audiences due to its cinematic-like narrative with high production values and visual appeal.

    Besides a promising compelling plot, the actors associated are great performers and have a huge fan following. The show features some talented young actors from the entertainment industry as a part of the star cast including young and quirky actress and model Sapna Pabbi (Breath, The Trip, 24, Khamoshiyan), talented Veer Rajwant Singh (What The Folks, Little Things), the popular face in ad-land Shreya Dhanwanthary (Ladies Room) and the dashing actor seen on TV and ad films Anuj Sachdeva (Sabki Laadli Bebo). 

    ‘The Reunion… Jab They Met Again’ is a 10-episode finite series from The Zoom Studios and will air every Saturday at 7: 30 PM. It is about a group of friends from Bourbon High’s class of 2008 who reunite after 10 years at a hill station where unresolved issues surface and play the party spoiler highlighting the fact that sometimes to look forward, it’s important to rewind and see how far you’ve come.

    Director Karishma Kohli says, “The response is very heart-warming and encouraging especially since it’s my first as a director. The concept of The Reunion is relatable to each one of us and the cast have played their roles to perfection in bringing alive the characters. I can’t wait for the premiere and look forward to audience response on the show.”

    Anuj Sachdeva says, “I am extremely thrilled with the positive feedback the trailer has received. We had a great time shooting for the show in Panchgani. I am pretty sure people will enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it. I’m sure most will start planning their own reunion after watching this show.” 

    Sapna Pabbi commented, “When I read the script of the show, I was just blown away. The friends that one makes at high school last a lifetime and I truly felt that I could easily connect to the content and relate to my character. I’m sure the show will get a massive response.”

    Veer Rajwant Singh says, “This has been an unforgettable journey. Frankly, I’m little nervous and excited at the same time. I’m looking forward to genuine feedback and hopefully everyone will love it.”

    Shreya Dhanwanthary commented, “We have worked with all our heart and soul for this show. I’m sure people will relate a lot with the Reunion. I can’t wait for 28th April and I wish it’ll get an immense response from the audiences.”
     

  • Amazon Prime global head: Committed quality shows Indians love, partners Kabir for Netaji’s ‘true story”

    MUMBAI: Amazon has announced an Indian original series based on Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army to be directed by one of Bollywood’s top directors and producers, Kabir Khan.

    The Forgotten Army (working title) will mark Kabir’s Khan’s debut in OTT digital video services. The series is scheduled to start production by the end of 2017.

    The Forgotten Army is a war epic, an Indian band of brothers of sorts, which will touch upon several stories, including the contribution of women in the Indian National Army.

    “We had made a commitment to our Indian customers to deliver high-quality, binge-worthy shows that they’ll love to watch, and our association with Kabir Khan greatly reinforces our commitment towards this promise,” said Prime Video global content head Roy Price. “Our aim is to build a compelling lineup of Indian shows, working with the greatest talents from the industry. Our association with Kabir Khan is one of the many such partnerships that India will see. We know our Prime members are going to love the epic war story being brought to life with Kabir Khan helming the project.

    He further added, “Our aim is to build a captivating lineup of Indian shows, working with the greatest talents from the industry.”

    “These are super exciting times for any content creator in India and I am elated to make my debut in the digital space with Amazon Prime Video’s India Original,” said film director and producer Khan. “Amazon Prime Video provides greater access to reach new and vast Indian audiences. They are also bringing in global talent and knowledge to collaborate with Indian scriptwriters and content creators to further hone their skills and know-how. I am excited to make this truly international series which has a scale and reach far greater than any Hindi film.”

    Based on true events, this series is about a war “we were not told about and of soldiers we thought did not exist.” This series is the dynamic true story of the men and women who fought a heroic war for the independence of India as part of the Indian National Army which was forged out of British defeat in Singapore during WWII and led by the charismatic Bose. They fought against all odds and paid the ultimate price but they did not succeed… and against the dazzling success of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent movement to free India, they soon became the forgotten army.

  • Jio MAMI: ‘The Lady of the Lake’, Konkona Sen awarded

    Jio MAMI: ‘The Lady of the Lake’, Konkona Sen awarded

    NEW DELHI: David Chou’s Diamond Island and Haobam Paban Kumar’s The Lady of the Lake won the top Golden Gateway Awards in the International and National categories respectively in the MAMI International Film Festival.

    Mastercard gave Konkona Sen Sharma the Best Female filmmaker. Mastercard recently partnered with the Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star as a sponsor for the Best Female Filmmaker Award for the Festival held in Mumbai from 20 to 27 October.

    The festival showcased some of the latest cutting-edge, independent cinema and art house fare alongside genre movies from Bollywood, Hollywood and cult international movies. Mastercard South Asia Country Corporate Officer, India and Division President Porush Singh handed over the award to Konkona for the film ‘A Death in the Gunj’.

    Porush said, “MAMI has been a brilliant platform bringing the best of world and Indian cinema to Indian audiences. We at Mastercard are delighted to associate with MAMI and feel privileged to recognize the MAMI Best Female Filmmaker for the year 2016. This award is a validation of our commitment to empower and enable women across all walks of life.”

    The Festival screened over 180 films from 70 countries. The finale ceremony, hosted by Vickey Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi of Masaan, was attended by directors like Vishal Bhardwaj, Rajkumar Hirani, Kabir Khan, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, actresses Sonam Kapoor and Richa Chadha besides several others.

    Undoubtedly, the stars of the night were Anupama Chopra, Kiran Rao, and Smriti Kiran, the three women who painstakingly put the festival together, sourcing films from across the globe, arranging carefully planned masterclasses, besides hosting a number of other sessions, and one very memorable reunion of the cast and crew of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.

    Festival Director Jio MAMI with Star Anupama Chopra added, “MAMI is and has always been at the forefront of promoting excellence in cinema, be it unique, cutting edge parallel cinema or mainstream Bollywood cinema. The award for the Best Female Film-maker, presented by Mastercard was a tough choice for the jury as we sifted through many pieces of creative work. We hope to see more women come forward to directing or being a part of the creative process of cinema and thus contributing to the heritage of the Indian film fraternity.”

    INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
    Silver Gateway Award – Ralitza Petrova’s Godless.
    The Jury Grand Prize Natalia Almada’s Everything Else.
    Special Mention for Political Commitment of the Film – When Two Worlds Collide.
    The Special Mention – Macarena Arias’s Alba.

    INDIA GOLD
    Silver Gateway Award – Satish Babusenan and Santosh Babusenan’s The Narrow Path.
    Jury Grand Prize – Aicheng Jai Dohutia’s The Hidden Corner.
    Special Mention – Deepak Sampath’s Autohead
    Special Mention – Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya’s Cinema Travellers.

    DIMENSIONS MUMBAI
    Golden Gateway Award – Santosh Ganpat Kamble for Mumbai’s Mahuwa.
    Silver Gateway Award – Tabu Kaariya’s Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh.
    Special Mention (Dimensions Mumbai) Award – Yashwardhan Goswami’s Bombai.

    HALF TICKET
    Golden Gateway Award (Feature) – Laha Mebow’s Hang in There, Kids!
    The Silver Gateway Award (Feature) – Evi Goldbrunner and Joachim Dollhopf’s At Eye Level.
    Special mention (Feature) – Mrinmoy Mondal, Shupratim Bhol’s Colours of Innocence.
    The Golden Gateway Award (Short) – Vincent Patar and Stephane Aubier’s A Town Called Panic: Back to School.’
    The Silver Gateway Award (Short) – Nina Sabnani’s We Make Images.
    Special Mention (Short) – Pedro Paulo De Andrade’s The Best Sound in the World.

    Oxfam awarded Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under my Burkha for Best Film on Gender Equality while the Audience Choice Award went to The Salesman by Asghar Farhadi.
    The Young Critics Choice Award was won by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya’s Cinema Travellers.

    The Special Mention for Excellence in Writing on Cinema (Hindi) went to Naye Daur Ka Naya Cinema by Priyadarshan, whle the Special Mention for Excellence in Writing on Cinema (English) went to Kanan Devi: The First Superstar of Indian Cinema by Mekhala Sengupta.

    Excellence in Writing on Cinema Award (Hindi) – Bhartiye Cinema Ka Itihas by Anil Bhargava.

    Excellence in writing on Cinema Award (English) – The World of Hrishikesh Mukherjee by Jai Arun Singh.

  • Jio MAMI: ‘The Lady of the Lake’, Konkona Sen awarded

    Jio MAMI: ‘The Lady of the Lake’, Konkona Sen awarded

    NEW DELHI: David Chou’s Diamond Island and Haobam Paban Kumar’s The Lady of the Lake won the top Golden Gateway Awards in the International and National categories respectively in the MAMI International Film Festival.

    Mastercard gave Konkona Sen Sharma the Best Female filmmaker. Mastercard recently partnered with the Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star as a sponsor for the Best Female Filmmaker Award for the Festival held in Mumbai from 20 to 27 October.

    The festival showcased some of the latest cutting-edge, independent cinema and art house fare alongside genre movies from Bollywood, Hollywood and cult international movies. Mastercard South Asia Country Corporate Officer, India and Division President Porush Singh handed over the award to Konkona for the film ‘A Death in the Gunj’.

    Porush said, “MAMI has been a brilliant platform bringing the best of world and Indian cinema to Indian audiences. We at Mastercard are delighted to associate with MAMI and feel privileged to recognize the MAMI Best Female Filmmaker for the year 2016. This award is a validation of our commitment to empower and enable women across all walks of life.”

    The Festival screened over 180 films from 70 countries. The finale ceremony, hosted by Vickey Kaushal and Shweta Tripathi of Masaan, was attended by directors like Vishal Bhardwaj, Rajkumar Hirani, Kabir Khan, Zoya Akhtar, Anurag Kashyap, actresses Sonam Kapoor and Richa Chadha besides several others.

    Undoubtedly, the stars of the night were Anupama Chopra, Kiran Rao, and Smriti Kiran, the three women who painstakingly put the festival together, sourcing films from across the globe, arranging carefully planned masterclasses, besides hosting a number of other sessions, and one very memorable reunion of the cast and crew of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander.

    Festival Director Jio MAMI with Star Anupama Chopra added, “MAMI is and has always been at the forefront of promoting excellence in cinema, be it unique, cutting edge parallel cinema or mainstream Bollywood cinema. The award for the Best Female Film-maker, presented by Mastercard was a tough choice for the jury as we sifted through many pieces of creative work. We hope to see more women come forward to directing or being a part of the creative process of cinema and thus contributing to the heritage of the Indian film fraternity.”

    INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
    Silver Gateway Award – Ralitza Petrova’s Godless.
    The Jury Grand Prize Natalia Almada’s Everything Else.
    Special Mention for Political Commitment of the Film – When Two Worlds Collide.
    The Special Mention – Macarena Arias’s Alba.

    INDIA GOLD
    Silver Gateway Award – Satish Babusenan and Santosh Babusenan’s The Narrow Path.
    Jury Grand Prize – Aicheng Jai Dohutia’s The Hidden Corner.
    Special Mention – Deepak Sampath’s Autohead
    Special Mention – Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya’s Cinema Travellers.

    DIMENSIONS MUMBAI
    Golden Gateway Award – Santosh Ganpat Kamble for Mumbai’s Mahuwa.
    Silver Gateway Award – Tabu Kaariya’s Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh.
    Special Mention (Dimensions Mumbai) Award – Yashwardhan Goswami’s Bombai.

    HALF TICKET
    Golden Gateway Award (Feature) – Laha Mebow’s Hang in There, Kids!
    The Silver Gateway Award (Feature) – Evi Goldbrunner and Joachim Dollhopf’s At Eye Level.
    Special mention (Feature) – Mrinmoy Mondal, Shupratim Bhol’s Colours of Innocence.
    The Golden Gateway Award (Short) – Vincent Patar and Stephane Aubier’s A Town Called Panic: Back to School.’
    The Silver Gateway Award (Short) – Nina Sabnani’s We Make Images.
    Special Mention (Short) – Pedro Paulo De Andrade’s The Best Sound in the World.

    Oxfam awarded Alankrita Shrivastava’s Lipstick Under my Burkha for Best Film on Gender Equality while the Audience Choice Award went to The Salesman by Asghar Farhadi.
    The Young Critics Choice Award was won by Shirley Abraham and Amit Madhesiya’s Cinema Travellers.

    The Special Mention for Excellence in Writing on Cinema (Hindi) went to Naye Daur Ka Naya Cinema by Priyadarshan, whle the Special Mention for Excellence in Writing on Cinema (English) went to Kanan Devi: The First Superstar of Indian Cinema by Mekhala Sengupta.

    Excellence in Writing on Cinema Award (Hindi) – Bhartiye Cinema Ka Itihas by Anil Bhargava.

    Excellence in writing on Cinema Award (English) – The World of Hrishikesh Mukherjee by Jai Arun Singh.

  • Trinity Pictures ropes in five directors for films; to start production in FY 2017

    Trinity Pictures ropes in five directors for films; to start production in FY 2017

    MUMBAI: Eros International’s Trinity Pictures is now ready with its first slate of films across new and exciting genres. Also it has roped in five ace directors from the industry to produce films.  In what is said to change the way films are traditionally developed, Trinity’s first slate is all about creating character-driven franchises which will be leveraged across feature films, merchandising, digital and more.

    With a focus on creating fresh concepts in new spaces, Trinity is also one of the first Bollywood studio in India that has a dedicated in-house team of writers in the ‘Trinity Writers’ Room’ who have created over ten original franchises since the Division’s inception, out of which at least four films will go into production in fiscal year 2017.

    Trinity’s initial lineup includes a range of character-driven franchises across budgets, genres and languages – from a live action elephant film, to a kid’s action film and an Indo-China project to name a few. These will be helmed by acclaimed directors from across the country including Kabir Khan, Siddharth Anand, Amole Gupte, Telugu director Krish and popular Tamil director Prabhu Solomon.

    The first feature to roll out under Trinity Pictures will be director Amole Gupte’ s favourite genre but with a difference – a kids action film, a big scale action film with a child secret agent at the centre of the story that will go on floor in the summer vacation.

    With Trinity’s launch, the studio is looking at expanding new film markets which includes opening of one of the biggest markets in the world – China. Two projects will be co-produced with a Chinese studio, based on stories organically weaving the socio-cultural worlds of India and China.

    Additionally, the films will be shot in both languages. The first Indo-China co-production to roll will be directed by Kabir Khan with A-lister cast from India and China,  a human drama exploring the central character’s journey from India to China. Other projects in the pipeline include a film by Siddharth Anand which will explore a fresh take on the spy genre in India. This genre is a global favourite with franchise potential.

    Multiple award winning Tamil director, Prabhu Solomon’s bilingual project will be an inspiration from the quintessential super hit animal film—Haathi Mere Saathi. The shooting will take place during the monsoons across India and abroad and will be mounted on a scale with never-seen-before visual effects in this genre.

    Ace director Krish’s buddy cop film will be shot in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously, featuring popular lead actors from both the South and Bollywood. This film has been co-written by Shridhar Raghavan (mentor to Trinity writers), Dheeraj Rattan and K. Subhash.

    Commenting on Trinity plans, Eros International group CEO Jyoti Deshpande said, “With Trinity, we continue our endeavour to raise the bar in revolutionizing Indian cinema. As a leading film studio, we have peaked with three out of the top four and seven out of top fifteen films in Bollywood in 2015 being Eros films. Trinity strategy is all about conceiving breakthrough big content ideas and unlocking value from that intellectual property across various distribution platforms for a very long time. We are excited about the slate under development and hope we will have a few top ten films from Trinity”.

    Trinity Pictures  CEO Ajit Thakur added, “With Trinity, there is an effort to create something absolutely new for the Indian market, an effort in investing in creating characters that open a world of possibilities – films, digital games, comics, merchandise. We have writers for the first time creating characters first and then building scripts and projects around these characters. We are the first studio to have tied up with China for co-productions and will be creating new markets with films shot in multiple languages.  There are many firsts to Trinity and only Eros could have seen the merit in a franchise set up as this and taken the risk of making Trinity Pictures happen. We are very excited that the characters and franchises we are creating will hopefully entertain Indian audiences across platforms and well beyond the first Friday”.Tamil director Prabhu Solomon.

  • Trinity Pictures ropes in five directors for films; to start production in FY 2017

    Trinity Pictures ropes in five directors for films; to start production in FY 2017

    MUMBAI: Eros International’s Trinity Pictures is now ready with its first slate of films across new and exciting genres. Also it has roped in five ace directors from the industry to produce films.  In what is said to change the way films are traditionally developed, Trinity’s first slate is all about creating character-driven franchises which will be leveraged across feature films, merchandising, digital and more.

    With a focus on creating fresh concepts in new spaces, Trinity is also one of the first Bollywood studio in India that has a dedicated in-house team of writers in the ‘Trinity Writers’ Room’ who have created over ten original franchises since the Division’s inception, out of which at least four films will go into production in fiscal year 2017.

    Trinity’s initial lineup includes a range of character-driven franchises across budgets, genres and languages – from a live action elephant film, to a kid’s action film and an Indo-China project to name a few. These will be helmed by acclaimed directors from across the country including Kabir Khan, Siddharth Anand, Amole Gupte, Telugu director Krish and popular Tamil director Prabhu Solomon.

    The first feature to roll out under Trinity Pictures will be director Amole Gupte’ s favourite genre but with a difference – a kids action film, a big scale action film with a child secret agent at the centre of the story that will go on floor in the summer vacation.

    With Trinity’s launch, the studio is looking at expanding new film markets which includes opening of one of the biggest markets in the world – China. Two projects will be co-produced with a Chinese studio, based on stories organically weaving the socio-cultural worlds of India and China.

    Additionally, the films will be shot in both languages. The first Indo-China co-production to roll will be directed by Kabir Khan with A-lister cast from India and China,  a human drama exploring the central character’s journey from India to China. Other projects in the pipeline include a film by Siddharth Anand which will explore a fresh take on the spy genre in India. This genre is a global favourite with franchise potential.

    Multiple award winning Tamil director, Prabhu Solomon’s bilingual project will be an inspiration from the quintessential super hit animal film—Haathi Mere Saathi. The shooting will take place during the monsoons across India and abroad and will be mounted on a scale with never-seen-before visual effects in this genre.

    Ace director Krish’s buddy cop film will be shot in Hindi and Tamil simultaneously, featuring popular lead actors from both the South and Bollywood. This film has been co-written by Shridhar Raghavan (mentor to Trinity writers), Dheeraj Rattan and K. Subhash.

    Commenting on Trinity plans, Eros International group CEO Jyoti Deshpande said, “With Trinity, we continue our endeavour to raise the bar in revolutionizing Indian cinema. As a leading film studio, we have peaked with three out of the top four and seven out of top fifteen films in Bollywood in 2015 being Eros films. Trinity strategy is all about conceiving breakthrough big content ideas and unlocking value from that intellectual property across various distribution platforms for a very long time. We are excited about the slate under development and hope we will have a few top ten films from Trinity”.

    Trinity Pictures  CEO Ajit Thakur added, “With Trinity, there is an effort to create something absolutely new for the Indian market, an effort in investing in creating characters that open a world of possibilities – films, digital games, comics, merchandise. We have writers for the first time creating characters first and then building scripts and projects around these characters. We are the first studio to have tied up with China for co-productions and will be creating new markets with films shot in multiple languages.  There are many firsts to Trinity and only Eros could have seen the merit in a franchise set up as this and taken the risk of making Trinity Pictures happen. We are very excited that the characters and franchises we are creating will hopefully entertain Indian audiences across platforms and well beyond the first Friday”.Tamil director Prabhu Solomon.

  • ‘A watch, not a gizmo:’ O&M’s campaign for Titan’s Juxt

    ‘A watch, not a gizmo:’ O&M’s campaign for Titan’s Juxt

    MUMBAI: From smart phones to smart watches, the gizmos are getting more and more compact. With increasing number of players like Apple, Samsung and Motorola and now Titan entering the smart-watch fray, campaigning for a new product in a market, which has already been impacted by other brands in the same category, is no doubt challenging. Therefore for the recently launched Titan Juxt smart watch, Ogilvy and Mather Bengaluru took the ‘not just a technological intrigue’ route when building awareness.

    The Juxt ads don’t have flashy shots, text heavy screen explaining features, expensive locales, sexy models and difficult camera angles but resort to a simple laid back and nonchalant conversation between three friends – director Kabir Khan, music composer Pritam and actor Vir Das, which brings out why the new smart watch can become part of our lifestyle. The ads imply the fact that that besides being “stunning,” the Juxt watch is also “smart.”

    With #SmartIsStunning being the core thought, the agency has released two TVCs, which sees the three familiar yet fresh faces getting into a banter where Juxt is mentioned in a matter fact manner that smartly brings out the need to adapt with technology.

    “Smart watches brought to the market by tech companies have focused on technology. After the initial excitement of owning a tech loaded watch dies down, most consumers grapple with the role these watches play in their lives. Consumers still gravitate towards watches that are about craftsmanship and beauty. Herein was the big opportunity for Titan Juxt – a watch that bridges the gap between good looks and technology. The core thought was to make consumers evaluate smart watches on a new parameters of watch design and looks,” shares Ogilvy & Mather, Bangalore Senior vice president & head of advertising,Tithi Ghosh.

    Aimed at the creative minded people — and hence the choice of casting– the agency wanted to reach out to those who realise the importance of staying networked in their professional and personal lives with a digital first approach.

    “We looked at the world of the successful creative professionals who also have significant social presence and influence and chose Kabir Khan, Pritam and Vir Das. All three are hugely successful in their respective fields and would easily manage to start a conversation around Titan Juxt,” Ghosh points out.

    Having said that, the Juxt smart watches are priced at the premium end of Titan’s product range.

    Elaborating on the concept of Juxt as not just a gizmo but a timepiece, Ghosh further adds, “The next time a consumer is looking at a smart watch, he will certainly consider how desirable the watch is in its design aesthetics and the Titan Juxt also scores over competition in this respect. It is meant to be respected as a ‘watch’ and not a gizmo.”

    But this very ‘by the way’ toned brand communication may be a hit or a miss with consumers, feel several creatives in the industry, who feel the new campaign for Juxt leaves something wanting.

    “It’s a very Titan thing to do, this ad,” says a well known creative from the industry, who shares his take on the campaign on condition of anonymity.

    “Without even seeing the credits I can tell it’s a Titan watch ad, and Ogilvy has done a very good job of tying this new product to Titan’s essence. But is this a smart watch? I don’t think so. The ‘matter of fact’ way in which the smart watch is introduced in the TVC is as if the brand is saying to the consumers: ‘We have a new watch out. Oh, and by the way, it is a smart watch.’ Judging by the campaign, I feel that the target market isn’t the hardcore tech nerds who go gaga over new technology, nor is Titan competing with Apple and Google,” opines the creative.

    “The ad doesn’t highlight the services that the smart watch can give, which my phone isn’t already taking care of for me or why I need the smart features in the watch? While it would be unwise to comment without knowing the mandate for the campaign, but the ad takes a middle path when it comes to the target group — watch lovers who may also like new features,” he further adds.

    While Dentsu Aegis Network chairman & CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin finds the advertisement informative enough about the new features, he feels the ad is a missed opportunity when it comes to upholding a product which is a first of sorts in the market.

    “It is definitely the first time that an Indian watch maker has come out with a smart watch, but that doesn’t come through in the ad. So it’s a bit of a missed opportunity because as a product Juxt is unique and therefore holds a huge scope that could have been capitalised upon better,” Bhasin opines. “I do feel it could have evoked an emotional connect with the consumers a little more. What I feel missing from the ad is the value addition to the product. The ad establishes the features but what doesthat do for the consumers?” Bhasin questions. 

    “Despite the wave of headlines seen when several tech giants released their versions of smart watches, India as a market is yet to see a tidal wave in demand for the products, which hints at a need for an ‘X factor’ that the tech companies haven’t catered to. Titan as a watchmaker is armed with an understanding of the watch buyers in the market, which gives them an advantage,” observes Ghosh.

    Whether Titan’s old world charm will work for a contemporary product like Juxt, or the brand will have to come up with a new strategy, only time will tell. That said, the #SmartIsStunning campaign definitely joins the ranks of brands with innovative campaigns from the brand – agency association.

  • ‘A watch, not a gizmo:’ O&M’s campaign for Titan’s Juxt

    ‘A watch, not a gizmo:’ O&M’s campaign for Titan’s Juxt

    MUMBAI: From smart phones to smart watches, the gizmos are getting more and more compact. With increasing number of players like Apple, Samsung and Motorola and now Titan entering the smart-watch fray, campaigning for a new product in a market, which has already been impacted by other brands in the same category, is no doubt challenging. Therefore for the recently launched Titan Juxt smart watch, Ogilvy and Mather Bengaluru took the ‘not just a technological intrigue’ route when building awareness.

    The Juxt ads don’t have flashy shots, text heavy screen explaining features, expensive locales, sexy models and difficult camera angles but resort to a simple laid back and nonchalant conversation between three friends – director Kabir Khan, music composer Pritam and actor Vir Das, which brings out why the new smart watch can become part of our lifestyle. The ads imply the fact that that besides being “stunning,” the Juxt watch is also “smart.”

    With #SmartIsStunning being the core thought, the agency has released two TVCs, which sees the three familiar yet fresh faces getting into a banter where Juxt is mentioned in a matter fact manner that smartly brings out the need to adapt with technology.

    “Smart watches brought to the market by tech companies have focused on technology. After the initial excitement of owning a tech loaded watch dies down, most consumers grapple with the role these watches play in their lives. Consumers still gravitate towards watches that are about craftsmanship and beauty. Herein was the big opportunity for Titan Juxt – a watch that bridges the gap between good looks and technology. The core thought was to make consumers evaluate smart watches on a new parameters of watch design and looks,” shares Ogilvy & Mather, Bangalore Senior vice president & head of advertising,Tithi Ghosh.

    Aimed at the creative minded people — and hence the choice of casting– the agency wanted to reach out to those who realise the importance of staying networked in their professional and personal lives with a digital first approach.

    “We looked at the world of the successful creative professionals who also have significant social presence and influence and chose Kabir Khan, Pritam and Vir Das. All three are hugely successful in their respective fields and would easily manage to start a conversation around Titan Juxt,” Ghosh points out.

    Having said that, the Juxt smart watches are priced at the premium end of Titan’s product range.

    Elaborating on the concept of Juxt as not just a gizmo but a timepiece, Ghosh further adds, “The next time a consumer is looking at a smart watch, he will certainly consider how desirable the watch is in its design aesthetics and the Titan Juxt also scores over competition in this respect. It is meant to be respected as a ‘watch’ and not a gizmo.”

    But this very ‘by the way’ toned brand communication may be a hit or a miss with consumers, feel several creatives in the industry, who feel the new campaign for Juxt leaves something wanting.

    “It’s a very Titan thing to do, this ad,” says a well known creative from the industry, who shares his take on the campaign on condition of anonymity.

    “Without even seeing the credits I can tell it’s a Titan watch ad, and Ogilvy has done a very good job of tying this new product to Titan’s essence. But is this a smart watch? I don’t think so. The ‘matter of fact’ way in which the smart watch is introduced in the TVC is as if the brand is saying to the consumers: ‘We have a new watch out. Oh, and by the way, it is a smart watch.’ Judging by the campaign, I feel that the target market isn’t the hardcore tech nerds who go gaga over new technology, nor is Titan competing with Apple and Google,” opines the creative.

    “The ad doesn’t highlight the services that the smart watch can give, which my phone isn’t already taking care of for me or why I need the smart features in the watch? While it would be unwise to comment without knowing the mandate for the campaign, but the ad takes a middle path when it comes to the target group — watch lovers who may also like new features,” he further adds.

    While Dentsu Aegis Network chairman & CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin finds the advertisement informative enough about the new features, he feels the ad is a missed opportunity when it comes to upholding a product which is a first of sorts in the market.

    “It is definitely the first time that an Indian watch maker has come out with a smart watch, but that doesn’t come through in the ad. So it’s a bit of a missed opportunity because as a product Juxt is unique and therefore holds a huge scope that could have been capitalised upon better,” Bhasin opines. “I do feel it could have evoked an emotional connect with the consumers a little more. What I feel missing from the ad is the value addition to the product. The ad establishes the features but what doesthat do for the consumers?” Bhasin questions. 

    “Despite the wave of headlines seen when several tech giants released their versions of smart watches, India as a market is yet to see a tidal wave in demand for the products, which hints at a need for an ‘X factor’ that the tech companies haven’t catered to. Titan as a watchmaker is armed with an understanding of the watch buyers in the market, which gives them an advantage,” observes Ghosh.

    Whether Titan’s old world charm will work for a contemporary product like Juxt, or the brand will have to come up with a new strategy, only time will tell. That said, the #SmartIsStunning campaign definitely joins the ranks of brands with innovative campaigns from the brand – agency association.