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Tag: Ketan Mehta

  • ‘Motu Patlu- King of Kings’ is Viacom18’s calculated risk

    ‘Motu Patlu- King of Kings’ is Viacom18’s calculated risk

    MUMBAI: At a time when major studios are either washing their hands off the Hindi film market or threatening to do so, jilted by the low box-office collections, Viacom18 has announced its maiden animation theatrical, ‘Motu Patlu King of Kings’.

    Produced by the popular studio Maya, the film is slated to release on 14 October 2016, in Hindi and Tamil. This isn’t the first movie that highly rated toon characters Motu and Patlu have to their name. Nickelodeon had aired 10 ‘made for TV’ films, which did extremely well in television viewership.

    Not belittling the craze the young ones in India have for the toons, the obvious question still stands ‘Why would Viacom18 bet so high on the already struggling animation feature film market in India?’ Not if the core objective isn’t about gain or loss at the box office but to augmenting an already popular franchise to become a premium brand for the network.

    “Motu Patlu is already a very successful Intellectual Property (IP). Media business is fundamentally about widening the base of existing IPs. Cult franchises have been built on this principle across the globe. When you have characters like Motu and Patlu under your own home network, it is only right to invest in them by treating them to a film screen. Even if the film fails, we would have had marketed these characters well and grown brand Motu Patlu. Therefore, even on a bad day when collections aren’t that great, this film is still a good business decision,” Viacom18 Motion Pictures COO Ajit Andhare shed some light on the strategy.

    Referring to the studios shutting down, he frankly stated, “I think when you bank on a film too much, you run the risk of ending up that way. The key approach is to have a diversified portfolio. One film might not work but it is unlikely that a well-thought-of portfolio will crash.”

    “Your chances of succeeding as an aggregate are far greater due to diversification,” he said.

    Viacom18 isn’t completely giving up on the theatre footfalls. From releasing the movie to leveraging its strength to market it, the media behemoth isn’t leaving any stone unturned.

    “We are releasing the film in a calibrated fashion: The film’s launch date has been carefully decided upon so that it won’t be completely walked over by the Rs 100-crore magnum opuses. We locked in a holiday period that roots out potential competition”.

    Viacom 18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats further laid down the marketing plans for the run-up to the release in the next six weeks.

    “We will strongly use the combined strength of our network to reach far and wide for the promotion of the film. Besides, we plan to use all the right media vehicles that fits our objective of reaching the right audience. Cross network promotion on relevant channels like movie and entertainment will also be part of the marketing initiatives. We will be heavily present on print and out-of-home spaces,” he said. The network also plans to use its FTA channels to spread the word in the tier II and tier II markets.

    “We will add engaging brand alliances as part of the marketing mix with experiential being a key focus to popularise the characters,” he shared. The pre-festive season ties up with Nickelodeon’s already planned out marketing blitz for the year.

    From a distribution standpoint, the film will be released in approximately 700 screens across the country. While it is significant number in the animated feature film category, to put some context, Disney’s The Jungle Book was released in India in around 1,640 screens.

    Explaining why a smaller screen strength won’t deter the movie’s overall visibility, Andhare added, “Screen numbers don’t necessarily make a film big or small. Unlike a ‘star geared’ film, when it comes to a movie like this, what counts more is the show time. What will be a convenient time for the kids to go and watch, will the parents be able to accompany them? — become the deciding questions. So when we say 700 screens, we mean a wide release with proper show timings that can tackle such a specific audience.”

    Given the track history of home-grown animated feature films on the Indian box office, Andhare was quizzed how he plans to recover the cost of production, when animated films are expensive to produce.

    “I wouldn’t have agreed to do this film if I weren’t confident that we will be profitable. But, the onus is not just on theatre footfalls. It will be through a combination of all the monetization avenues available to us, whether it’s selling satellite rights, digital rights, or merchandising and brand integration deals.” Also, animated content has longer shelf life and are a lucrative property for syndication to other markets as well.

    Speaking of brand integration, Viacom18 kids entertainment, business head Nine Elavia Jaipuria assured that the network is in talks with several brands to partner for the film’s promotion. Marketing alliances with more than 20 brands across categories such as Confectionery, Toys, FMCG, Milk supplement products, et al, are being tapped.

    “The movie is unadulterated, meaning, there is no in-movie tie-up with a brand,” she said.

    Adding her insight on how this film adds value to brand Motu Patlu, Jaipuria said, “From Tv-dom to stardom would draw us a premium on the IP”.

    Jaipura also stressed on the ancillary revenue that the IP generates from the various merchandising deals it lends itself to, be it apparels, toys, stationery, back-to-school products, etc, which is further strengthened by its presence on various e-commerce platforms.

    From the content standpoint, Motu Patlu King of Kings is a story about a runaway circus lion, a king trying to protect his kingdom, a greedy poacher and Motu Patlu caught up in the final battle to save the life of the jungle. Motu Patlu King of Kings, releasing on October 14, is sure to capture the imagination of the children and adults.

    Maya Digital Studios chairman Ketan Mehta said, “This is a film that will be driven by children, but one that will be equally enjoyed by adults.”

    Some of the leading names were roped in for the movie. The film is directed by Suhas Kadav and the celebrated poet Gulzar has penned the lyrics of the title track.

  • ‘Motu Patlu- King of Kings’ is Viacom18’s calculated risk

    ‘Motu Patlu- King of Kings’ is Viacom18’s calculated risk

    MUMBAI: At a time when major studios are either washing their hands off the Hindi film market or threatening to do so, jilted by the low box-office collections, Viacom18 has announced its maiden animation theatrical, ‘Motu Patlu King of Kings’.

    Produced by the popular studio Maya, the film is slated to release on 14 October 2016, in Hindi and Tamil. This isn’t the first movie that highly rated toon characters Motu and Patlu have to their name. Nickelodeon had aired 10 ‘made for TV’ films, which did extremely well in television viewership.

    Not belittling the craze the young ones in India have for the toons, the obvious question still stands ‘Why would Viacom18 bet so high on the already struggling animation feature film market in India?’ Not if the core objective isn’t about gain or loss at the box office but to augmenting an already popular franchise to become a premium brand for the network.

    “Motu Patlu is already a very successful Intellectual Property (IP). Media business is fundamentally about widening the base of existing IPs. Cult franchises have been built on this principle across the globe. When you have characters like Motu and Patlu under your own home network, it is only right to invest in them by treating them to a film screen. Even if the film fails, we would have had marketed these characters well and grown brand Motu Patlu. Therefore, even on a bad day when collections aren’t that great, this film is still a good business decision,” Viacom18 Motion Pictures COO Ajit Andhare shed some light on the strategy.

    Referring to the studios shutting down, he frankly stated, “I think when you bank on a film too much, you run the risk of ending up that way. The key approach is to have a diversified portfolio. One film might not work but it is unlikely that a well-thought-of portfolio will crash.”

    “Your chances of succeeding as an aggregate are far greater due to diversification,” he said.

    Viacom18 isn’t completely giving up on the theatre footfalls. From releasing the movie to leveraging its strength to market it, the media behemoth isn’t leaving any stone unturned.

    “We are releasing the film in a calibrated fashion: The film’s launch date has been carefully decided upon so that it won’t be completely walked over by the Rs 100-crore magnum opuses. We locked in a holiday period that roots out potential competition”.

    Viacom 18 group CEO Sudhanshu Vats further laid down the marketing plans for the run-up to the release in the next six weeks.

    “We will strongly use the combined strength of our network to reach far and wide for the promotion of the film. Besides, we plan to use all the right media vehicles that fits our objective of reaching the right audience. Cross network promotion on relevant channels like movie and entertainment will also be part of the marketing initiatives. We will be heavily present on print and out-of-home spaces,” he said. The network also plans to use its FTA channels to spread the word in the tier II and tier II markets.

    “We will add engaging brand alliances as part of the marketing mix with experiential being a key focus to popularise the characters,” he shared. The pre-festive season ties up with Nickelodeon’s already planned out marketing blitz for the year.

    From a distribution standpoint, the film will be released in approximately 700 screens across the country. While it is significant number in the animated feature film category, to put some context, Disney’s The Jungle Book was released in India in around 1,640 screens.

    Explaining why a smaller screen strength won’t deter the movie’s overall visibility, Andhare added, “Screen numbers don’t necessarily make a film big or small. Unlike a ‘star geared’ film, when it comes to a movie like this, what counts more is the show time. What will be a convenient time for the kids to go and watch, will the parents be able to accompany them? — become the deciding questions. So when we say 700 screens, we mean a wide release with proper show timings that can tackle such a specific audience.”

    Given the track history of home-grown animated feature films on the Indian box office, Andhare was quizzed how he plans to recover the cost of production, when animated films are expensive to produce.

    “I wouldn’t have agreed to do this film if I weren’t confident that we will be profitable. But, the onus is not just on theatre footfalls. It will be through a combination of all the monetization avenues available to us, whether it’s selling satellite rights, digital rights, or merchandising and brand integration deals.” Also, animated content has longer shelf life and are a lucrative property for syndication to other markets as well.

    Speaking of brand integration, Viacom18 kids entertainment, business head Nine Elavia Jaipuria assured that the network is in talks with several brands to partner for the film’s promotion. Marketing alliances with more than 20 brands across categories such as Confectionery, Toys, FMCG, Milk supplement products, et al, are being tapped.

    “The movie is unadulterated, meaning, there is no in-movie tie-up with a brand,” she said.

    Adding her insight on how this film adds value to brand Motu Patlu, Jaipuria said, “From Tv-dom to stardom would draw us a premium on the IP”.

    Jaipura also stressed on the ancillary revenue that the IP generates from the various merchandising deals it lends itself to, be it apparels, toys, stationery, back-to-school products, etc, which is further strengthened by its presence on various e-commerce platforms.

    From the content standpoint, Motu Patlu King of Kings is a story about a runaway circus lion, a king trying to protect his kingdom, a greedy poacher and Motu Patlu caught up in the final battle to save the life of the jungle. Motu Patlu King of Kings, releasing on October 14, is sure to capture the imagination of the children and adults.

    Maya Digital Studios chairman Ketan Mehta said, “This is a film that will be driven by children, but one that will be equally enjoyed by adults.”

    Some of the leading names were roped in for the movie. The film is directed by Suhas Kadav and the celebrated poet Gulzar has penned the lyrics of the title track.

  • ZEEL launches ‘Zeal For Unity’ platform for Indo-Pak filmmakers

    ZEEL launches ‘Zeal For Unity’ platform for Indo-Pak filmmakers

    MUMBAI: After bridging the cultural gap between India and Pakistan with the launch of the Indian Urdu entertainment channel Zindagi showcasing Pakistani serials, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has taken yet another step towards promoting Indo-Pak unity with the launch of an initiative called Zeal For Unity (ZFU).

    ZEEL will bring together 12 filmmakers, six each from India and Pakistan, and fund their one-hour shorts, which will then be showcased across platforms like film festivals, television, theatre and digital under the ZFU initiative.

    From India, ZEEL has roped in six filmmakers namely Aparna Sen, Ketan Mehta, Nikhil Advani, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Bejoy Nambiar and Tanuja Chandra, whereas the six Pakistani directors are Mehreen Jabbar, Oscar winner Sabiha Sumar, Khalid Ahmad, Shahbaz Sumar, Shiraj Ul Haq and Meenu Farjad.

    Of the 12 films, while some are in various stages of production, some are complete. Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Baarish Aur Chowmein starring Taapsee Pannu, Vidyut Jamwal and Amit Sadh; Bejoy Nambiar’s Dobaara; Ketan Mehta’s Toba Tek Singh starring Pankaj Kapur; Mehreen Jabbar’s Lala Begum and Shahbaz Sumar’s Khaeme Mein Matt Jhankain are among the few films that will be showcased under this initiative.

    ZFU’s proposition – ‘It Takes Two’ is an extension of ZEEL’s corporate philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ meaning ‘The World is my Family.’

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on ZFU, ZEEL chief business officer Sunil Buch said, “We are launching a very unique peace initiative, Zeal for Unity. The whole idea was to bring together the creative minds, filmmakers, cultural exponents and thought leaders from India and Pakistan to facilitate an apolitical exchange environment of peace and harmony. For the first time ever in the history of India and Pakistan, 12 filmmakers, six each from both the countries will come together to showcase their work for one common interest – Zeal For Unity.”

    ZEEL chief creative – special projects Shailja Kejriwal added, “Zee has the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and under that we keep doing such initiatives. In that context a couple of years back we launched the Zindagi channel and now this the second step we are taking in that direction. This time Indian filmmakers will produce Pakistani films and I think it’s a huge step because India has never produced any Pakistani films. By putting Zindagi in people’s homes, we actually put Pakistan in front of Indian audiences and that changed the common notion among people.”

    ZEEL is planning to launch the films over the next six – seven months. “This August, India’s 70th year of Independence will start, so we proposed to do something with ZFU over this one year period from 14 – 15 August, 2016 to 14-15 August, 2017,” added Kejriwal.     

    Further explaining the idea behind the initiative, Buch said, “There is a huge cultural overlap between the countries and there is a sense of curiosity among people. ZFU’s proposition is based on the fact that it takes two to bring the change and the change can only be brought through concentrated efforts of people from both the countries. It’s a classic example whereby we share available content, which one has only heard about. With Zindagi, we were able to make people in India experience that content from Pakistan. So in line with that philosophy, demonstrating clear and visible thought leadership, we thought of taking this step.”

    Kejriwal said that while doing shows for Zindagi, the company got in touch with lot of creative talent from Pakistan. “We have been inviting stories and people who have been interested in participating and we received a great response from Pakistan. We have joined hands with well-known directors because they believe that they want to get out of their couches and actually stand for a cause,” she says.

  • ZEEL launches ‘Zeal For Unity’ platform for Indo-Pak filmmakers

    ZEEL launches ‘Zeal For Unity’ platform for Indo-Pak filmmakers

    MUMBAI: After bridging the cultural gap between India and Pakistan with the launch of the Indian Urdu entertainment channel Zindagi showcasing Pakistani serials, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has taken yet another step towards promoting Indo-Pak unity with the launch of an initiative called Zeal For Unity (ZFU).

    ZEEL will bring together 12 filmmakers, six each from India and Pakistan, and fund their one-hour shorts, which will then be showcased across platforms like film festivals, television, theatre and digital under the ZFU initiative.

    From India, ZEEL has roped in six filmmakers namely Aparna Sen, Ketan Mehta, Nikhil Advani, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Bejoy Nambiar and Tanuja Chandra, whereas the six Pakistani directors are Mehreen Jabbar, Oscar winner Sabiha Sumar, Khalid Ahmad, Shahbaz Sumar, Shiraj Ul Haq and Meenu Farjad.

    Of the 12 films, while some are in various stages of production, some are complete. Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Baarish Aur Chowmein starring Taapsee Pannu, Vidyut Jamwal and Amit Sadh; Bejoy Nambiar’s Dobaara; Ketan Mehta’s Toba Tek Singh starring Pankaj Kapur; Mehreen Jabbar’s Lala Begum and Shahbaz Sumar’s Khaeme Mein Matt Jhankain are among the few films that will be showcased under this initiative.

    ZFU’s proposition – ‘It Takes Two’ is an extension of ZEEL’s corporate philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ meaning ‘The World is my Family.’

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on ZFU, ZEEL chief business officer Sunil Buch said, “We are launching a very unique peace initiative, Zeal for Unity. The whole idea was to bring together the creative minds, filmmakers, cultural exponents and thought leaders from India and Pakistan to facilitate an apolitical exchange environment of peace and harmony. For the first time ever in the history of India and Pakistan, 12 filmmakers, six each from both the countries will come together to showcase their work for one common interest – Zeal For Unity.”

    ZEEL chief creative – special projects Shailja Kejriwal added, “Zee has the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and under that we keep doing such initiatives. In that context a couple of years back we launched the Zindagi channel and now this the second step we are taking in that direction. This time Indian filmmakers will produce Pakistani films and I think it’s a huge step because India has never produced any Pakistani films. By putting Zindagi in people’s homes, we actually put Pakistan in front of Indian audiences and that changed the common notion among people.”

    ZEEL is planning to launch the films over the next six – seven months. “This August, India’s 70th year of Independence will start, so we proposed to do something with ZFU over this one year period from 14 – 15 August, 2016 to 14-15 August, 2017,” added Kejriwal.     

    Further explaining the idea behind the initiative, Buch said, “There is a huge cultural overlap between the countries and there is a sense of curiosity among people. ZFU’s proposition is based on the fact that it takes two to bring the change and the change can only be brought through concentrated efforts of people from both the countries. It’s a classic example whereby we share available content, which one has only heard about. With Zindagi, we were able to make people in India experience that content from Pakistan. So in line with that philosophy, demonstrating clear and visible thought leadership, we thought of taking this step.”

    Kejriwal said that while doing shows for Zindagi, the company got in touch with lot of creative talent from Pakistan. “We have been inviting stories and people who have been interested in participating and we received a great response from Pakistan. We have joined hands with well-known directors because they believe that they want to get out of their couches and actually stand for a cause,” she says.

  • India Film Project ropes in Ketan Mehta as jury member

    India Film Project ropes in Ketan Mehta as jury member

    MUMBAI: Filmmaker Ketan Mehta has been roped in as a jury member of the India Film Project 2015, which will be held in Ahmedabad from 18 – 26 September, 2015.

     

    The film festival expects close to 15,000 filmmakers across 20 countries to participate in this year’s festival. In last four years, more than 21,000 filmmakers have been a part of IFP, and made 1500 films.

     

    Mehta said, “I’m delighted to be a part of the jury at IFP. It will be a great experience to judge the upcoming talent. I think the concept is unique and I look forward to see the great work done by all the passionate movie makers in just 50 hours.”

     

    “Not many people get a chance to turn their dreams into reality and I feel great that we are able to help all those through IFP platform. We have created a community of short filmmakers and not just contestants and this is our biggest successes. Each time we feel the same adrenaline rush organising this festival and looking forward to this year’s fest,” said IFP founder – director Ritam Bhatnagar.

     

    IFP gives a platform to cinema lovers to showcase their talent globally. It challenges one to script, shoot, edit and submit a short film in just 50 hours once the theme is announced.

  • Mahesh Bhatt encourages debate on censorship at Elevate 2015

    Mahesh Bhatt encourages debate on censorship at Elevate 2015

    MUMBAI: Filmmaker-activist Mahesh Bhatt moderated a debate on the topic of censorship with Bollywood stalwarts Amit Khanna, Sudhir Mishra, Bhawana Somaaya and Ketan Mehta making their stand at The Third Eye’s program Elevate 2015, the second annual conclave held at The Club, Mumbai, this week.

     

    With a discussion on creating synergies between regulatory bodies and industry leaderships, the industry heavyweights mulled on how the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and other regulatory authorities can look ahead in time and create a vision for creative communities; thus empowering audiences.

     

    Bhatt asked some thought-provoking questions. “Is there a role that the regulators really have to play in the digital age,” he wondered. “Is there a way for content creators to establish a non-confrontational dialogue with the government regulatory bodies?”

     

    Industry doyen Amit Khanna opined, “In the 21st century, given the way technology has allowed us to interact with each other, there is no role for anything called censorship in the audio-visual media.”

     

    “The censorship is no longer a possibility in any way in today’s digital age. This is the first time in history that such a thing is possible,” marked director Sudhir Mishra. 

     

    Director Ketan Mehta was blunt. “Censorship is corrupt and immoral exercise of power,” he said.

     

    Veteran journalist, author and an ex-member of the CBFC, Bhawana Somaaya pointed out that the Censor Board has a provision where filmmakers have a right to refuse and argue with the objections of the Board in their entirety. She felt that “censorship is being interpreted in a wrong way. It is being misunderstood. There are guidelines for it and they require some modifications.”

  • Shaukeens …Not for a film shaukeen

    Shaukeens …Not for a film shaukeen

    Shaukeens is inspired from the 1982 film, Basu Chatterjee’s successful film Shaukeen, starring Ashok Kumar, Utpal Dutt and A K Hangal. They are replaced here by Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor and Piyush Mishra. The original had Mithun Chakraborty and Rati Agnihotri as romantic attractions. Their replacements here are Akshay Kumar and Lisa Haydon. Shaukeen was remade in Telugu as Prema Pichollu with Chiranjeevi and others in 1983.

    Producers: Murad Khetani, Ashwin Varde.
    Director: Abhishek Sharma.
    Cast: Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor, Piyush Mishra, Lisa Haydon, Rati Agnihotri and in cameos Abhishek Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Suniel Shetty and, in a special appearance, Akshay Kumar.

    The actual theme, though with a different ending and with the approach of a thriller rather than a comedy was The Fan Club, a 1974 novel by Irving Wallace, made into a film the same year. Here an actress is kidnapped by a few men. In Shaukeen and Shaukeens, three old men, referred to in India as thirkee/lecherous men, bored with their daily routine, embark on a holiday with the express purpose of finding some sex.
    Kher, Kapoor and Mishra are deprived of sex for different reasons. Kher’s wife has turned full time religious and sex is taboo for her; Mishra’s wife is dead while Kapoor could not marry the woman he loved and, hence, has no sex life. Best they get is to ogle at young girls at morning exercise groups. This proves to be even more frustrating even as their attempts independent of each other fail.
    Having had enough, Kapoor comes up with an idea. Since they are well known in Delhi where they are based, they decide to land up in Bangkok. But the very mention of Bangkok is opposed by the two men with families, Kher and Mishra, as whatever the reason, Bangkok in the family and friends circle would create talks. They decide on Mauritius where they learn Akshay Kumar is slated to shoot his next film.

    They are lucky to get a house to themselves in Mauritius as the owner, Lisa Haydon, has decided to rent it out while she is away. The trio’s first night out at a club is a failure. But, to their surprise there is Lisa sleeping in the lawn; her programme got cancelled at the last minute.

    Haydon is a bindass, carefree girl and a self-proclaimed designer who makes a pendant out of a frog’s eye and glares for Akshay from her nails! Her carefree attitude is taken by the three men as an open invitation. They put their efforts into scoring with Haydon, collectively as well as individually.

    While these three are chasing Haydon, Akshay Kumar is in Mauritius for a film shoot. Haydon is a big fan of Akshay and she proposes that whoever of the three takes her to meet Akshay will get whatever he asks for from her. Kher manages first followed by Kapoor by which time has had enough of her.

    Mishra’s attempt is the last straw. A drunk Akshay (he is a closet alcoholic) is on stage at an Indian community event, bursts out in anger.

    Sadly, Shaukeens is a poorly adapted version of the original. Nothing about it looks natural: the way they behave or the way they try to court Haydon. The comedy is either absent or banal, making one laugh at the attempts to create comedy instead of the comedy itself. Direction is routine and lacking imagination. Music is poor. Not a very long film, but even at 135 minutes it offers much scope for further editing. Performance wise, while Kher and Mishra are routine, Kapoor is a little better. So much so that Akshay Kumar emerges the best of the male cast. Haydon is a wrong choice.

    Shaukeens fails to entertain. Having opened to poor response, it faces tough time ahead.

    Rang Rasiya ……Of colours and women shapes

    Producer: Deepa Sahi, Anand Mahendroo.
    Director: Ketan Mehta.
    Cast: Randeep Hooda, Nandana Sen, Paresh Rawal.

     

    Rang Rasiya is based on the life of the renowned Indian artist and painter of the 19th Century, Raja Ravi Varma, who went on to become a legend. Born in Kerala, Varma was a painter trained in the basics of art followed by water painting and then oil painting by three different masters. He was driven out of his native Kerala by the local ruler for adding the prefix Raja to his name. But he was backed by the ruler of Mysore, who was also his patron, and his paintings adorn the Mysore Palace till date.

    The film version is an adaptation of a novel, Raja Ravi Varma, written by Ranjit Desai. It is a novel and not a life account of Varma and, hence, the film too has a commercial film-like approach. And, it turns out to be more about women and romances in Varma’s life and that is what is expected to attract the moviegoer. After, all painting and painters find their followers at art galleries not in cinema halls.
    Lying in cans since 2008 for want of censor clearance, the film was screened at various film festivals. It has only now finally got an Indian release. Married with five children, Varma, played by Randeep Hooda, has a glad eye for pretty women and admired their bodies; he was an eternal lover. His sexual encounters with women would be dream sequences, otherwise, for a common man. A flirt who uses women for his artistic inspiration as well as for what they are. Finally comes a woman, Nandana Sen, who he soon becomes passionate about.
    Not taking Varma seriously, she eventually becomes his model and lover. He has found a new inspiration only to be vehemently opposed by the self-styled custodians of culture and traditions. From being dragged to court to being blamed for the plague epidemic in Mumbai, he faces it all.

    Varma takes his art and admiration for the female further as he gives faces and form to Hindu gods and goddesses and paints their pictures, and sets up his own lithographic printing press to print and distribute these pictures free of cost to lakhs of people including those not allowed into temples. He provides a God/Goddess to every home. His one admirable act was to financially help the father of Indian cinema, Dada Saheb Phalke with his first film project.

    Ketan Mehta is a fine and sensitive director but here his priorities seem mixed up between depicting the life of one of the most renowned artist and his sex life. Rather than romance, the film and characters seem to thrive on lust. Hooda looks too hard faced to depict Varma. Girls are just okay.

    Biopics are not a very popular genre even about our recent heroes while this one is about one from a long past few can identify with, making the film a commercial liability.
     

     

  • Discovery Kids’ viewership jumps by 66 per cent

    Discovery Kids’ viewership jumps by 66 per cent

     NEW DELHI: It’s time for celebrations at Discovery Kids. It has claimed that its biggest launch of the year  – Kisna – has done wonders amongst the kids. Result, increasing the channel’s viewership by 66 per cent.

     

    Produced by internationally acclaimed Filmmaker Ketan Mehta, Kisna’s wit and valour has captured the imagination of kids from across India including UP, Delhi and Bangalore. (Source: TAM, CS-4-14, All India, Week 39-42 2014, 1400- 1600 Hrs).      

            

    Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific EVP and GM – south Asia and south east Asia Rahul Johri said, “We are delighted with the response of Discovery Kids biggest series of 2014 – Kisna. The successful premiere demonstrates the distinct appeal of Discovery Kids and its new franchise – Kisna.”

     

    It is the story of an adventurous and amusing young boy from Anandnagri and his adversary the wicked Raja Durjan of Andhernagri. During the series, Kisna clashes with Raja Durjan and each time squashes his evil plans of spreading fear in his hometown. The strongest fail to match Kisna’s superpowers and his group of friends as they resolve every problem with courage and ingenuity.

     

    It is telecast every afternoon at 2 pm as he battles all the evil with his humour and bravery and stands between the wicked forces of Trikaal and Raja Durjan and his beloved city.

     

    Discovery Kids is available in Hindi, English and Tamil languages across India on both analogue and digital platforms including Tata Sky, Dish TV, Reliance DTH, Airtel Digital and Videocon D2H.

  • Sardar Patel, Indira Gandhi to be remembered by AIR, DD on their anniversaries

    Sardar Patel, Indira Gandhi to be remembered by AIR, DD on their anniversaries

    NEW DELHI: Both All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan are celebrating India’s Iron Man Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s birthday this week with different programmes.

     

    AIR has organised a discussion today, which will be broadcast on 31 October.  This year’s topic is Marxism, Socialism and Integral Humanism. The speaker is veteran mediaperson and member of Parliament Chandan Mitra.

     

    Meanwhile, AIR Delhi will also broadcast live the function relating to the 30th Death Anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1 Akbar Road, New Delhi on 31 October from 8.15 am onwards on Indraprastha Channel MW 366.3 mtr and a Radio Report  on the various functions  held  in the capital to commemorate the anniversary and will be broadcast on 31 October 2014 at. 8.30 pm. This report will be broadcast from Indraprastha Channel 366.3 mtr and National Network.

     

    DD Bharati is telecasting “Sardar Patel”: Vallabh Bhai Patel Birthday Celebration on 31 October at 06:00 pm, with repeat telecast at 02:00 am and 10:30 am.

     

    DD National is going to remember him through the Hindi Feature Film ‘Sardar’ directed and produced by Ketan Mehta scheduled for telecast at 09.30 p.m. on DD-National.

     

    DD National will also telecast at 08:00 am the events of the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas with the paying of floral tributes at Patel Chowk, New Delhi. This will be followed by the Unity Pledge and Run for Unity from Vijay Chowk to India Gate, New Delhi.

     

    There will be a documentary on the Sardar after the morning function, and the film YUGPURUSH: A film on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at 10.00 am.

     

    The feature “SARDAR” by Ketan Mehta will be telecast on DD National in the Friday Houseful slot at 9.30 pm.

     

    DD News has also slated programmes to pay their tributes to the Sardar and the former Prime Minister. A half-hour discussion will be telecast at 7.30 pm on the Sardar, and the social media; Tweets and YouTube alerts will be given for the function. The Sardar Patel lecture will be telecast in news bulletins. The live programme will start at 7:30 am and go live till 10 am with two anchors and two guests with inputs from Police Parade, Hyderabad. This will be followed by a half-hour programme, named Lauh Purush which will be repeated at 7:30 pm. There will be a discussion in the late night news bulletin on DD News at 8.10 pm.

     

    During the day, all the events in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes part will be streamed live on YouTube. There will be tweets on PM’s function and speech, apart from posts on Facebook. 

  • Discovery going all out to promote ‘Kisna’

    Discovery going all out to promote ‘Kisna’

    NEW DELHI: The Discovery Kids channel is going all out to popularise its new animation series ‘Kisna’ as it is an India-based series and is a ‘driver show’.

     

    told indiantelevision.com on the sidelines of a press meet on the launch of the new series by, and series maker Rahul Johri and renowned filmmaker Ketan Mehta that the percentage of marketing was very high for this show.

     

    Discovery Channel Asia Pacific VP marketing Rajiv Bakshi  said while the series has already been promoted for almost a month on all Discovery channels, it will now be promoted on other channels as well as on billboards and through school activities. While Facebook was being used to promote the series among adults so that they could encourage the young to see it, the social network was not available to those under 18 years of age.

     

    Filmmaker Ketan Mehta said that the aim of the series was to impart education and entertainment at the same time. He said the name ‘Kisna’ had been used because it had an association with everyone in the subcontinent, but the series would be contemporary and every episode would also have some education value. Thus, it was not the story of Lord Krishna.

     

    The series, produced by Cosmos Entertainment and Maya Digital Studios, would be telecast from 19 October at 2 pm every Friday in English, Tamil and Hindi. It would be repeated at 6 pm.

     

    Discovery’s current portfolio in India includes 11 channels – Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Discovery Kids, Discovery Science, Discovery Tamil, Discovery Turbo, Discovery HD World, TLC HD World and Animal Planet HD World – apart from a Discovery Channel Magazine.

     

    Apart from the three High Definition channels – Discovery World, TLC World and Animal Planet World – Investigation Discovery (ID) was launched early this month and carries true stories of crime and their investigation. Though the stories are all American, they have been dubbed in Hindi.  Each story is complete in itself.

     

    Kisna is the story of an adventurous and amusing young boy from Anandnagri and his adversary the wicked Raja Durjan of Andhernagri. During the series, Kisna will clash with Raja Durjan and each time squash his evil plans of spreading fear in Kisna’s hometown.

     

     Mehta said, “Kisna is a fascinating story told through captivating characters. Kisna’s endearing personality combined with his superhero powers will make him a favourite character amongst the kids. We are delighted to partner with Discovery Kids, a renowned brand that delivers fun and enriching entertainment.”

     

    Discovery Kids is available in Hindi, English and Tamil languages across India on both analogue and DTH platforms including Tata Sky, Dish TV, Reliance DTH, Airtel Digital and Videocon d2h.