ITV

Tag: Laos

  • ‘Porus’ finds an audience in more countries

    ‘Porus’ finds an audience in more countries

    MUMBAI: In another shot in the arm for Indian television producers, the producers of mythological show Porus, Swastik Productions, have managed to bag content syndication deals in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Swastik Productions founder Rahul Kumar Tewari said that it has already launched in Thailand and other countries will see launches by July 2018. In Thailand, the show is being broadcast on weekdays at a primetime slot. The show will be dubbed in Malay, Thai, English, and Burmese for the new markets.

    Last month, a source close to the development revealed that the 260-episodic series had been sold to Maharaja Television (MTV).  Porus is renamed as Digvijaya in the Sinhala-dubbed version and has been launched on channel Sirasa TV, during the weekend at the 8pm slot combining two episodes thereby giving each episode a one-hour run.

    The show started off well in India with 3.6 million impressions in week 48 but then saw a dip in ratings. It has managed to hook viewers till week 5 with 3.3 million impressions according to Broadcast Audience Research Council data.

    In an earlier interaction, Swastik Productions founder Siddharth Kumar Tewary said, “Porus has been consistent in its ratings since its launch and this was our plan to be consistent in the beginning and then grow slowly. We have made Porus with a huge amount of conviction.”

    In its 10-year existence, Swastik Productions has produced over fifteen television shows which also include Mahabharat, Razia Sultan, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Mata Ki Chowki, Amber Dhara, and Begusarai among others. It recently launched a light-hearted emotional drama on Sony Sab, Shankar Jay Kishan.

    The production house is free to sub-licence the show to a digital or international player, to air the episodes after 3-hours of original airing on Sony. While talking about the IP rights with the production house, a media report said that these kinds of deals vary. Historically broadcasters have been bearing all the cost. If the producer is ready to bear the cost, it will work out fine for the channel also as it reduces the risk and budget.

    The 22-minute show aired at 8.30 pm from Monday to Friday on Sony, depicts the untold story of the greatest conqueror of the world, Alexander and the most spirited defender of India, Porus. Set in 350 BC, the story traces its roots to a time when India was at its glorious best and Porus resisted the first attack on Indian soil by the Macedonian legend. The chronological narrative will trace the journey from birth to the epic battle between these two warriors born on the same day but raised with completely different upbringings.

    Also Read :

    ‘Porus’ launched as ‘Digvijaya’ in Sri Lanka

    Thai broadcaster Workpoint acquires TV rights for Porus

  • MVP Entertainment to release ‘Baahubali’ in seven countries

    MVP Entertainment to release ‘Baahubali’ in seven countries

    NEW DELHI: Indian blockbuster film Baahubali: The Beginning by S S Rajamouli is all set to release in seven territories across Asia.

     

    MVP Entertainment will release the film in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste.

     

    The deal was struck at the recently concluded Busan Asian Film Market between MVP president Raam Punjabi and manager Vikas Sharma and the film’s co-producer Shobu Yarlagadda and Francois da Silva from Arka Mediaworks International.

     

    Additionally, the film has already got dates for release in China and Japan in conjunction with E Stars for China and Twin Co. for Japan.

     

    The opening film of the Busan Film Festival’s Open Cinema Stand, Baahubali has grossed $92 million so far.

     

    Rajamouli’s earlier film Eega was screened at Toronto, Shanghai, and several other international film festivals, giving him a cult status.

     

    Rajamouli has shot about 40 per cent of Baahubali: The Conclusion and will commence the rest in November-end in Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City. Some forest sequences will be shot in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

     

    The film is expected to be release by the end of next year, and will be released simultaneously in Telugu, Hindi and other languages.

     

    The film’s success lay in the final epic war scene that was filmed with a lot of ingenuity and original stunts. Owing to the grandeur, the budget of the two Baahubali films has gone up from $40 million to $50 million.

     

    The Baahubali saga is about brothers in medieval India in conflict over a rich kingdom and is rich in imagery, battles and skulduggery. It stars Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Tamannah, Sathyaraj and Ramya Krishnan.

  • Discovery, Nokia team for second edition of Mobile FilmMakers Awards

    Discovery, Nokia team for second edition of Mobile FilmMakers Awards

    MUMBAI: Discovery Asia has announced its second collaboration with Nokia. The two parties have launched the second edition of the Mobile Filmmakers Awards.

    With the first initiative completed in December 2005, the second contest gives consumers the opportunity to try their hand at mobile filmmaking. It will give them the chance to walk away with a $10,000 and a three-month stint with Discovery Asia based at the channel’s Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, during which he or she will be involved in the process of documentary filmmaking.

    The Mobile Filmmakers Awards initiative was launched last year. The aim was to empower mobile phone users with the knowledge and technology of mobile filmmaking at their fingertips and the opportunity to showcase their talent. Reflecting the widespread mobile penetration and usage in India, maximum entries of 609, were received from India last year with two Indians making it to the semi-finals.

    The second edition of the contest is open to the residents of India, Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The closing date for submissions for the contest is 30 June 2006.

    In the first round of the competition, 60 semi-finalists will be selected from all the entries received. These 60 semifinalists will need to attend a workshop in July, organised by Discovery Networks Asia. Each semi-finalist will receive a Nokia N90 mobile phone. In the second round of the competition, the 60 semifinalists will be narrowed down to the best 12 contestants from the region.

    The finalists will be flown to Singapore to attend an intensive workshop in September. Here they will have the opportunity to learn more about mobile filmmaking techniques from experts in the industry and to familiarise themselves with the wide range of mobile film functions of the Nokia N93, which they will be using to shoot and submit their final entries. Each finalist will receive a Nokia N93 mobile phone.

    The initiative reinvents the way people view filmmaking and adds a new dimension to the film industry, contributing to the evolution and growth of filmmaking. Using multimedia devices such as the Nokia N93 that comes with optics from Carl Zeiss, a leading optics company, talent in the region are now able to create their own personal high-quality mobile films. The genre of mobile filmmaking also provides those who are interested in filmmaking with a new medium through which they can bring to life their unique visions and perspectives, and showcase their films on a different platform.

    The two parties state that even seasoned professional filmmakers are experimenting with this new genre. The Mobile Filmmakers 2006 Awards site – www.mobifilms.net – will showcase clips produced by celebrity filmmakers from Asia, as part of the mobile filmmakers gallery. Among the filmmakers featured are Kaizad Gustad from India who had made Hyderabad Blues, Ekachai from Thailand (Beautiful Boxer), Kelvin Tong from Singapore (The Maid) and Yasmin Ahmad from Malaysia (Sepet).

    Discovery Asia senior VP programming and creative services James Gibbons said, “The response to the First Time Mobile Filmmakers 2005 Awards and the quality of the entries received shows that anyone with basic knowledge of how a mobile phone works is able to shoot their own mobile film and capture the world around them. With Discovery’s expertise in documentary filmmaking coupled with Nokia’s technology leadership in imaging, we have launched a new genre in Asia – mobile filmmaking – which is revolutionising the way content is utilised by mobile phone users. Together with Nokia, we are committed to growing and developing the genre of mobile filmmaking. As such, we will be organizing this contest annually, to continue to uncover new talent and take mobile filmmaking to greater heights.”

    Nokia senior vice president, customer and market operations, Asia Pacific Urpo Karjalainen said, “Multimedia computers like the Nokia N93 give consumers an unparalleled experience in mobile photography and filmmaking. Regional initiatives like the Mobile Filmmakers Awards – coupled with the supporting workshops and information that participants and consumers get – prove that with the software and hardware that’s built into today’s camera phones, you can get an imaging and filmmaking experience that’s equal to, or better, than that from a dedicated digital camera or camcorder. As technology keeps developing, we will continue to push the envelope in bringing consumers the best experiences they can expect from their converged devices, whether it’s in filmmaking, email, imaging or other areas.”