Tag: Madhu Bhojwani

  • Prime Video drops trailer for Jitendra Kumar and Shriya Pilgaonkar’s ‘Dry Day’

    Prime Video drops trailer for Jitendra Kumar and Shriya Pilgaonkar’s ‘Dry Day’

    Mumbai: Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, unveiled the trailer of the Amazon Original movie Dry Day today.  It is a powerful and emotional story that delves into the complexities of addiction, love, and the extent of a man’s sacrifices for his family. Directed by Saurabh Shukla, and produced by Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani, and  Nikkhil Advani,  under the banner of Emmay Entertainment, the comedy-drama features Jitendra Kumar, Shriya Pilgaonkar, and Annu Kapoor in pivotal roles.

    The film is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on 22 December. Dry Day is the latest addition to the Prime membership. Prime members in India enjoy savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership for just Rs 1499/ year. Dry Day is a story of an imperfect hero who challenges societal conventions, rebelling against norms out of love for his unborn child. The trailer of this comedy-drama intricately explores the societal impact of alcoholism, presenting a thought-provoking narrative rooted in social relevance.

     

     

    Speaking about the film, Director Saurabh Shukla said, “The movie is a social satire presented with a hilarious tragic-comedy of errors with lots of drama and emotions. Dry Day gives an important and relevant message about alcoholism and I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to craft this film, aiming to entertain and enlighten the audiences. It brings me immense joy to partner with streaming service Prime Video, Emmay Entertainment, and a talented bunch of actors, collectively breathing life into a compelling and beautiful narrative.”

    “Dry Day is a captivating blend of comedy and drama, offering a rollercoaster of emotions,” shared actor Jitendra Kumar. “It was an exhilarating experience playing the character of Gannu in the movie. Getting into the skin of this intriguing character was like adding a new skill to my toolbox. The character’s struggle to defy all odds in pursuit of trust adds depth to the narrative of the film. I’m excited for audiences to witness this unique journey on screen. The film’s fusion of heartwarming moments and compelling storytelling is something I can’t wait for people to experience and appreciate.”

    Playing the role of Nirmala, actor Shriya Pilgaonkar shared, “The experience of working on Dry Day has been wonderful and enriching in so many ways. It’s a film that will entertain you and emotionally strike a chord as well. I enjoyed building that relationship between Nirmala and Gannu. The story of our film is all about the transformative power of love and it will also draw your attention to certain important societal issues. I’m so grateful to have got the opportunity to collaborate with Saurabh Sir and the wonderful team at Emmay Entertainment.  The writing is fantastic and I was most excited to film my first Holi song! “

  • Prime Video highlights VFX’s application in modern filmmaking at Film Bazaar, 54th International Film Festival of India

    Prime Video highlights VFX’s application in modern filmmaking at Film Bazaar, 54th International Film Festival of India

    Mumbai: Prime Video, India’s most loved entertainment destination, today conducted an engaging session on how VFX technology is an emerging and rapidly evolving avenue of artistic expression at Film Bazaar at the ongoing 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa. Using the popular Original series Mumbai Diaries Season 2 as an example, the session elucidated how VFX helps in moving the narratives forward by creating worlds and storylines that defy traditional boundaries. The session was spearheaded by Nikhil Madhok, head of Hindi Originals, Prime Video, Monisha Advani, Producer, Emmay Entertainment, Madhu Bhojwani, Producer, Emmay Entertainment, Malay Prakash, Director of Photography, and Vishwas Savanur, VFX Head. To give the attendees an experience of the VFX behind the much-loved series, Prime Video has also set up a zone at the Tech Pavilion at Film Bazaar that was visited by Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports.

    “If storytellers are the ones who inspire us and open our minds by taking us into new worlds, then it is VFX that acts as the wind beneath their wings,” said Prime Video, India head of Hindi Originals Nikhil Madhok, highlighting that VFX is helping creativity transcend the boundaries of imagination and changing the game in the global entertainment landscape. He further explained that VFX goes beyond just creating visually stunning spectacles, and gives storytellers the power to envision worlds and narratives without being bound by practical constraints. He further added, “Earlier, storytellers faced constraints at the very inception of a project, often holding back ambitious visions at the script stage due to uncertainties about execution. If someone wanted to narrate a story that involved significant world-building, they often first had to question their own belief and answer questions on execution even before they had finished writing their story. However, today, thanks to the advancements in VFX technology, storytellers can dare to dream big. They now place the narrative at the forefront of their creative process, and are able to focus on creating immersive worlds on paper, fully knowing that VFX will help them bring their vision to life.”

    By bringing in elements of realism, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and safety, VFX is helping creativity transcend the boundaries of imagination and changing the game in the global entertainment landscape. However, Nikhil also cautioned the industry to avoid looking at VFX as just a way to reduce costs. “While the cost advantages are great and we must make the most of it, but focusing on the cost would be like missing the wood for the trees. We must think of VFX as this powerful tool that helps unleash the imagination of our storytellers!” he explained.

    The session commenced with an insightful address by Nikhil Madhok, head of Hindi Originals, Prime Video, India. This was followed by an interesting talk on Mumbai Dairies Season 2 and the role of VFX in it by  producer Monisha Advani and producer Madhu Bhojwani. Next on the agenda was an engaging presentation by Malay Prakash, cinematographer, and Vishwas Savanu, VFX producer on the VFX technology and its potential to be a game changer in filmmaking. The session concluded with an incisive panel discussion among these presenters on the contribution of VFX technology in moving the story narratives forward.

    “VFX has transformed filmmaking across genres, elevating production quality and opening new avenues for employment. The flood sequence in Mumbai Diaries Season 2, brought to life by VFX, showcases the technology’s prowess in tackling scenes once deemed too complex or risky to film – offering creators a newfound freedom to explore narratives and visual elements that elevate the overall cinematic experience for audiences,” said Prime Video, India head of Hindi Originals Nikhil Madhok.

    Prime Video has used the technology in a number of their Originals, as well as co-productions. From recreating Afghanistan in Film City to creating an immersive underwater marvel in the co-production Ram Setu, spine-chilling effects in the supernatural Original Adhura, the period Original Jubilee’s recreation of a bygone era with incredible detailing, creating a world beyond the realm of reality in the first Tamil Original horror series The Village that just premiered at IFFI, to recreating one of the worst disasters the city of Mumbai had to face in Mumbai Diaries Season 2 – Prime Video has used VFX to redefine storytelling, and create cinematic experiences through immersive world-building.

    Emmay Entertainment producers Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani spoke about how VFX technology gives creators an opportunity to realize their vision on screen and tell stories that immerse audiences into magical and fantastical worlds.

    Malay Prakash, director of photography of Mumbai Diaries Season 2 and Vishwas Savanur, VFX producer, spoke about the need for filmmakers to be aware of what can be achieved with VFX technology and how it can make a scene more believable by keeping the shots relevant, moving and organic.

    Prime Video’s participation at IFFI is a testament of the pivotal role video streaming sector is playing in enabling the growth of India’s creative economy, and acting as a robust platform to showcase Indian stories, talent, and creators in the global arena.

  • Siddharth Roy Kapur re-elected as president of Producers Guild of India

    Siddharth Roy Kapur re-elected as president of Producers Guild of India

    Mumbai: Roy Kapur Films founder and MD Siddharth Roy Kapur has been re-elected as president of Producers Guild of India at the 67th annual general meeting (AGM) of the association held virtually on 29 September. Reliance Entertainment’s Shibasish Sarkar was named as vice president of the industry body.

    Another key development was the expansion in ranks of women producers in leadership roles. Emmay Entertainment and Motion Pictures LLP’s Madhu Bhojwani and Netflix India’s Ambika Khurana joined incumbents Apoorva Mehta, Manish Goswami and Sunjoy Waddhwa as vice presidents of the guild while Sol Productions’ Fazila Allana joined incumbent Ashim Samanta as treasurer.

    Kapur, who has been serving for six consecutive years as the president of the guild, announced that he would not be making himself available for re-election next year. With Kapur at the helm, the guild has spearheaded multiple industry initiatives to increase the market size and reach of Indian content and include advocacy of producers interests on matters like legislation, taxation and ease of doing business.

    The ongoing pandemic has thrown unprecedented challenges at the production industry. At the AGM, members were apprised of the key activities and developments during the year, including formulating rigorous SOPs for safe shooting, advocating for shooting resumption, organising vaccination camps for members and facilitating financial assistance to daily wage workers through donations by guild members.

  • Stakeholders meet Maharashtra state official on shooting SOP

    Stakeholders meet Maharashtra state official on shooting SOP

    MUMBAI: Major stakeholders of the media and entertainment industry attended a zoom meeting with Maharashtra state cultural affairs secretary Sanjay Mukherjee on 28 May and talked about SOPs for production resumption.

    The meeting was truly encouraging and there were a lot of fruitful co,nclusions regarding the future of the entertainment Industry, said a press release by Federation of Western India Cine Employees.

    In the zoom meeting, The Producers Guild of India was represented by Apoorva Mehta and Madhu Bhojwani. Federation of Western India Cine Employess (FWICE) was represented by Ashoke Pandit chief advisor, B N Tiwari, president, and Ashok Dubey, general secretary. Indian Motion Pictures Producer's Association (IMPPA) was represented by T P Aggarwal.

    Western India Film Producer's Association (WIFPA) was represented by Sangram Shirke and Dharam Mehra. Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal (MCM) was represented by its president Meghraj Bhosale. Aadesh Bandekar also attended the meeting.

    The following points were discussed in the meeting:

    1. Post-production activities should immediately start in line with all the health, safety and security norms and guidelines issued by the government.

    2. A proper financial package has to be worked out by the state government to facilitate the entertainment industry.

    3. State government should call for all the insurance companies to come up with new ideas for designing suitable policies for the members of the entertainment industry to cope with the Covid2019 disease.

    4. Premises owned by the state government should be given free of cost to the producers and the production houses for carrying out shoots along with a facility of single window permission.

    5. There should be no rental on sets that are erected in the Film City which are lying unused due to the lockdown. After the lockdown, the premises in Film City should be given to producers and production houses at subsidised rate so as to cope with the losses incurred due to the lockdown.

    6. Chief secretary Sanjay Mukherjee will review the SOPs already submitted by the stakeholders and present to the government.