ITV

Tag: Maharashtra

  • Film, TV directors’ association requests Maharashtra govt for changes in shooting guidelines

    Film, TV directors’ association requests Maharashtra govt for changes in shooting guidelines

    MUMBAI: The Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) has sent a letter to the Maharashtra government seeking the removal of certain clauses in the guidelines for resuming shooting of films, OTT shows, and television serials as they are difficult to be adhered to. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray recently permitted the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) to resume shooting only if these guidelines and SOPs are followed strictly.

    IFTDA president Ashoke Pandit wrote, “We are glad to note that each and every point that we had presented and discussed in the above meeting has been considered and implemented in the GR released by the government. All the clauses that are mentioned in the GR are in line with the requirements raised by the stakeholders of the Industry. However, we would like to request you to please revisit two clauses mentioned in the GR.”

    One major concern is that any person above 65 years of age will not be allowed to work on the set. This category includes prominent actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Paresh Rawal, Annu Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Dharmendra, Shakti Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, Pankaj Kapur, Jackie Shroff, Danny Denzongpa, Dalip Tahil, Tinnu Anand, Rakesh Bedi, Kabir Bedi and others. It also has legendary directors, filmmakers and writers like Anil Sharma, David Dhawan, Subhash Ghai, Shyam Benegal, Mani Ratnam and Prakash Jha.

    According to Pandit, this clause is impractical since it would restrict some of the great luminaries of the industry.

    Another major concern highlighted by Pandit is the availability of doctors and nurses stationed at each shooting premises.

    The letter notes that Maharashtra is already facing issues due to non-availability of the doctors and nurses to cope with the increased number of patients from the Covid2019 pandemic and therefore it is not practical to have a doctor and nurse to be stationed at each shooting premise.

    Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment

  • Nihilent Donates Medical Equipment Worth INR 50 lakhs to Fight Covid-19 in Maharashtra

    Nihilent Donates Medical Equipment Worth INR 50 lakhs to Fight Covid-19 in Maharashtra

    Pune-based global consulting and services company, Nihilent and its subsidiaries donated critical medical equipment worth INR 50 lakhs to the Directorate of Health Services in Maharashtra. As a part of their CSR initiative the firm gave 3,489 PPE kits and 7,500 N95 masks to combat Covid-19 in the country’s highest affected state, Maharashtra. 

    The healthcare system in India is currently under immense pressure and crippling due to this pandemic. With Maharashtra contributing to the maximum number of cases with coronavirus hotspots such as Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, safety of the public is the state’s priority. Nihilent has donated PPE kits and N95 masks that will aid the Health Services Department in accelerating the process of detection and containing the novel coronavirus. 

    Commenting on this initiative, L.C. Singh, Director and Executive Vice Chairman of Nihilent said, “India is at a stage where immediate critical care is necessary to contain the virus and overcome this pandemic. While the government has introduced a slew of measures and services for the public, we wish to support the medical community including doctors, medical practitioners, nurses who are tackling Covid-19 pandemic at the forefront.”

  • Identify safe places to shoot, Maharashtra CM tells industry delegation

    Identify safe places to shoot, Maharashtra CM tells industry delegation

    MUMBAI: A 12-member delegation of television producers and broadcasters on Friday interacted with Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray who asked them to find safe and secluded places for resuming shooting.

    In the zoom call, Thackeray responded positively to the delegation’s concerns and demands and assured them that shooting can restart soon. He asked them to identify green zones/safe areas for resuming shooting.

    The delegation apprised the chief minister the huge losses the industry has been incurring since the lockdown was imposed in March. The leaders shared with him the concerns of job losses and the industry’s wish to restart shooting with utmost care and by adhering to SOPs.

    He quickly addressed all issues and asked his team to set up a committee and work out the possibilities to start shooting at the earliest. The industry has to find out studios away from civilization, list of necessary precautions to be taken and spacious post production studios where social distancing can be maintained.

    Once this is done, the permission for the maintenance of sets, monsoon sheds, fire safety measures, etc. can be obtained. The shooting has to be conducted with minimum crew. Government officials will also be visiting Goregaon film city to examine its safety.

    Those who attended the meeting included: Zee Entertainment Enterprises managing director and chief executive officer Puneet Goenka, Sony Pictures Networks managing director and chief executive N P Singh, Network18 MD Rahul Joshi, Star & Disney India head K Madhavan,  Zee Entertainment Enterprises CEO Punit Misra, Endemol Shine India CEO Abhishek Rege, TV producer Ekta Kapoor, Banijay Asia founder-CEO Deepak Dhar, actor-producer Adesh Bandekar, Dr Sanjay Mukharji, Vikas Gharelu, Sudhir Naik, IFTPC managing member Nitin Vaidya, and jd Majethia.  

    jd Majethia informed that the chief minister posed for a picture of the video conference meeting. “I was very happy to discover a hidden streak of our beloved CM’s sense of humour which kept everyone in the meeting comfortable. The chief minister concluded the meeting by asking us all to be positive and hopeful with a line of a song from film chhoti si baat “Aanewala pal jane wala hai,” said Majethia.

    After several weeks of uncertainty, the television and broadcasting industry can finally heave a sigh of relief. Though an exact date has not been fixed yet, it is certain that production activities can resume soon. 

    Follow Tellychakkar for the consumer facing news & entertainment

  • Producers Guild of India issues clarification on shooting resumption guidelines

    Producers Guild of India issues clarification on shooting resumption guidelines

    MUMBAI: The Film & TV Producers Guild of India (the guild) today issued a clarification relating to shooting guidelines that would be put in place once the lockdown courtesy the Covid2019 pandemic is lifted and filming is permitted by the various governments.  Certain media outlets have carried reports detailing the list of protocols that would need to be followed while filming, sourcing it to the guild. 

    A release issued by the guild today had the following to state: 

    “A work-in-progress document prepared by the guild of draft guidelines for resumption of shooting activities has recently been circulating widely in the media and industry.

    This is to clarify that this document is only an early internal draft prepared by the guild in preparedness for the future resumption of shooting activities. Any final safety protocols and guidelines will be formalised only after comprehensive consultations with government officials, medical professionals and relevant industry bodies.”

    As readers may recollect, film and TV productions have been stalled for more than a month and a half and broadcasters have been airing reruns of old shows on their channels. The cost of constructed sets and rentals of different shooting floors and studios have been accumulating in certain cases. And both producers and broadcasters have been working on finding a solution around this along with studio and shooting floor owners.

    It may also be recalled, a publication carried a story quoting minister of information and broadcasting Prakash Javadekar saying that film and TV shoots could start in response to a plea by the Indian Broadcasting Foundation, if the Maharashtra government gives the production sector the go ahead.

    But since then, the Maharashtra government lead by Uddhav Thackeray took a decision to move into Lockdown 3.0 in order to get a handle on the spread of the Sars Cov2 virus. 

    Meanwhile, reports have appeared about TV productions commencing in Australia and a local publication carried a news report that Karnataka is likely to green signal film and TV shoots from next week. 

  • Productions to begin again?

    Productions to begin again?

    MUMBAI: It’s not confirmed yet. But sources revealed to indantelevision.com that efforts are on to get TV and other productions kickstarted again. This is even as prime minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the lockdown till 3 May this morning and a stricter enforcementof Covid2019 restrictions over the coming week. Timelines when the greensignal to resume production have not been revealed as yet, but broadcasters, producers and the government seem to be getting on the same page and a date is expected to be announced.

    When they do start, it is proposed that  they will do so with heavy security ensuring temperature screening and regular checks, minimum cast and crew in  lower double digit numbers, limited camera unit staff, with adequate social distancing, daily sanitation of the sets, an ambulance on standby,  masks, gloves and hand sanitisers being used at all times, less lavish sequences, avoiding casting and hiring  elderly cast and crew and few props.

    Sources share that the content  production sector has incurred losses running into thousands of crores since the outbreak of the pandemic. Producers have been at loose ends and have been requesting landlords to waive off rentals for studios where they have their sets standing. Broadcasters normally fund the productions, but with no fresh programming available for nearly a month now, they have been losing ad revenues. To top it all, there are the thousands of unionised crew who have seen their earnings vanish and if this continues for long, it could end up being even more problematic.

    A lawyer working closely with the production sector said that unless this is resolved, litigation could be the order of the day.

    Hence, producers, broadcasters, unions and the Maharashtra government are currently working on drawing up new measures that will have to be followed without any exception.

    Please keep visiting indiantelevision.com to get further updates.

    (Updated at 10:30 am on 14 April 2020)

  • Thomas Cook India eyes strong growth in Maharashtra

    Thomas Cook India eyes strong growth in Maharashtra

    MUMBAI: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., India’s leading integrated travel and travel related financial services company, has identified Aurangabad as one of the high growth markets for its holiday business. In an initiative to leverage this opportunity, Thomas Cook India has strengthened its presence with the opening of a new Gold Circle Partner (GCP) franchise outlet at Hotel Amarpreet Square, Jalna Road. The outlet was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Mr. Dinesh Rathi, Managing Director, Rajuri Steels – Jalna in the presence of Mr. Ashish Gupta, Regional Manager – Leisure Travel – Maharashtra & Goa, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. and Mr. Shreyas Khapre, General Manager – Leisure Travel, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd.

    Thomas Cook India’s distribution and reach in Maharashtra extends to 42 consumer access centres: 21 owned branches and 21 Gold Circle Partner (franchise) outlets.

    The new Gold Circle Partner outlet at Jalna Road in Aurangabad offers consumers end-to-end travel solutions with a bouquet of travel and travel related financial services, including: International & Domestic Holidays (Group Tours, Personalised holidays, Cruises, etc.), Value Added Services like Travel Insurance; Visa Services, etc.

    Mr. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head Leisure Travel & M.I.C.E, Thomas Cook (India) Limited said, “Maharashtra contributes a significant 20% to our overall Thomas Cook India holiday business. One of the key markets driving this growth is the city of Aurangabad showcasing over 25% YoY growth in demand. The new GCP outlet at Hotel Amarpreet Square, Jalna Road, is situated at a prime locality with an attractive catchment of segments- across families, business professionals and students.”

  • News18 India announces special programming for Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections

    News18 India announces special programming for Maharashtra and Haryana assembly elections

    MUMBAI: After BJP’s historic win in the recently held General Elections, states of Maharashtra and Haryana will witness the battle for political supremacy. As the political parties gear-up once again for a fierce contest, News18 India has lined-up extensive programming to bring to its viewers unparalleled access and insights into these assembly elections.

    Continuing the commitment of bringing compelling yet incisive reportage through a wide array of diverse formats, News18 India will present the election programming under the umbrella branding ‘Sabse Bada Dangal’. Comprising of comprehensive election special bulletins, audience based debate shows, poll of polls and interviews of the biggest newsmakers along with special editions of popular shows such as Bhaiyaji Kahin and Lapete Mein Netaji, the channel will showcase not only a detailed analysis but also an overall view of the political scenario in these states.

    Through Bhaiyaji Kahin, renowned journalist Prateek Trivedi, will travel to key constituencies in the election-bound states providing a unique platform to connect voters and local leaders, while Lapete Mein Netaji will go outside the studio to bring politicians, poets and voters together on one platform to add a sharp sense of satire and humor to the political discourse. The exhaustive programming will also cover polling and counting days extensively bringing the latest trends and fastest & most accurate updates to the viewers.

    Supported by a team of experienced anchors, on-ground reporters and eminent experts, News18 India will offer viewers unmatched coverage of the assembly elections. The channel will follow and present key developments, campaigns of major parties and politicians, trends, results and government formation to keep viewers abreast of minute-to-minute developments.

  • Sony Pictures Networks India inaugurates the 24th Community Water Centre in Maharashtra

    Sony Pictures Networks India inaugurates the 24th Community Water Centre in Maharashtra

    MUMBAI: Taking a step further towards building a better society, Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) inaugurated its 24thCommunity WaterCentre at Koliwali village in Bhiwandi Taluka. This initiative is in partnership with Naandi Foundation, under the environment pillar of SPN’s CSR programme. 

    The Community Water Centre at Koliwali village,will provide access to clean drinking water to at least 3000 individuals in the village that houses750 families. To support the cause and to educate the habitants of Koliwali village, prominent actors from the network’s Marathi channel – Sony Marathi, Harshad Atkari and Mayuri Wagh along with Sony Pictures Networks’ Head CSR, Rajkumar Bidawatka, local authorities from the Gram Panchayat and senior members from Naandi Foundation were present at the inauguration.  

    SPN has always aimed at empowering communities and working towards building a better society. With this milestone, SPN in partnership with Naandi Foundation has been able to provide access to clean drinking water to 1.5 lakh individuals in Kolhapur, Sangli and Thane districts of Maharashtra. This initiative is one of the many steps taken by the network to support the creation of a sustainable environment.  SPN is committed to co-creating India’s social development agenda through its focus on various areas of social impact.  
     

  • Shemaroo Entertainment Strengthens its Live Darshan Offerings

    Shemaroo Entertainment Strengthens its Live Darshan Offerings

    National, 27th April, 2018: Religious diversity has been a defining characteristic of Indians for centuries. It plays a central role in people’s daily life through its temple ceremonies, festivals, pilgrimages and family religious traditions. Shemaroo Entertainment, one of India’s leading content powerhouse has a strong focus on its devotional offering and provides live streaming of over ten of the most revered religious temples across India, every single day.

    Shemaroo recently acquired the live streaming rights for Shani Shignapur in Maharashtra and Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan.  It will give the Indian devotees an opportunity to enjoy live darshan of these holy places from the comfort of their homes and even on the go.

    Shani Shingnapur, a prehistoric temple in West India situated at 84 kms from Aurangabad, Maharashtra is devoted to Lord Shani. On the other hand Ajmer Sharif Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is one of Rajasthan’s most popular landmarks. Lakhs of devotees of all religions from across the world visit it every year. 

    The live feed of these two temples will be telecast on all digital platforms including mobile, internet, satellite and DTH channels.

    Kranti Gada, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd shared, “In this fast paced life where we constantly lack the time, energy and the ability to frequently visit popular places of worship, we  see a growing demand for direct live feeds from temples. We understand the challenges of modern life and technology helps us overcome these. Keeping the spirit and understanding the needs of the consumer, we are powering content to provide virtual experience of deities to the devotees. We are quite delighted, that the management of Shani Shignapur and Ajmer Sharif have supported us in reaching out to their devotees”.

    Shemaroo Entertainment provides live feeds from various holy locations across the length and breadth of the country including, Karni Mata temple in Bikaner, Iskcon and Babulnath Temple in Mumbai amongst many others.

  • Electronic Manufacturing Cluster in Au’bad gets govt nod

    NEW DELHI: The the first Brownfield Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) in Aurangabad under the Electronic Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) scheme has received final approval from the Electronics and Information Technology Ministry.

    India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), the premier trade body representing the Indian Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) industry, is assisting the state in this project. Reinstating their commitment to the Maharashtra region, IESA also announced their foray into Pune by officially announcing their Pune Chapter launch.

    The EMC will not only benefit the local companies by providing them common facilities and R&D support services, but, will also provide a huge boost to the electronics manufacturing in the region. The state government is committed towards the development of the ESDM sector in the state and contribution towards realization of ‘Make in India’ agenda,” Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation CEO Sanjay Sethi said.

    The Brownfield EMC cluster, located at Shendra Five star Industrial Area, Aurangabad district is expected to have a common facility centre which will include an Electronics Manufacturing Centre, Electronics Design & Test Lab, Modular Cabinet Manufacturing Centre and Skill Development/Training Centre.

    The centre will be spread across a total area of 50,647 sq. ft. and the aggregate cost of the project is estimated at Rs 483.4 million. This particular project is divided into two phases and the Phase 1 has got the final approval to go ahead and is estimated to be completed within the next 12 months. Investment for the Phase 1 is projected at Rs 285.7 million, which includes investment in plant & machinery and park infrastructure. IESA had engaged with Deogiri Electronic Cluster Pvt. Ltd for the preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the EMC.

    “We aspire to build the city of Aurangabad as the future hub for ESDM in the country. It is a pleasure to be associated with MIDC and IESA in building the common facility centre. We believe that Aurangabad has the potential and will be a key contributor in transforming India into an ESDM hub,” said Suresh Todkar, Director of Deogiri Electronic Cluster Pvt. Ltd. (DECPL).

    IESA Chairman K Krishna Moorthy said, “Our vision is to help digitally transform India and make it the design and manufacturing hub at a global level by strengthening the ESDM ecosystem. We believe that by connecting early with all technology hubs of the nation would give us the ability to make our vision a reality.

    This EMC, now to be set up in a city that was part of the 1st wave of industrial revolution in India many decades ago and thereby having a strong R&D culture in its DNA, will naturally nurture product design and manufacturing in the ESDM industry, I believe. Establishment of the EMC and incubation facility is a visionary step and we appreciate the government of Maharashtra, MIDC and DECPL for their commitment and intense efforts to build a robust electronics development ecosystem in the state.”