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Tag: Mahesh Bhatt

  • India hosts first edition of ‘Japan Film Festival India’

    India hosts first edition of ‘Japan Film Festival India’

    MUMBAI: Contributing to build up an ever-lasting relationship between India and Japan through art and culture, K HOUSE Inc, the restaurant giant of Japan with a growing market presence in India, announces the inaugural edition of ‘Japan Film Festival India (JFFI) 2014’ in Mumbai. The Festival will be hosted from 12th to 14th December 2014 at Inorbit Mall Malad, Mumbai featuring 10 masterpiece Japanese films along with a variety of Japanese cultural activities and programs.  This whole endeavour by K house, Japan and supported by the Government of Japan (J-LOP) is to further enhance the cultural bonds between the two great nations of Asia.

     

    At the Festival, the audience will not only have the opportunity to enjoy award-winning Japanese classics, but also will be able to experience unseen attractive Japanese art & cultural activities including Taiko (Japanese drum perform), Karate (Japanese traditional martial arts), Origami and Sado (Japanese Tea Lessons for traditional side). To make the festival an unforgettable experience, introductions of Japanese enterprises, brands and other production will be available along with stage content, experience-based activities, booths exhibition and a lottery chance provided by K House.

     

    Talking about the importance of the event, Takeshi Kogahara, Chairman K House INC said, “India and Japan share close resemblance in terms of rich culture, food, clothing, art or social practices. Cinema depicts all dimensions of a nation’s culture and to enhance the bonding between these two prolific nations, we have conceptualised the Japan Film Festival India. The festival is an effort to share Japanese art and culture with Asia’s most youthful nation, India and reach out to the masses, inviting them all for exploring business opportunities and tourism. Through our endeavour of JFFI would like to open up opportunities for greater film exchange and co-production opportunities between India and Japan.”

     

    “JFFI as an annual event will be the platform for exposing the best of Japanese films in India.  We will keep on providing Japanese culture and brand experience to the people of India in the future as well. We are also contemplating to host an exclusive Indian Film Festival of similar format in Japan in the near future,” he added.

     

    Mahesh Bhatt said, “Cinema is the glue that binds diverse cultures together. The Japanese Film Festival will open up a new chapter in the Indo/Japanese story.”

     

    Palash Banerjee, MD, K House India said, “I am that Indian who has spent 20 years of his youth in Japan. I have inculcated the Japanese culture in me and yet could never give up my Indian roots. In these long years that I spent in Japan I realised how close our cultures are… How similar our family bonds, social functions and ways of expressing emotions are. So it was never too difficult to adopt the Japanese culture. Yet I saw very little mingling between the Nationals of these two Asian nations. Honestly speaking what I missed the most in Japan was our Indian Films. Since then it was my dream to see the exchange of films between the two nations. Rajnikant films spelt great success in Japan and he has a cult following there. In more recent times films like English Hinglish, three Idiots and others have done extremely well. This was the time when we thought it was time we should have an exclusive Japanese film festival in India so that the Indian audience are exposed to these great films created in Japan and more importantly the Japanese culture.”

     

    The festival conceptualized by K HOUSE Inc creates a platform for the film fraternities of both the nations for mutual business benefits, promoting Japan as a great destination for shooting Indian films and establishing greater cultural bonds between both the nations.

  • Alia Bhatt becomes ‘Genius of the Year’

    Alia Bhatt becomes ‘Genius of the Year’

    MUMBAI: She tried altering India’s political landscape through ignorant replies during her appearance on the chat show Koffee with Karan. Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt then went on to become the reigning queen of santa-banta jokes on social media.

    But that hasn’t deterred the 21 year old who used her half witted comments into an opportunity to get back at everyone who laughed at her. In a new video put up by comedy group All India Backchod, the actress has truly become the ‘Genius of the Year.’

    The hilarious video begins with a short message- In 2014 a documentary crew followed ‘Alia Bhatt in the aftermath of her Koffee with Karan debacle.’ She is then seen visiting Dumb Belle Mental Gym which offers her to transform her from ‘Dolce and Gabbana to Smart like Shabana (Azmi)’

    Here, she is recommended a healthy diet consisting of newspapers and novels and is made to do away from junk food like Bollywood gossip. Her BMI (Brain Mein IQ) which was nearly nonexistent receives a boost of knowledge through music. Bhatt then finds herself again on the gossip show Koffee with Karan and stuns the cold soul host Johar with her sharp replies.

    The documentary also features other Bollywood actors like Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, her father and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and mentor Karan Johar. Her two famous songs;

    ‘Saturday Saturday’ from Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania has been changed to ‘Faraday Faraday’, while ‘Radha On The Dance Floor’ has been made into ‘Sodium On The Dance Floor’.

    Available online, it’s indeed a treat for both her fans and critics and is directed by Shakun Batra.

    Click here to watch the video

     

  • Colors to awaken rural masses with ‘Udann’

    Colors to awaken rural masses with ‘Udann’

    NEW DELHI: The channel, which launched with path breaking shows like Balika Vadhu and Uttaran, is once again treading into the social issues gripping our nation.

     

    The new series, Udann, inspired by renowned filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, will commence on Colors from 18 August.

     

    Bhatt was originally intending to make it into a film, which he had thought of 25 years ago, since the film industry then only wanted entertaining fare in the liberalised economy of the early nineties.

     

    He believes that while the Indian woman can call herself emancipated in many ways, she still cannot walk shoulder to shoulder with men. And bonded labor and exploitation of women continue to remain a curse, which is a matter of shame for India.

     

    The new series is produced by Gurudev Bhalla, once an assistant of Bhatt and Dhaval Jayantilal Gada while Robin Bhatt and Javed Siddiqui have scripted the show.

     

    Bhalla says he had sought Bhatt’s permission to make the series after he was approached by Colors to collaborate on TV, with suitable changes that will suit the medium.

     

    Moreover, Gada and Bhalla express that a lot of research has gone into ensuring that the story is told in the right spirit. They also worked closely with NGOs fighting against bonded labor to ensure realistic representation.

     

    Colors CEO Raj Nayak says that the channel was not put off by the fact that the series was launching at the same time as Amitabh Bachchan’s Kaun Banega Crorepati season eight on Sony and Nisha Aur Uske Cousins on Star Plus. The time slot (8.30 pm) had been picked as Madhubala has ended and the other series are running well in their respective slots.

     

    In fact the launch of the series had been planned much earlier to be around Independence Day since that was the theme of the series – freedom – but it could only be launched on a Monday.

     

    According to Colors weekday programming head Prashant Bhatt social issues like bonded labor is widely prevalent even in 21st century urbanised India and needs to be brought to fore and fought against. Udann narrates a tale about the life of Chakor who has a strong survival instinct which keeps her sailing through the toughest situations. Her rebellious yet endearing nature proves that simplicity and innocence together will make for an attractive viewing proposition for audiences. In Chakor’s story that represents the unrealised hopes of countless Indians, suppressed by this barbaric practice of bonded-labor, viewers are sure to find an inspiring story of hope and resilience.”

     

    Furthermore, Nayak says Colors accepted the idea of the serial as its ‘DNA is social themes’.  Sources peg per episode production cost at around Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh.

     

    Since the issue of bonded labour is linked to rural areas, the channel will promote and even hold press meets in Taluka headquarters, apart from using all media like radio, hoardings, TV and social media to promote the series.

     

    The series stars young Spandan Chaturvedi in the main role of the child Chakor, Sai Ballal, and Sai Deodhar-Arvind.

  • How Cinema influences Culture & Marketing: Mahesh Bhatt and Stuart Sender

    How Cinema influences Culture & Marketing: Mahesh Bhatt and Stuart Sender

    MUMBAI: The International Convention Hall at the iconic Bombay Stock Exchange towers played host to the second edition of the IAA Young Turks Forum on Tuesday, August 6. Well-known film-makers Mahesh Bhatt and Stuart Sender participated in a discussion that was moderated by Hungama Digital Media MD and CEO Neeraj Roy. The topic of the discussion was ‘How Cinema influences Culture and Marketing’.

     

    “The question is how we can put some star power and thinking in terms of how we market media, culture and ideas – to work for some other issues and causes that will make people think and make an impact in meaningful ways,” said Stuart Sender.

     

    Director and Producer Mahesh Bhatt in turn was matter-of-fact. He said, “Having believed that movies do not influence human nature and bring any change, I discovered that some movies that came from my heart did have a significant impact on the lives of people; therefore, it had an impact on culture.”

     

    The evening ended with well-known singer and musician Joi Barua regaling the audience with his foot-tapping songs.

     

    Welcoming the gathering and speakers, Srinivasan K. Swamy, President, IAA India Chapter & Vice President, Development, Asia/Pacific region of IAA, said, “Young Turks Forum initiative attempts to bring global captains face-to-face with the youth so that they can get first-hand knowledge on issues that concern us all.”

     

    “Given our strong connect with the youth, HBO is delighted to be associated with the Young Turks Forum, an excellent thought exchange platform for future leaders,” said Monica Tata, Managing Director HBO South Asia, Presenting Partner of the IAA Young Turks Forum.

     

    “The response to this edition of the IAA Young Turks Forum was phenomenal with an audience of over 800 people. We promise to come back with an equally enriching Young Turks Forum event in two months,” added Manish Advani, Head, Marketing and Public Relations, Mahindra Special Services Group, and Chair of the IAA Young Turks Forum series.

  • CNBC TV18 to exclusively air CEO’s Got Talent

    CNBC TV18 to exclusively air CEO’s Got Talent

    MUMBAI: The month of March has seen a unique property, CEO’s Got Talent emerge under the internationally acclaimed Got Talent franchise, bringing together mavericks of the corporate and entertainment industry on a common platform at a plush hotel in suburban Mumbai. Organized by FremantleMedia India, for the benefit of Genesis Foundation, the gala event witnessed twelve CEOs as they come in the spotlight while showcasing their creative and varied talents. Viewers will be able to get an exclusive glimpse into the fun-fun-filled evening on CNBC TV18 on Saturday, 29th March 2014 at 4:30 PM and Sunday, 30th March 2014 at 5:30 PM.

     

    CEO’s Got Talent was a unique property created by FremantleMedia India. The on-ground event comprised of several acts ranging from classical singing, jive dance moves to playing musical instruments and stand-up comedy. The event was filled with energy and vigor as the top management of India Inc. came together in support of Genesis Foundation. These acts were judged by a distinguished panel of jury members including renowned actor Raveena Tandon, celebrated director-producer Mahesh Bhatt and Raj Nayak, CEO – COLORS.

     

    Upon being declared the winner of CEO’s Got Talent, Atul Khatri, CEO of Kaytek Computer Services Pvt. Ltd. said, “Owing to our hectic routines, we often find it difficult to pursue our passions. CEO’s Got Talent has given us the experience that has been truly enriching and a welcome break from our busy schedules. This feels extremely special because we have come out of the board rooms to showcase our talent and give back to the society by supporting Genesis Foundation.”

     

    Talking about the event, Anupama Mandloi, Managing Director – FremantleMedia India said, “We were very excited to launch such a unique initiative adapted from our global ‘Got Talent’ Franchise.  We  wish to reach out to the core business leaders of the country with CNBC TV18 as our broadcast partner. This formed a great platform for senior management of the country to showcase their talent outside the corporate board rooms!”

     

    Mr. Krishnadeep Baruah, Senior Marketing Director – BBM (APAC) said, “Setting up BBM Channels through this initiative, we provided leaders of corporate India an opportunity to promote their talent. As part of this format, the CEOs set up their own BBM Channels and therefore had a number of fans following them through their channels page. The number of subscribers on their BBM channel contributed to their overall score. This tool has acted as a rich community-building tool.”

     

    CEO’s Got Talent showcased India Inc.’s leaders in a manner never seen before, even by their peers. Proceeds from the auctioned painting by well-known artist Subra went to Genesis Foundation.

     

    Genesis Foundation provides financial support for life-saving and life-changing medical intervention for critically ill under-privileged children in areas of cancer, cardiac disorder, organ failure, thalassemia and extreme deformities.

     

    Watch out for all this and much more exclusively on CNBC TV18 on Saturday, 29th March 2014 at 4:30 pm and Sunday, 30th March 2014 at 5:00 pm.

  • Mahesh Bhatt presented the staged version of ‘Arth’

    Mahesh Bhatt presented the staged version of ‘Arth’

    MUMBAI: Known for choosing intriguing topics as the subjects of his films, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt created a furore in the 80s when he made Arth – a coming of age movie that was considered “too bold” for that time.

     

    Now, the filmmaker who has had successful runs with his past theatrical productions like The Last Salute and Trial of Errors with Sandiip Kapur (promodome films) adapted the film for the stage.

     

    Arth – The Play was staged at Sriram Center, Mandi House in the capital over the weekend which was attended by the director himself. Bhatt was seen interacting with and encouraging the artists.

     

    The play was directed by Priyanka Pathak, a graduate in ‘Theater Design and Direction’ from National School of Drama (NSD), who has worked with eminent theater personalities from India and abroad.

     

    On the occasion Mahesh Bhatt said, “We all borrow from life but not everybody achieves results quite as cauterizing.”

     

    Delhi-based actor Imran Zahid, who earlier essayed the role of Muntadar Al Zaidi in The Last Salute and of journalist Rehan in Trial of Errors played the lead role. Starring alongside him was Padmashree C.R., an NSD pass out who is currently working at Kingdom of Dreams as an actress in its production Zangoora and Moon Moon Singh, who graduated from the National NSD in 2011 with a specialization in acting.

  • FremantleMedia reveals Jury Members for CEO’s Got Talent

    FremantleMedia reveals Jury Members for CEO’s Got Talent

    MUMBAI: Following the announcement of the new initiative, CEO’s Got Talent, FremantleMedia today announced its distinguished three-member jury for the evening. Bringing together the mavericks of the corporate and entertainment world on a common platform, Raj Nayak, CEO, COLORS; celebrated director-producer Mahesh Bhatt and renowned actor Raveena Tandon are all set to be part of the jury panel.  Hosted by Mini Mathur, CEO’s Got Talent is a unique initiative, featuring 12 CEOs of India Inc.showcasing a fun and lighter side to themselves. The event is set to take place at Grand Hyatt Mumbai on Friday, March 7, 2014 and will be telecast on CNBC TV18.

    Illustrious Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon, jury member said, “I have recently started my own venture and, so, I can confirm first-hand that it is very difficult to find a balance between work and play. I feel humbled to be given the opportunity to be a part of this unique initiative which allows you to witness never-seen-before talent of corporates on stage. The fact that proceeds raised through this initiative will be donated towards the welfare of under-privileged children and make a difference in their lives also prompted my decision to judge this event.”

    Speaking about his decision to be part of the jury, acclaimed filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said, “Over the years, discovering impressive talent and bringing them to the limelight has been my passion. Through my association with CEO’s Got Talent, I am looking forward to extend my expertise to Corporate India. The initiative is a novel concept with the head-honchos from the corporate world revealing their hidden side. I am happy to be a part of this initiative and am looking forward to an enjoyable and entertaining evening witnessing the fantastic talent of today’s leaders.”

    Raj Nayak, CEO, COLORS said, “CEO’s Got Talent is an incredible initiative being undertaken by FremantleMedia to encourage CEOs from across the country to step away from the hustle and bustle of their daily routine and showcase their talent. I am elated to be associated with the property as a jury member and look forward to witnessing the creative side of today’s young and upcoming leaders who have taken the corporate world by storm.”

     

    Produced by FremantleMedia and presented by Blackberry Messenger, CEO’s Got Talent will showcase India Inc.’s leaders in a manner never seen before, even by their peers. Proceeds from CEO’s Got Talent will go to Genesis Foundation, who provide financial support for life-saving and life-changing medical intervention for critically ill under-privileged children in areas of cancer, cardiac disorder, organ failure, thalassemia and extreme deformitie.

  • Is B’wood moving towards equality?

    Is B’wood moving towards equality?

    MUMBAI: It has been spoken about many times, but this year seems to attest that Bollywood is actually shunning gender-biases and is moving towards equality. That is what is evident from the movies releasing this year. Many movies of the year are giving prominence to its female actors.

     

    While Parineeti Chopra’s character in Hasee Toh Phasee is a well-etched out role with eccentricities that makes it stand out among all the other characters in the film (even the hero Siddharth Malhotra), in this week’s release – Highway – Alia’s character has been written with similar fervor as well. In fact, Alia’s father and one of the most lauded filmmakers of the country – Mahesh Bhatt – thinks that Alia has ‘lived’ the role of her lifetime.

     

    “Thank you Imtiaz Ali for making Alia ‘live’ the role of her life time. The women of our country will empathise with this heartfelt tale,” wrote Bhatt on Facebook.

     

    In the months to come, Bollywood is going to spring up many such surprises where women will get a chance to not just live their lives but raise the bar too. Many movies with strong women characters and centered around women are going to make a mark at the big screen.

     

    There’s Queen starring Kangana Ranaut that tells the story of a girl whose wedding is called off when her fiancé passes away and she, instead of crying over her situation, decides to move on. The focus of the film is on the character growing up as an individual.

     

    Another one in the pipeline is Gulaab Gang starring Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla among host of other female actors. Again a woman-centric film based around the activist group Gulaabi Gang, shows how women have started getting prominence in the film industry with diverse being written for them.

     

    One of the other movies being looked forward to is Bobby Jasoos starring Vidya Balan in which she portrays the character of a sleuth. The film is not just being anticipated as Indian cinema’s answer to detective films but probably is also one of the first in India to be bringing in a female actor to play a sleuth.

     

    Mary Kom’s biopic with Priyanka Chopra portraying the sportstar in the film is another addition to the list. While biopics are any way not too regular in India, one on a female sportstar is something very rare. And thus this is one movie that every movie buff is waiting for, especially after Irrfan and Farhan Akhtar have raised the bar of getting in to the skin of the real life people they portrayed in Paan Singh Tomar and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Priyanka is surely being watched out for in this upcoming movie.

     

    Doesn’t it seem to be a great year for women in the film industry?

  • Star ropes in stars to raise funds for Uttarakhand rehabilitation

    Star ropes in stars to raise funds for Uttarakhand rehabilitation

    MUMBAI: When Star India CEO Uday Shankar watched hundreds of innocent tourists and locals being swept away and buildings being flattened by the rising waters of the Mandakani river in June this year, he was at first horrified by the magnitude of the tragedy and then moved to action. He vowed to himself, that he would put in his best to help in the rebuilding efforts in the affected areas. He made a call to the two Bhatts of Bollywood- Mahesh and Mukesh and sought their support in putting together a fund-raising initiative which would involve the film and television fraternity.

    He also connected with Wizcraft’s Sabbas Joseph, asking him to pitch in this with his mite. And he deputed Star India senior VP marketing Yogesh Manwani to go down to Uttarakhand to study and assess the situation and gauge the funds required to rehabilitate the afflicted areas with major NGOs working there.

    Come 15 August 2013, and Uday’s initiative will see the light of day at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI)’s spanking new stadium in Central Mumbai. On stage will be the biggest names from Bollywood, the Bachchan family – it’s quite likely that the Bachchan bahu Aishwarya will get on stage after a long hiatus, Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit, AR Rahman, Lata Mangeshkar, Ayushmann Khurana, Akshay Kumar, Pritam, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Ajay Devgn, Kajol and Prasoon Joshi, among many others.

    The event titled Saath Hain Hum Uttarakhand will be telecast live on a clutch of channels of the Star India network – Star Plus, Life OK, Star Pravah, Channel V, Star Utsav, Star Plus HD and Life OK HD.

    So what’s so great about doing another multi-starrer event with film and TV performers? Have we not seen many of them and felt like going ho-hum? The difference this time is that this one has very noble intentions. Every paisa that Star India earns courtesy ad revenues and sponsorship during the telecast will be donated to NGOs working in the Uttarakhand. The telecast is slated to run for seven hours from 12 noon to 7pm. Estimates are that Star is likely to give away Rs 20-30 crore which it will rake in courtesy the telecast.

    The biggest names from Bollywood have been roped in for the event titled Saath Hain Hum Uttarakhand

    Amitabh will lend his mesmerising voice to recite couplets from Prasoon’s magical poetry that’ll be set to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music. The enthralling musical act will weave Prasoon’s event anthem – Mera Desh- into an enchanting song performance by acclaimed classical singer Shankar Mahadevan and a spellbinding poetic rendition by Amitabh. At the time of writing, several other stars like Rani Mukerji and Karan Johar were also approached.

    Says Star India CEO Uday Shankar, “Mera Desh is an invocation by India’s most revered artists with a simple and clear message to fellow citizens — to look at tragedy squarely in the eye and overcome it by joining hands. Star India is humbled to receive support from Hindi cinema’s biggest icons.”

    “The noble initiative is an opportunity for the entire Hindi film industry to stand by the very people who have showered us with unconditional love and have made us who we are,” says Bachchan. “We have come together to ease the pain of fellow men who suffered the agonising pain that this unprecedented calamity brought with itself.”

    All the anchors and stars will be urging audiences at home to open their wallets and donate funds for Uttarakhand

    This apart, anchors will be rotated every hour. Among some of the names from the TV industry which are being talked about include: Deepika Singh (Sandhya), Anas Rashid (Sooraj), Karan Mehra (Naitik), Mahadev fame Mohit Raina and Pooja Bose. “The show will be loaded with entertainment,” says a source close to the production. Wizcraft has had the experience of raising funds through greenathons and long-format events. But they have left the fund-raising to Star which is setting up payment gateways online. All the anchors and stars will be urging audiences at home to open their wallets and donate funds for Uttarakhand.”

    The main choreographer for the event is Sanjay Shetty who has become the darling of most live event organisers in recent times. The creative inputs will come courtesy Star India senior vice president programming Anil Jha. Wizcraft TV head Namit Sharma is the creative head and Asim Sen has been roped in as the TV director, Anurag Dingra will be the director of photography, while sets are being done by designer Varshai Desai. Wizcraft sound firm Performance Audio has been signed on for the sound while Atul Sonpal is responsible for the lights design with the help of lights from SFX and Ulhas will look after lights. Tech gear, cameras are being supplied by Real Impact.

    Technical and production crew disclosed that they were either working free of cost or at concessional rates for the event. “We are doing it for a cause,” says one of them. “Star has been reaching out to all who have been working with it on shows in the past to come in at really discounted rates.”

    Star India has emerged as one of the front runners on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) front amongst media firms ever since Shankar took over as CEO four years ago. This initiative should take the network even further still.

  • 20th Century Fox pleased with Mahesh Bhatt working; pledges to work together for two more projects

    20th Century Fox pleased with Mahesh Bhatt working; pledges to work together for two more projects

    MUMBAI: During his recent visit to India, Chairman and CEO- 20th Century Fox James N Gianopulos visited Mahesh Bhatt to observe his production house‘s operations.

    So taken aback was James that both resolved to work on more films together after the recent Raaz 3. Comments Mahesh Bhatt, "It (20th Century Fox) is the biggest body in international cinema. We had a three-film deal with the production house. We are sure to work on one more project with him in the future."

    Speaking about this deal, Mahesh Bhatt said that his company had a three-film deal with them.

    Bhatt has also gone ahead and announced that once the third installment of Murder is released next year, he would work with Fox for two big projects which are to be announced next year. "These are not international projects. It will be made in Hindi but serve the global audience," he adds.

    Adds Fox Star Studios CEO Vijay Singh, "The association with the Bhatts goes a long way. We have done some stellar work together. James and our president Sanford Panitch want to cement our long standing equation."