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Tag: Mahesh Bhatt

  • Fox Star Studios records 5 back-to-back hits

    Fox Star Studios records 5 back-to-back hits

    Mumbai: With the grand success of their joint venture with Vishesh Films in Raaz 3, Fox Star Studios has set a record of sorts having given five back-to-back successes in Raaz 3, Bol Bachchan, Jannat 2,Titanic 3D and Ice Age 4 in the period of the last five months, a feat that no other film studio has achieved this year.

    With Bol Bachchan, Fox Star announced its grand entry into the 100 cr club while Raaz 3 went on to become the biggest horror film to date.

    In the Hollywood space, Ice age 4 achieved the No. 1 opening for any animation film in India while Titanic in 3D was the 2nd biggest grosser for a re-released film in India.

    Fox Star Studios‘ CEO Vijay Singh said, “We are scaling up to (making) eight to nine Bollywood films per year. Our focus is on ‘adding value‘ through innovation and marketing, and to differentiate ourselves by leveraging the assets of Fox and Star – the rich vault of scripts, access to great international technical talent, as we did for Raaz 3, the marketing muscle of the broadcasting network of Star TV and the worldwide distribution clout of Fox. The objective is to build relationships in the true spirit of partnership – and, by definition, we will be choosy about whom we work with.”

    Mahesh Bhatt said, “The saying that all is better than one, works best with Fox. They know what it takes to achieve targets and make things happen. Trust is the life of a good partnership and I trust the entire team of Fox Star. They add value to the process, are transparent and flexible, which is a rare quality to find in our industry.”

    No wonder, this amalgamation has brought the two together for their next thriller Murder 3 which also marks the directorial debut of producer Mukesh Bhatt‘s son Vishesh Bhatt, after whom the banner has been named.

  • Release of Jism 2 to release on 27 July

    Release of Jism 2 to release on 27 July

    MUMBAI: Mahesh Bhatt‘s Sunny Leone-starrer Jism 2 is set to be preponed. The film that was to release on 3 August. It will now release on 27 July.

    The Bhatts decided to prepone the film‘s release date to avoid a clash with Ekta Kapoor‘s Kya Super Kool Hai Hum that stars Tusshar Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh.

    It may be recalled that producer-director Mahesh Bhatt entered the house of Bigg Boss last year for a couple of hours to sign Leone and cast her as the lead actress in this sequel of Jism that had Bipasha Basu and John Abraham.

    The film, being directed by Pooja Bhatt, has Leone playing Izna, a quintessential seductress. Randeep Hooda plays Kabir, who can be described as the warrior and Arunoday Singh plays Ayaan, who can be described as the swashbuckler while Imran Zahid is playing the role of a narcotics sleuth hailing from Delhi.

    While Leone plays the female lead, the film will have two male protagonists. Currently Pooja Bhatt has signed Randeep Hooda and Arunoday Singh as lead actors. Imran Zahid is reportedly playing a role of a narcotics sleuth hailing from Delhi, in the film.

    In Jism 2 Sunny Leone plays Izna, can be said the quintessential seductress. Randeep Hooda plays Kabir, who can be described as the warrior, and Arunoday Singh plays Ayaan, who can be described as the swashbuckler. It‘s a love triangle.

    Besides directing “Jism 2”, actress-turned-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt is set to lend her voice to lead star Sunny Leone‘s character in the film.

  • Blood Money collects Rs 56.8 mn in opening weekend, says Viacom18

    Blood Money collects Rs 56.8 mn in opening weekend, says Viacom18

    MUMBAI: Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Vishesh Films’ Blood Money, has collected Rs 56.8 million in its first weekend, according to its co-producer and distributor Viacom18 Motion Pictures.

    The film garnered another Rs 10.1 million on Monday. Co-produced along with Vishesh Films, Blood Money has also garnered Rs 4.5 million overseas, Viacom18 said.

    Said Mahesh Bhatt, “Viacom 18 Motion Pictures understood the content well and marketed it equally interestingly and effectively , from the music launch at the yacht, to focused promotions of the movie in B -towns and smaller markets.”

  • Ambika Soni offers to lead film delegation to FM on service tax issue

    Ambika Soni offers to lead film delegation to FM on service tax issue

    NEW DELHI: Faced with the prospect of a nationwide full-day shut down of the film industry, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni today offered to lead a delegation of filmmakers to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee over the Government’s proposal to levy 10.3 per cent service tax.

    Speaking on the sidelines of an event here, Soni said: “I have offered that we can all go together to Finance Minister”. She also stated that she was not sure if the industry would go on a strike on 23 February.

    “The filmmakers have apprehension that service tax of about 10 per cent will be levied in the coming budget. They do not want this. I had spoken to Mahesh Bhatt yesterday,” she said.

    At the same time, she wanted the film industry to understand the compulsions of the Finance Minister who had been talking about funds needed for welfare measures of the government, including right to food, right to education and his position “was also tight.”

    However, film industry sources said the proposal for the tax had been taken some years earlier but it was not being levied until recently when the Finance Ministry said this tax was deductible from the exhibitors.

    There are approximately 10,000 theatres in India, including 750 in multiplexes. It is felt that if the Central government goes ahead with its proposal, the budget of films will shoot up.

  • Indian film industry to blackout on 23 February

    Indian film industry to blackout on 23 February

    MUMBAI: The Film Federation of India, the apex body of film industry in the country, has called for a strike on 23 February to protest against the government’s proposal to keep the industry under service tax purview.

    According to FFI president Vinod Lamba, the strike will help in conveying the plight of the film industry, which is already reeling under multiple tax regime.

    “There is no denying that the entire Indian film industry is in deep trouble because of various taxes it is subjected to, and the imposition of service tax will further increase its burden. This blackout aims to show the government how much producers are suffering,” FFI president Vinod Lamba has been quoted as saying.

    Prominent film personalities like Madhur Bhandarkar, Pritish Nandy, and Mahesh Bhatt among others have supported the blackout while sharing Lamba‘s sentiments.

    The FFI through its representatives and certain member of parliament‘s had already lodged a strong complaint with the finance minister last month.

    The federation had contended that the levy of service tax will sound the death knell for the Indian film industry. “We will be forced to shut down the entire Indian film industry,” the FFI had reportedly told the Finance Minister during the course of a presentation.

    Statistics have proved that only 7-8 per cent of all the Indian films are commercially successful, while the rest are barely able to recover their cost or at best make meagre profits.

  • Jannat slated for release on 4 May

    Jannat slated for release on 4 May

    MUMBAI: Vishesh Films and Fox Star Studios‘ crime thriller Jannat 2 is slated for release on 4 May.

    A sequel of the 2008 hit Jannat, the film is directed by Kunal Deshmukh, and produced by Mukesh Bhatt and Mahesh Bhatt under the Vishesh Films‘ banner.

    Jannat 2 is a story about a single man‘s immense desire to make it big in life by any means. Arjun Dixit, the character played by Emraan Hashmi in ‘Jannat‘, was a small time gambler turned into a big shot bookie; this time he highlights the issue of illegal arms in Delhi.

    The film stars Emraan Hashmi and introduces model turned actress Esha Gupta.

  • 5th edition of Cinemascapes concludes

    5th edition of Cinemascapes concludes

    MUMBAI: The 5th edition of Cinemascapes, India’s leading conference cum expo to promote locations from India and overseas, was held in Mumbai recently.


    Among the places that were shown as prospective locations were Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh from India besides France, Maldives, Dubai and Thailand.


    The film dignitaries who attended the event included Yash Chopra, Mahesh Bhatt, Ramesh Sippy, Mukesh Bhatt, Manish Ghoswami, Raj Tilak, and Sunil Agnihotri.


    The occasion also marked a special session on regional cinema that was orgainsed by the Western India Film Producers Association (WIFPA). The session was to take Bhojpuri films on a fast track.


    Among those who addressed the session were songstress Deepa Narayan, producer-director Rajkumar Pandey, actress Sharon Thomas,WIFPA president Sangram Shirke, Mahavir Jain, sr. vice president, WIFPA, Ravindra Arora, joint treasurer, WIFPA and Dineshwar Sinha, EC Member, WIFPA. They guided the members on making of Bhojpuri Cinema.


    More than 400 delegates attended the 5th edition of Cinemascapes.
     

  • T-Series asks Bhandarkar to direct Aashiqui remake

    T-Series asks Bhandarkar to direct Aashiqui remake

    MUMBAI: T-Series head honcho Bhushan Kumar has asked Madhur Bhandarkar to remake the 1990 made Rahul Roy-Anu Agarwal starrer Aashiqui that the production house had co-produced with Mahesh Bhatt.

    After having decided that they should remake Aashiqui, Kumar approached Bhandarkar to helm the film that has made the director go gaga over the idea.

    It is said that Bhandarkar has been asked to start on the project as soon as he completes Heroine with Kareena Kapoor.

    Averred Bhatt, “We’ve had talks with Bhushan to pick up the threads of our association that stopped in the 90s.”

  • The History channel puts the spotlight on Bollywood’s top notch directors in ‘Bollywood Bosses’

    MUMBAI: What makes Karan Johar the ultimate entertainer? Why is Ram Gopal Verma fascinated with anything that is larger than life? Why is Vidhu Vinod Chopra strident on doing things his way ? Find out all the answers on The History Channel’s entertaining new series, ‘Bollywood Bosses’ premiering February 19. The series will be aired every weeknight at 10 pm till February 24.

    ‘Bollywood Bosses’ takes a look at the careers of some of the biggest directors who have redefined the Hindi film industry. This February, join contemporary film makers such as Farhan Akhtar, Karan Johar, Yash Chopra, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ram Gopal Varma, Mahesh Bhatt, Subhash Ghai and Vidhu Vinod Chopra on the channel, as they look back at their lives and share the story of their journey – their struggle, box office lows, financial disasters to finally finding unparalleled success.

    “Bollywood Bosses is a great example of the kind of entertaining programming that The History Channel offers its viewers”, said Joy Bhattacharjya, Senior Vice President, Programming. ” The channel’s latest offering caters to viewers who are keen on delving into the scintillating and glamorous lives of some of India’s renowned directors. It profiles these ground breaking directors and reveals different aspects of their work that is seen by millions of people every year. The presentation of the programme brings these directors’ struggles and accomplishments to life making history entertaining and more relevant for the viewers, ” he added.

    The series provides an unprecedented access to not just the directors in profile, but virtually every top star & technician who counts in today’s Bollywood industry. Unique visual styles for each film and mimicking the technical signatures of the director in focus gives the series a glossy look.

    Tune in every weeknight at 10 pm to watch these interesting personalities in Bollywood Bosses only on The

  • Sahara One to launch new weekend chat show on 15 July

    Sahara One to launch new weekend chat show on 15 July

    MUMBAI: Sahara One Television will be launching a new chat show – Mrs Punjabi – on 15 July. The half hour show will be aired on Saturdays and Sundays at 7.30 pm, just before the 8 pm movie on the channel.

    In the first episode, the show, whose anchor’s name is being kept under wraps by the channel will have Shahrukh Khan, Mallika Sherawat and Mahesh Bhatt together on Indian television for the first time.

    The show feasts on hot gossips as Mrs Punjabi unveils the secrets and buried facts about her special guests, behind the scenes of latest Bollywood blockbusters, star party circuits and much more. Touted as a light hearted show that promises to unburden your woes, the show seems more on the likes of Kandy Floss on Sony, which is being hosted by Archana Pooran Singh.

    “Humor makes friends, wins enemies and this show will make viewers unwind and laugh at issues that would otherwise end up as stressful experiences,” said Sahara One Television COO Purnendu Bose.

    Mrs. Punjabi is a typical Page 3 wannabe aunty with huge assets and flashy make up and low-necklines and an even lower IQ.