ITV

Tag: Manoj Bajpayee

  • Shirish Kunder’s ‘Kriti’ to release exclusively on Muvizz.com

    MUMBAI: Kriti  a short film produced by Muvizz.com and presented by actor Manoj Bajpayee, will be launched exclusively on Muvizz.com a video on demand platform. The poster which was released recently is a prelude to the 18-minute psycho-thriller which is scheduled to release in the month of June. Shirish Kunder’s debut short film will showcase the three leading actors, Manoj Bajpayee, Radhika Apte and Neha Sharma in a very mysterious and spine-chilling manner as portrayed in the poster.

    Manoj Bajpayee who will be seen in a completely unusual role as compared to his previous short films, Taandav, and Jai Hind, commented, “Acting in short films gives me an opportunity to work with different film makers and the digital medium offers such creative satisfaction”.

    The film is an intriguing mix of drama and suspense which will keep the audience hooked throughout. It revolves around a writer (Manoj Bajpayee), who after an unexpected set of events finds himself in the middle of a psychological drama. Radhika Apte and Neha Sharma’s characters will further add to this mental whirlpool. Manu Rishi, who will be seen also in the film, will play a pivotal role as a police officer. 

    Piiyush Singh, Co-Founder, Muvizz.com says, “We are very excited to work with such immensely talented actors. Shirish has done a great job and we hope to create such amazing content with him again. ‘Kriti’ has been written in such a way that it will not only have a lasting impression but will also keep you thinking about the film long after it ends. We are sure the audience will enjoy the film and get to know about the work that a portal like Muvizz is trying to accomplish.”

    Muvizz.com is a platform which aims to assist innovative filmmakers and quality cinema to gain global exposure as it is doing with ‘Kriti’.

     

  • Hansal Mehta’s ‘Aligarh’ to screen at 59th BFI London Film Festival

    Hansal Mehta’s ‘Aligarh’ to screen at 59th BFI London Film Festival

    MUMBAI: Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh is fast becoming a toast of international film festivals. Close on the heels of the announcement of its World Premiere at the Busan International Film Festival comes the news of its selection at the 59th BFI London Film Festival, which is scheduled to take place from 7 to 18 October.

    The film will be screened as part of the Festival’s Debate strand: Riveting films that amplify scrutinise and surprise.

    Mehta brings a sensitive, humane story from small town India with Aligarh. Co-starring Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkummar Rao, the film draws from a real incident that took place in Uttar Pradesh.

     A professor was suspended by his University for being gay after he is caught on camera in a sting operation. A young journalist investigates his first breaking story. Set in the myriad dark lanes of a volatile and decadent society, the two strikes an unlikely friendship that will change them forever.

    The invite from Clare Stewart Director of 59th BFI London Film Festival states, “Our programme team found the film to be daring and strong, telling an incredibly important story that London audience will definitely respond to.”

    Mehta added, “I am touched and very grateful that BFI has positioned Aligarh in such a relevant discussion. I think the recognition that international film festivals are giving us validates our reasons for making this film.”

    Eros International Media managing director Sunil Lulla said, “At Eros, we take pride in producing films like Aligarh that tell a story with a difference. Hansal Mehta has made a relevant and beautiful film and its screenings at the BFI Film Festival & Busan prove that such films will always find an audience.”

  • ‘Tevar’….Bad attitude!

    ‘Tevar’….Bad attitude!

    MUMBAI: Boney Kapoor has a fancy for acquiring the rights of south Indian films, usually Telugu, and remking them in Hindi. The logic is that the film has proved itself with at least one part of India and, hence, entails less risk. What is more, this remaking business has worked for Boney in most cases. ‘Tevar’ is a remake of the 2003 Telugu hit, ‘Ukkadu’.

    Early in the film, Arjun Kapoor sings a song, ‘Main tou Superman..’, and then carries that attitude through the film. He does not fly or wear cape but fights like a mean machine. He keeps himself fit by playing kabbadi.

    With his three friends, Arjun, roams around his town, Agra. Unwittingly, he happens to cross paths with the ‘bahubali’ of neighbouring Mathura, Manoj Bajpayee. Manoj’s brother, Rajesh Sharma, is the state Home Minister while his cousin is the local MP, a convenient situation for him and his goons to run riot in the area; he rules over it like a tyrant.

    Manoj sees Sonakshi Sinha at a dance festival and falls heads over heels in love with her. He approaches her taking his own marriage proposal and, on being refused, he becomes more determined and approaches her TV journalist brother. Her brother insults Manoj and pays with his life.

    Producers: Sanjay Kapoor, Sunil Lulla.

    Director: Amit Ravindernath Sharma.

    Cast: Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Manoj Bajpayee, Subrat Dutta, Rajesh Sharma, Raj Babbar, Deepti Naval.

    The only way out now for Sonakshi is to run away from the town, proceed to Delhi and go ahead with her study trip to the US. But, Manoj spots her at the interstate bus depot and forces her to go with him. That is when Arjun watches the scene and thrashes Manoj only to realise later that he has taken ‘panga’ with a don. He can either leave the town or protect Sonakshi till she gets her visa and leaves the country in few days.

    What follows is hide and seek game between the Arjun-Sonakshi duo and Manoj’s goons. Manoj’s brother, Rajesh, is uncomfortable with his brother’s way of dealing with the issue open to public eyes. He decides to help. He calls the police chief, Raj Babbar, to deploy his entire police force to trace the girl. When Babbar realises that his own son has kidnapped the girl, the chase is now two fold, police as well as goons are after the couple. The director also takes the liberty to create rain during Holi season to add thrill to the chase.

    Things are now becoming monotonous but soon enough, it is time for Arjun to fight Manoj’s men to finally qualify to take on Manoj himself. Of course the hero wins but he has to remain clean so, finally, Manoj has to take a bullet from Subrat Dutta, the family’s goon-in-chief, who wants to inherit Manoj’s title of ‘bahubali’.

    Though the film may feel a bit lengthy at two hours and 39 minutes, director Amit Ravindernath Sharma has done a worthy job in his debut feature film. He has made sure make ‘Tevar’ more colourful than the Telugu original and has added finesse despite it having been shot in the bylanes of small cities. However, what goes against ‘Tevar’ is that it is made from a dated film of 2003 and many similar films have been made since. Also, the ‘bahubali’ business has been overused and not palatable anymore. There has been enough of one man felling 10 goons and ‘Tevar’ goes overboard with it making it repetitive and tedious.

    The film has good dialogue. The music is very good with ‘Superman….’, ‘Radha nachegi…’ and ‘Joganiya…’ providing a variety. Two songs have been filmed beautifully. Arjun is getting slotted in this tapori fighter image which provides little scope for histrionics. Sonakshi fails to charm. Manoj looks spent. Raj Babbar and Deepti Naval are okay. Dutta impresses.

    1. ‘Tevar’ has no prospects at multiplexes catering neither to kids or family. Single screen business will be just average at best.

  • Sony’s ‘Encounter’ with Manoj Bajpayee

    Sony’s ‘Encounter’ with Manoj Bajpayee

    MUMBAI: For Endemol India that has established itself as a leader in the reality TV space and has expanded into other strands of content, it has been a roller coaster ride.

    Although crime shows on TV are common with almost every channel, but the way Sony Entertainment Television (SET) has accepted this genre, nobody has, believe the experts of the industry.

    Crime always sells and it is this genre that has worked for the channel which is currently languishing among the bottom three GECs, according to the weekly TAM TV ratings.

    CID and Crime Patrol has been airing for years and it won’t be wrong to say that the shows belong to the crime space.  To get back its long lost position in the ratings chart, SET is set to launch Encounter on 11 April. Produced by Endemol India, the show will be hosted by Manoj Bajpayee.

    Encounter, as the name suggests, is an account of the dangerous encounters between cops and gangsters. It will bring alive the stories behind the famous encounters of the police and the underworld in India starting from the early nineties. Inspired by real-life incidents, the show aims at redefining the proverbial action series on television.

    The promos of the show that is to air 36 episodes have already hit the television screens and will be telecast every Friday to Sunday at 9 pm. It will replace the channel’s dance reality property Boogie Woogie that is shown on Saturday and Sunday while it will also take away a day’s telecast of Nandini (aired at 9 pm) and Jee Le Zara (aired at 9.30 pm) that airs on Fridays. Sources indicate that the latter will be shutting its shop very soon due to poor ratings.

    Gaurav Seth

    SET senior vice president, head-marketing Gaurav Seth believes that crime shows are the channel’s strength. “There are a lot of crime shows on television but we believe that such shows are our strength. People talk to us in big numbers, watch the crime genre and believe that we do it well. Whether its CID or Crime Patrol, these are the shows which have cult following over a period of time because people think that this is something Sony does best. We want to continue that trend.”

    Spelling out the reason of getting Bajpayee on board Seth avers, “He is going to play a very interesting role of narrating the stories from the inside. He has got most implacable credentials when it comes to this genre and has also played humorous characters that have actually stood out in Indian cinema.”

    SET has rolled out an aggressive marketing campaign for this show. There will be more than 20-25 channels telecasting the promos of Encounter. For the channel that has already bought 8,000 spots, television is going to play a lead medium for communication. The promotional TVC featuring Bajpayee will also be promoted on other mediums like radio, print, digital media, games and apps.

    Ajay Bhalwankar, who has recently joined SET as its chief creative director, believes that the show is going to be a blockbuster. He reveals: “It is going to be very different show and not on the lines of Crime Patrol as people are comparing it with. These are all different cop stories and are not wholly focused on the criminals. You will find a lot of difference from other crime properties which are airing on television today.”

    Ajay Bhalwankar

    A source closely connected with Endemol revealed that the planning for the show started three months ago. “When we started off, we wanted to do a real encounter series, real cases with real people. But it was just not possible. It also needed to have a fictional twist because getting the police on-board was a difficult task. So we decided to make it a fiction series because the channel believes in crime-related shows and that is its audience.”

    The same source further goes on to add: “We shot a small pilot with an actual encounter specialist A Khan and the channel liked the concept so much that they immediately picked it up. The pilot would be of one episode.”

    Moreover, compared to Sony’s other crime properties like CID and Crime Patrol, the production cost of Encounter is much higher per episode. As of now three episodes have been canned and are ready to go on-air.

    Media professionals feel that the channel should concentrate more on its line-up of fiction rather than giving viewers weekend dose of entertainment. “The show is going to compete with one of the best shows other channels have in that time slot. Since Sony already has strong crime properties that are doing well for them, there was no need to create another one. They should come up with innovative content for its daily soaps which are struggling to find its place in the ratings chart,” reasons a prominent media planner who did not wish to be named.

    Encounter is going to compete with Pavitra Rishta (Fri) and DID Lil Masters (Sat-Sun) on Zee TV, Beintehaa (Fri) and Khatron Ke Khiladi five (Sat-Sun) on Colors, Diya Aur Baati Hum on Star Plus (Fri-Sat) and Mad In India (Sun) and Chidiya Ghar on Sab.

    Seth is not worried about the competition. “We are extremely hyper and aggressive about everything that we are doing. Since it’s a very competitive slot, we have to believe in our content. And to ensure that people latch on to this content, we have a very interesting promotional campaign going on and we are very excited about it,” he signs off.

  • INS launches Spotlight and web show with Rannvijay

    INS launches Spotlight and web show with Rannvijay

    MUMBAI: Integrated Network Solutions (INS), a division of Viacom18 Pvt. Ltd, launches its third vertical – SPOTLIGHT, with an idea of creating an ‘INStant Connect’ for brands, celebrities and audiences. With an array of 30 plus celebrities on board; brands will now have an opportunity to leverage the glamour quotient, to seed customized branded content. After launching LIVE Viacom18 and BE Viacom18 last year, INS now completes the circle of offering brands a 3600 multi-dimensional marketing solution with SPOTLIGHT creating endless opportunities for brands to connect with millions of consumers.

     

    SPOTLIGHT has already a strong roaster of more than 30 celebrities (like Raghu Ram, Amrita Rao, Sherlyn Chopra, Diana Hayden, Manoj Bajpayee to name a few)

     

    SPOTLIGHT, in collaboration with Colosceum Media & One Digital Entertainment, has announced an interesting concept in the form of a 16 part web series called ‘JACK&JONES HITCHED’. A first of its kind show, it will give audiences an opportunity to be a part of the celebrations as MTV VJ Rannvijay gears up for his big fat Punjabi wedding.

     

    Commenting on this power-packed concept, Mr. Jaideep Singh, Sr. Vice President and Business Head – INS, Viacom18 Pvt. Ltd. said, “We’re living in a digital era, and to stay relevant to a constantly evolving audience it is essential for brands to innovate how they communicate and reach out to their consumers. Paying attention to this urgent need, the time was right for us to launch SPOTLIGHT. SPOTLIGHT provides that platform for brands to harness the power of the glamour world through celebrity associations and takes their message further to the audience in a much more engaging manner. Our first property under SPOTLIGHT, JACK&JONES HTCHED will set the tone for more such innovations to come in the future.”

     

    Speaking on the association Mr. Vineet Gautam, Country Head JACK&JONES said “JACK&JONES has always positioned itself in youth space and believed in clutter breaking ideas. It is our constant endeavour to find innovative ways of reaching out to them. JACK&JONES HITCHED is the first of its kind online reality show which will be aired on digital platforms only. The youth today, especially men are spending more time on digital mediums and it’s growing as we speak and this association seems to be a great and innovative way to engage and interact with them. Rannvijay is a youth icon who has dared to be different and inspired many. And that is exactly the brand philosophy of JACK&JONES to be daring, innovative and adventurous but in style. At JACK&JONES we always believe in experimenting and hence this association is a perfect sync at both ends.”

     

    Commenting on the strategic partnership, Mr. Gurpreet Singh, COO of OneDigital Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. said “Being the largest MCN for YouTube in India operating in the original content space for more than a year now, we have developed the skills and capability to understand the digital engagement and user needs. We know the pulse of the user to a large extent and also realize that the viewership behavior is shifting and changing fast. Our promise is to create, innovate and engage users and brands and bring value for both the sides. Colosceum is the market leader in creative content and we feel we have struck a great partnership with them and Viacom 18 for this initiative.”

     

    Speaking on the collaboration, Mr. Rajiv Lakshman, Chief Creative Officer – Colosceum Media said “Colosceum Media is a creative powerhouse, having been key contributors in the creation of many successful & long running television franchises. We’re always looking to pioneer new frontiers of creative expression. We consider digital content as the future, and wanted to leverage the intimacy & engagement value of this platform. Colosceum has a long association with Rannvijay, and are proud to partner with him to create this first-of-its’-kind innovation that gives Rannvijay’s multitude of fans an inside peek into his life as he navigates through this transition. As a friend, I find Rannvijay’s life fascinating, and am excited to be part of a team that gives his fans an access into the method & the madness that is his life.”

     

    The webisodes will start airing from Monday, 31st March, 2014, exclusively on Rannvijay’s YouTube channel, which is managed by SPOTLIGHT. So log on to watch heartthrob Rannvijay live the last of his bachelor days as marries the woman of his dreams on a first of its kind show which can be viewed on PC, Tab and Mobile on www.youtube.com/rannvijayofficial , www.zengatv.com/rannvijay and other digital platforms.

  • Satyagraha ends with Rs 32.5 crore for opening weekend

    Satyagraha ends with Rs 32.5 crore for opening weekend

    Prakash Jha’s preachy socio-political film Satyagraha lost the plot as it came into its later part which refused to move and marred the film. The mass single screen cinemas were the first to reject the film. At high end multiplexes the film did well over Saturday and Sunday as its solo release status and face value propped it up and the film ended its opening weekend with Rs 32.5 crore.

     

    This is Prakash Jha’s yet another attempt at addressing the citizens of India to rise up and bring about a revolution. The film has an ensemble cast:  Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Manoj Bajpayee, Arjun Ramphal, Kareena Kapoor and Amrita Rao among others.

     

    Madras Café starring John Abraham and Nargis Fakhri has not worked with the audience as, after a weekend of Rs 18 crore, the film has settled for Rs 31.45 crore for the first week. The makers of the film are now planning to request for tax exemption considering the message being delivered by the film.

     

    Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobara the sequel to Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai starring Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan and Sonakshi Sinha has done a little over 10 per cent of its first week collection by adding Rs 5.75 crore and taking its two week tally to Rs 54.55 crore.

     

    Chennai Express that paired Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone once again after Om Shanti Om has done fairly well in its third week by collecting Rs 16 crore to take its three week total to Rs 194.7 crore.

     

    B.A. Pass has collected Rs 35 lakh for its fourth week to take the total to Rs 7.4 crore.
    Bhaag Milkha Bhaag the biopic on the great Indian athlete Milkha Singh starring Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor has added Rs 50 lakh in its seventh week to take its seven week total to Rs 106.85 crore.

  • Ekta Kapoor announces aggressive plans for next year

    Ekta Kapoor announces aggressive plans for next year

    MUMBAI: After giving super hits like Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai, The Dirty Picture, Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum and Raagini MMS, Ekta Kapoor has announced aggressive plans for next year.

    The first wfilm to be release from the Balaji stable will be Lootera that stars Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha. The film is being directed by Vikramadiya Motwane who made a smashing debut with the critically acclaimed film Udaan. Lootera will hit the theatres on 1 March, next year.

    The second release of the production house would be Ek Thi Daayan to be directed by Vishal Bharadwaj. The film stars Emraan Hashmi, Kalki Koechin, Konkana Sen Sharma and Huma Qureshi. This film will release on 11 April. The decision to release the film in times of the IPL tournament is said to be a bold decision.

    Next to hit the screens will be the multi-starrer sequel Shootout At Wadala that will release on 1 May. Tne film, being directed by Sanjay Gupta, has John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Tushhar Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, Sonu Sood and Ronit Roy. It will release on 1 May, 2013.

    Following this would be one of the most awaited sequels Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 2. The film directed by Milan Lutharia has Akshay Kumar, Imran Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Sonali Bendre and Illeana D Cruz. It will release on Eid 8 August, next year.

    In addition to this, Ekta Kapoor will release another sequel Raagini MMS 2 next year.

    With this impressive lineup of films, Ekta is sure to hit the bulls‘ eye again in 2013.

  • Housefull to release in April 2014

    Housefull to release in April 2014

    MUMBAI: Moving ahead of Judwaa 2 has proven to be beneficial in ways more than one for both Sajid Nadiadwala and Sajid Khan. Since earlier Sajid Khan was supposed to be in charge of both the films, they were meant to be spaced out. However, with a new director coming on board for Judwaa 2, Sajid Khan would be beginning work on Housefull 3, hence releasing it in April 2014.

    “This also means that the trend of one Housefull flick releasing every two years in the month of April would be maintained”, says our well placed source, “If Sajid Khan would have started work on Judwaa, he would have been forced to delay Housefull 3 even further. He is anyways working on Himmatwala currently and plans to release it next year. After that, if he would have done Judwaa 2, the wait would have prolonged for Housefull 3. However, now after Himmatwala, he can solely concentrate on Housefull 3.”

    Since Housefull is the flagship franchise of Nadiadwala, he too is in a happy state since the next instalment would now release much earlier.

    “Yet again, the film would clash with IPL though”, adds a trade source, “In a way IPL is beneficial instead of being jinxed for the Housefull series. This has been proven in the first two films in the franchise and now yet again both Sajids want to take IPL heads-on.”

    With the film definitely on the cards, the myth around all not well between them has also been dispelled.

    “They can‘t be expected to work with each other in practically every film. If Sajid Khan is currently doing Himmatwala, Sajid Nadiadwala too has directors like Imtiaz Ali and Kabir Khan lined up”, says a common friend, “Both of them have maintained that they are friends first. They will keep making movies together but only if they both are passionate about the subject.”

    Akshay Kumar is the only superstar who has one release in every three month or so. This year he already made his mark with two 100 cr blockbusters “Housefull 2” and “Rowdy Rathore”. He will have two more major release in August and October in “Joker‘ and “Oh My God!”.

    Akshay Kumar has also some interesting releases lined up for next year and one of his most awaited film where he will be seen in rather different type of character is “Special Chabbis”. This film is being directed by Neeraj Pandey who directed the commercially successful and critically acclaimed “A Wesnesday”. The film is based on a real life heist and also stars Manoj Bajpayee, Anupam Kher and Kaajal Aggrawal.

    But the big news is that the makers have locked the release date of the film. Viacom 18 and Wide Frame will be releasing the film on 8th Februray 2013. This means Akshay planning to start 2013 with the bang!

  • Prakash Jha to turn political thriller into Graphic novel

    Prakash Jha to turn political thriller into Graphic novel

    MUMBAI: Launching graphic novels based on films seems to be the latest style in Bollywood. After Don 2, Ra.One and more recently, Saif Ali Khan‘s Agent Vinod, now Prakash Jha is planning a graphic novel on his political thriller Chakravyuh.

    This is the first time Jha is delving into the world of graphic novels. “Prakash Jha quite liked the idea of graphic novels. He felt this film has all the ingredients to be converted into a graphic novel. He intends to reach out to the youth of India with this graphic novel,” a production house insider said on condition of anonymity.

    It is being said that this graphic novel will be many notches higher than any graphic novel made in India so far. It will be more on the lines of Sin City.

    A graphic design company is working on the novel. They are finalising the sketches right now. It will have all the main characters of the film.

    The shoot of the political thriller starring Arjun Rampal, Abhay Deol, Manoj Bajpayee is complete and the first teaser will be out soon.

  • Shootout at Wadala shifted to 2013 release

    Shootout at Wadala shifted to 2013 release

    MUMBAI: Fearing a clash with the Aamir Khan-starrer Talaash that could result in the inevitable, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has pushed the release of Shootout At Wadala (SAW) to next year. While Talaash is scheduled to release on 30 November, SAW was scheduled to release on 7 December.

    “Our original release date was 7 December. Later Talaash was announced for 30 November release. So it‘s obvious that when an Aamir Khan full-fledged ainstream film releases after almost three years, distributors and exhibitors will block the theatres for at least two weeks,” Gupta said in support of his action.

    On the other hand, pushing SAW’s release to next year also means that Gupta is also avoiding a clash with the Salman Khan-starrer Dabangg 2 that is to release on 24 December. Naturally, we had to look for a later date because Shootout… is also an equally big film. We are mature to understand that. Let‘s not eat into each other‘s business,” added Gupta.

    A screen adaptation of Mumbai police‘s first registered gun battle, Shootout At Wadala stars John Abraham as gangster Manya Surve along with Anil Kapoor, Sonu Sood, Manoj Bajpayee, Tusshar Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut.