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Tag: Nikitin Dheer

  • Indian Police Force tops Prime Video’s first-week binge-watch charts

    Indian Police Force tops Prime Video’s first-week binge-watch charts

    Mumbai: Following its worldwide premiere, Amazon Original Indian Police Force has achieved the milestone of becoming the most binge-watched first season of an Indian Original on Prime Video in the first week of its launch.  The action-packed series by Rohit Shetty has been lauded by the viewers, and it continues to win hearts across India and around the world. The high-octane action series also trended in the ‘Top 10’ titles’ list in 65 countries globally in the launch week.

    With its adrenaline-pumping action sequences, gripping narrative, larger-than-life visuals and stellar performances, the seven-episode series makes for a binge-worthy mass entertainer. Indian Police Force proudly pays an ode to the selfless service, unconditional commitment and fierce patriotism of the Indian police officers across the country who put everything on the line in their call of duty to keep us safe.

    “Amazon Original series Indian Police Force has set a new benchmark in the streaming space. The show has received immense love and appreciation for its thrilling action sequences, edge-of-the-seat storytelling, and brilliant performances,” said Prime Video, India country director Sushant Sreeram. “Embraced as a fast-paced, action-packed mass entertainer, showcasing Rohit Shetty’s signature style of filmmaking, the series has found love worldwide, trending in the Top 10 list of 65 countries. Our collective intent with the show was not only to entertain audiences but also pay an ode to the many men and women in uniform who have contributed to building our great nation. The success of the series is a testament that the show and its intended spirit has resonated with audiences in India and globally. We are thrilled with such an overwhelming response for Indian Police Force, which truly celebrates the patriotism and relentless spirit of our police officers.”

    “It has been absolutely wonderful to have joined forces with Prime Video and scripting a success story together with Indian Police Force. Embracing my digital directorial debut, the maiden collaboration truly gave wings to my creative vision in taking my passion project to a wide spectrum of audiences worldwide. My fans have loved my cop films over the years, and it gives me immense joy to transport my craft of storytelling and action filmography to the world of streaming through Indian Police Force. I’m thrilled with the love and appreciation that the show has garnered so far not only in India but also in several other countries around the globe on Prime Video. I am grateful to all my fans, the cast and crew for making this show super successful. Kudos to all!” said filmmaker Rohit Shetty.

    Directed by Rohit Shetty and Sushwanth Prakash, Indian Police Force features Sidharth Malhotra, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, and Vivek Oberoi in lead roles, along with Shweta Tiwari, Nikitin Dheer, Rituraj Singh, Mukesh Rishi, and Lalit Parimoo in pivotal roles. The series is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
     

  • Freaky Ali….A slapstick, forced comedy

    Freaky Ali….A slapstick, forced comedy

    We have had some sports films which dealt with the theme of an underdog making it to the victory podium after a lot of struggle and toil besides, of course, the glory and honour of the nation. However, the sport has been the one which our people identify with.

    Freaky Ali is a love sports story. The sport is golf, a sport purely the domain of the rich. It is also about an underdog but not of the usual kind. In fact, he is a kind of character one would not even expect to see anywhere near a golf course.

    Golf is a sport alien to most common people anywhere in the world as it is in India. But, when a film about an independent sport like this is inspired by a Hollywood film, the sport can’t be changed from golf to cricket, a team sport.

    Nawazuddin is a debt collector along with Arbaaz Khan. Nikitin Dheer is their boss. This, Nawaz thinks, is the way to make a fast buck. The duo works for the kind the ‘finance institutions’ that existed not long ago in India to recover monies lent to retail borrowers who were not readily forthcoming with repayments.

    Earlier, in the movie, Nawaz had tried his hand at selling undergarments. But, when it came to the girl he loved the most, his proposal was rejected because of his profession.

    Nawaz lands up on the golf course during one of his loan recovery rounds. Here his boast leads him to try the sport. And, as the film stories can fit in anything, Nawaz surprises all. His latent talent in noticed by a caddie, Asif Basra, who decides to help him hone his skills.

    Abracadabra. Nawaz is now a golf champion of international standards. He is soon doing the professional circuit. He goes on a winning spree much to the discomfiture of his rival Jas Arora. Also, working against Nawaz’s interest is Nikitin, who wants him to lose at any cost.

    With success comes love — Amy Jackson.

    The film loses the battle when it borrows the idea of the sport of golf and an underdog. The comedy is forced instead of emanating naturally from the situations, and falls flat. Direction in the movie is weak to state the least and editing is slack.

    Dialogues in the movie are good at some places, especially the lines written for Nawaz. The cinematography is okay. The songs don’t entertain at all. The qawwali, Ya Ali Murtaza, is the only saving grace.

    Nawaz shines even in this mundane comedy. Arbaaz Khan manages with his limited acting skills. Asif Basra is okay. Amy has too little to do to make a mark. Jackie Shroff plays a cameo to no avail.

    Freaky Ali lacks appeal even for the growing breed of Nawaz fans.

  • Freaky Ali….A slapstick, forced comedy

    Freaky Ali….A slapstick, forced comedy

    We have had some sports films which dealt with the theme of an underdog making it to the victory podium after a lot of struggle and toil besides, of course, the glory and honour of the nation. However, the sport has been the one which our people identify with.

    Freaky Ali is a love sports story. The sport is golf, a sport purely the domain of the rich. It is also about an underdog but not of the usual kind. In fact, he is a kind of character one would not even expect to see anywhere near a golf course.

    Golf is a sport alien to most common people anywhere in the world as it is in India. But, when a film about an independent sport like this is inspired by a Hollywood film, the sport can’t be changed from golf to cricket, a team sport.

    Nawazuddin is a debt collector along with Arbaaz Khan. Nikitin Dheer is their boss. This, Nawaz thinks, is the way to make a fast buck. The duo works for the kind the ‘finance institutions’ that existed not long ago in India to recover monies lent to retail borrowers who were not readily forthcoming with repayments.

    Earlier, in the movie, Nawaz had tried his hand at selling undergarments. But, when it came to the girl he loved the most, his proposal was rejected because of his profession.

    Nawaz lands up on the golf course during one of his loan recovery rounds. Here his boast leads him to try the sport. And, as the film stories can fit in anything, Nawaz surprises all. His latent talent in noticed by a caddie, Asif Basra, who decides to help him hone his skills.

    Abracadabra. Nawaz is now a golf champion of international standards. He is soon doing the professional circuit. He goes on a winning spree much to the discomfiture of his rival Jas Arora. Also, working against Nawaz’s interest is Nikitin, who wants him to lose at any cost.

    With success comes love — Amy Jackson.

    The film loses the battle when it borrows the idea of the sport of golf and an underdog. The comedy is forced instead of emanating naturally from the situations, and falls flat. Direction in the movie is weak to state the least and editing is slack.

    Dialogues in the movie are good at some places, especially the lines written for Nawaz. The cinematography is okay. The songs don’t entertain at all. The qawwali, Ya Ali Murtaza, is the only saving grace.

    Nawaz shines even in this mundane comedy. Arbaaz Khan manages with his limited acting skills. Asif Basra is okay. Amy has too little to do to make a mark. Jackie Shroff plays a cameo to no avail.

    Freaky Ali lacks appeal even for the growing breed of Nawaz fans.

  • The show this season will be a blockbuster: Raj Nayak

    The show this season will be a blockbuster: Raj Nayak

    MUMBAI: Colors’ adrenaline pumping reality show, Khatron Ke Khiladi, is all set to return after a hiatus of nearly two years.

    The fifth season of the show will premiere on 22 March and will be aired every weekend at 9pm. Season five will transport 15 celebrity contestants to the dense forests of South Africa, where they will be seen battling untold odds, performing high-octane stunts and generally overcoming their deepest fears.

    With a tagline that reads ‘Darr Ka Blockbuster’ and stunt maestro-action filmmaker Rohit Shetty as host, Colors hopes to raise the bar even further with the upcoming season of its show.

    The daredevils participating in this edition include Ranvir Shorey, Nikitin Dheer, Mugdha Godse, Dayanand Shetty, Rajniesh Duggal, Rochelle Maria Rao, Gauhar Khan, Kushal Tandon, Gurmeet Choudhary, Debina Bonnerjee, Karanvir Bohra, Teejay Sidhu, Pooja Gor, dancer Salman Khan and Geeta Tandon.

    The channel has roped in Idea Cellular as the presenting sponsor, Gionee smartphone as the powered-by sponsor, and Mahindra & Mahindra, Amul Macho, Adjavis and Bajaj Electricals as associate sponsors.

    Colors officials chose to remain tight-lipped about the financial details of the show. Industry sources reveal that the channel could be charging anywhere close to Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh per 10 seconds of air time on the show.  “Moreover, the channel is spending close to Rs 2.5 crore per episode,” reveals the source.  

    In terms of the total ad revenue, the industry source adds, “Colors may well end up being in the black on this loss leading show as I believe the total revenue from advertising will tot up to about Rs 30 crore-35 crore this season.”  An advertising and promotional war chest of Rs 3 crore-5 crore has been kept aside for marketing Khatron Ke Khiladi. 

    So will season five be bigger than its predecessor? “With every season of Khatron Ke Khiladi, our aim is to raise the entertainment quotient and create edge-of-the-seat content to engage audiences’ week-after-week,” says Colors CEO Raj Nayak. “Be it contestant selection or programming and creative inputs, our teams ensure that viewers get the opportunity to witness the perfect amalgamation of action and entertainment as contestants push their boundaries to face their primal fears.”

    And why was Akshay Kumar replaced with Shetty this time around? “We share a great working relationship with Akshay Kumar, who hosted the last season, and it was a great experience working with him. This season was however about having a stunt visionary, who would not only drive contestants to perform better, but also be the architect of the stunts.  We wanted the host to own the stunts this time around,” reasons Nayak. “Who other than the stunt maestro himself (Shetty) to take on the mantle of hosting an action-packed adrenaline-charged show like Khatron Ke Khiladi?”

    With Shetty as stunt architect, Colors is looking to really push the envelope in that department. “Shetty will bring with him his own style of hosting and mannerisms that will add to the show’s entertainment quotient. Known for creating larger than life action sequences, he has entertained the masses with his films and I have no doubts that the show this season will be a blockbuster,” says Nayak.

    What made Endemol and Colors retain Cape Town, South Africa as the location of the shoot? In an earlier interview with indiantelevision.com, CEO of Endemol India, Deepak Dhar said that the South African team was well-equipped to come up with the kind of high-calibre stunts required this season.  Dhar described it as a ‘really mean season’ with high- level stunts and animals coming on the show as well. He said it would be packed with edgy content and explore some of the most interesting locales of South Africa, be it stunts involving choppers, cars, bikes or even underwater.

    An observer states that both Endemol and Colors would have found it quite difficult to make it as edgy as they did if the filming was to be done in India.

    More on season five:

    Unlike earlier seasons, it will not see partners holding contestants’ hands while performing some of the most challenging tasks. Also, each episode will feature three types of stunts performed by three sets of contestants.

    A 360-degree approach to KK5

    Colors is betting big on season five of Khatron Ke Khiladi. Not surprisingly, the channel has devised a 360-degree marketing and digital campaign to engage with its audience.

    It has designed an overall outreach programme including over 4,500 spots on television, 75 plus editions of key print, over 9,000 radio spots, OOH covering 70 cities, integrations for 17 days across 17 stations of Radio Mirchi, and DTH imprints to grab the attention of its target audience.

    To begin with, distinctive black and yellow hoardings have been placed at various consumer touch points across 70 cities in the country one week prior to the launch, to send out the key message of the show.

    On the cards is an adventure-based mobile game called ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi – The Game’, designed by Gameshastra Solutions, which can be downloaded on iOS and android platforms.

    On Twitter, the show has a dedicated page called @KKKonColors, which currently has over 4,000 followers. The Facebook page has more than 627,000 likes. There’s constant chatter about the contestants, trivia about the shoot and South Africa, bloopers and more to keep social media buzzing about the show.

    Colors has partnered with Radio Mirchi as its exclusive radio partner, who will engage listeners over a period of 17 days through 17 stations across the country. Radio Mirchi will review the show’s blockbuster opening on its premium property ‘Blockbuster Budhwar’ along with small segments during the day called ‘Meri Life Ka Blockbuster’ that will highlight the karnamas of real-life khiladis in the entertainment industry.

  • COLORS associates with Idea and Gionee for “Khatron Ke Khiladi – Darr Ka Blockbuster”

    COLORS associates with Idea and Gionee for “Khatron Ke Khiladi – Darr Ka Blockbuster”

    MUMBAI: COLORS’ upcoming show, Khatron Ke Khiladi – Darr Ka Blockbuster is all set to up the ante with thrilling action with action maestro and entertainer Rohit Shetty along with celebrity contestants. COLORS has joined hands with telecom major Idea Cellular and Gionee Smart Phone who have associated with the fifth season of Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi as Presenting Sponsor and Powered by Sponsor respectively.

    The adrenalin filled high octane adventure with Rohit Shetty as the stunt architect promises to create an unparalleled viewing experience that will help the sponsors connect with their core target group. The show produced by Endemol India Pvt Ltd is currently being shot in South Africa will hit airwaves in March, 2014.
     

    Commenting on the association, Raj Nayak, CEO – COLORS, said, “Khatron Ke Khiladi, over the past few years, has created a strong brand value in the minds of the audiences who associate the show with unlimited blockbuster action and entertainment. Through innovative integration and branding opportunities, we are looking forward at creating synergies that will mutually benefit us and our sponsors.”
     

    Speaking about their association, Sashi Shankar, CMO – Idea Cellular said, “This is the third season of Khatron Ke Khiladi where we are associating with COLORS as the Presenting Sponsor. The show has garnered high visibility over the seasons and has helped us in creating high recall amongst our target audience. This time around we are looking forward to engage with our consumers through multiple initiatives that will further our brand proposition.”
     

    First time powered by sponsor of Khatron Ke Khiladi Gionee Smartphones India Head, Mr. Arvind. R. Vohra said, “Gionee being a global brand sees Khatron Ke Khiladi as great opportunity to connect with our target audience. This genre is a perfect way to reach out and establish connect with the young and adventurous new generation. Gionee believes in creating a benchmark in innovation with every new offering and KKK is the apt choice to connect with those who too believe in taking greater risks to achieve the best. We have created some very exciting integration in the show and hope that the consumers will enjoy the same”

    Additionally Mahindra Scorpio and Amul Macho have come on board as the Associate Sponsor on the Show.
     

    Idea presents Khatron Ke Khiladi – Darr Ka Blockbuster powered by Gionee Smart Phone is a stunt-based action-packed small-screen blockbuster which combines thrill and fear to make for an unparalleled entertainment experience with celebrity contestants who will perform stunts fueled by their inner strength and willpower.  With the biggest entertainer of Bollywood Rohit Shetty as the stunt architect the show is being filmed in the scenic locales of South Africa will feature young and talented bollywood actors Mugdha Godse, Nikitin Dheer, Ranvir Shorey, Rajniesh Duggall, Ajaz Khan, television stars Gauahar Khan, Kushal Tandon, Pooja Gor, Dayanand Shetty, cricket commentator Rochelle Maria Rao, choreographer Salman Yusuf Khan, television couples Gurmeet Choudhary and Debina Bonnerjee, Karanveer Bohra and Teejay Sidhu, model-turned-actor Deana Uppal, and Bollywood stuntwoman Geeta Tandon.

  • Chennai Express: This train can be boarded just once

    Chennai Express: This train can be boarded just once

    MUMBAI: Shah Rukh Khan, most preferred in romantic films, of which he may have done only a few, is finding it hard to find a slot lately. He has tried his hand at multiple genres recently: Ra.One, a super hero film; Don 2, an action-for-action’s-sake film; Jab Tak Hai Jaan, where he plays a larger than life bomb expert. Somehow, he does not seem to have found the right fit. Chennai Express is the outcome of this confusing situation as the film can’t define its genre even after it has run through 143 minutes. Is it a comedy, a road movie, an action movie or a romance? And is it a Hindi or a Tamil movie?

    Shah Rukh Khan’s halwai grandfather has passed away and his last wish is that his grandson should immerse his ashes in the sea at Rameshwaram. However, Khan and his friends had plans to holiday in Goa. This assignment comes as a hurdle in their plans. However, Khan’s friends convince him that even if he immersed the ashes at Goa, they would finally end up reaching the sea at Rameshwaram! This is the first warning of what is to come. Since the grandmother plans to see off Khan at the station, he plans to take a south bound train, get off at the first station nearby and join his friends for a road trip to Goa.

    Khan spots Deepika Padukone running to catch the train which has started moving and helps her in. He also helps four mean and scary looking guys board the running train. It turns out that Deepika, who is running away from her father who is in a village near Chennai, catches a train going towards her father. The four goons Khan helped board the train are her father’s henchmen, chasing her to take her back to her village. Her father, who is the local don, plans to marry her off to a strongman from another village, Nikitin Dheer against her wishes. That would help him extend his power further.

    Producers: Gauri Khan, Karim Morani, Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Roy Kapoor.

    Director: Rohit Shetty.
    Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Nikitin Dheer, Sathyaraj, Manorama, Kamini Kaushal, Lekh Tandon.

    Deepika blames Khan for her problem. He decides to help her but his attempts are thwarted by the foursome. They are a dangerous lot which they demonstrate first by throwing away Khan’s costly cell phone from the train and later by throwing out the TC. Deepika and Khan communicate through Hindi film songs as if they are singing a duet; the goons couldn’t care less since the things are very much under their control.

    Finally, they arrive at her village. But since it is not a scheduled stop, the goons pull the chain and out there, to welcome the boss’ daughter, is a crowd of hundreds. Khan could have continued with his journey but, for whatever reason, he also decides to tag along! Since Deepika does not want to marry Dheer, she introduces Khan as the guy she loves and plans to marry. The son-in-law to be is cheered by the villagers. But Dheer is not the kind to give in so easily. He challenges Khan to a fight the next morning. This is one giant problem for Khan for that is how Dheer compares to Khan in physique. The only way to survive is to escape.

    Khan and Deepika plan to escape before the duel starts, but Khan spoils the plan by getting drunk. Still, he steals a bike and manages to get away, only to crash near a police station. The Sikh cop, Mukesh Trivedi, hides him in a safe place which, when he wakes up, turns out to be a smugglers’ dhow heading towards Sri Lanka. Soon the dhow is raided and Khan taken back to the village he had run from.

    It is her wedding day when, once again, Khan and Deepika escape, this time to fall in love for real. Khan wants to take her honourably and comes back to her village, to the don, the mob and Dheer. In a sudden burst of enthusiasm he beats up all the goons, armed as well as unarmed and, finally, also takes on Dheer!

    Chennai Express is a poor story idea badly developed. The script has no substance and a lot of footage is filled with nothing happening or, in second half, by crowding the footage with three songs almost back-to-back. Except at two or three places, the comedy is pathetic and the jokes are all decades-old PJs. The music score is generally no help and the only well tuned song is Titli… In fact, some songs sound like they have been dubbed from Tamil songs.

    The Rohit Shetty touch is missing here; there is not much entertainment to be found, even of the mindless variety. Photography is good. Dialogue is uninspiring. A lot of Tamil is used in dialogue without sub titles which is very curious: there is not much to understand in this film but this shows a disregard for the audience. Editing is slack.

    Deepika shines and is the only worthy performer in the film. Khan, sad to say, resorts to buffoonery when not overacting; his fans expect better. Dheer is aptly sinister.

    Chennai Express may not generate good word of mouth but, thanks to the Eid weekend release at 3500 screens with multiplexes running 12 to 16 shows, it is sure to amass bumper weekend collections and help avoid a big setback.