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Tag: Omkara

  • GoaFest 2025: “I am my own favourite” – Kareena Kapoor Khan rewrites stardom with self love

    GoaFest 2025: “I am my own favourite” – Kareena Kapoor Khan rewrites stardom with self love

    MUMBAI: If loving yourself was an art form, Kareena Kapoor Khan could well hold the copyright. In a sparkling fireside session titled “Main Apni Favourite Hoon: Not Just a Line. A Mindset” at GoaFest 2025, Kareena proved that her iconic dialogue from Jab We Met wasn’t just script gold, it was a life mantra with staying power. 

    Interviewed by celebrity host Atika Farooqi at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, the actress peeled back the layers on fame, family, and the fine print of self-worth.

    “The line changed not just my career, but my life,” Kareena declared. Delivered 15 years ago, when ‘self-love’ wasn’t yet trending, it has since become a cultural rallying cry. “It’s a mindset, not a moment,” she said, explaining how the phrase empowered not just her but an entire generation of women to embrace their truth even if it meant standing alone.

    Celebrating over 25 years in cinema, Kareena described her personal brand in two words: “Unapologetically herself.” 

    From iconic commercial blockbusters to gritty roles like Chameli, Dev, Omkara and more recently Jaane  Jaan and The Buckingham Murders, she’s deliberately straddled both glamour and grit. 

    “If I can’t transform, I shouldn’t be doing this,” she said simply.

    Kareena Kapoor Khan

    On longevity in showbiz, she boiled it down to a cocktail of talent, brave choices, and refusing to ride trends. “Success is not just about staying visible. It’s about staying true,” she mused.

    Family life wasn’t left out either. Reflecting on her marriage with Saif Ali Khan and motherhood, she spoke candidly about the importance of mutual respect over sacrifice, calling Saif “a strong support structure.”

    For Kareena, balance isn’t about keeping score; it’s about knowing when to step up and when to pause. “Work will come and go but the love you build at home is irreplaceable,” she said.

    Asked whether she’d ever remake a Raj Kapoor classic, the answer was an emphatic no. “Some things are timeless. You don’t touch them, you preserve them,” she said, referring to her grandfather’s legendary legacy.
    She also gave props to the changing cinema landscape. From OTT to regional crossover, Kareena’s game to learn new languages and new rules.

    “Authenticity is the new glamour,” she said, crediting the likes of Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma for setting new performance benchmarks in today’s hyper-observant viewing culture.

    What keeps her going? “Staying childlike. Staying curious. And yes being my own favourite,” she grinned.

    From box office queen to boundary-pushing actor, Kareena’s session wasn’t just a rewind of her past, but a guidebook to staying relevant, radiant and real in a business that rarely forgives age, honesty or independence.

  • Star Plus and Gul Khan brings to you Ishqbaaaz on 27 June

    Star Plus and Gul Khan brings to you Ishqbaaaz on 27 June

    MUMBAI: They are rich! They are powerful! They are the most talked about eligible bachelors in the country! They are the Oberoi Brothers, Omkara, Rudra and Shivaay. Three handsome heirs of a colossal business Empire, who have been bred with power, wear taste and attitude with innate flair and walk knowing that they simply own the world.

    After years of creating iconic and exceptional stories, STAR Plus is ready to give the audience a larger than life canvas with“Ishqbaaaz” that is a diffusion of vivid emotions like love and hate, revenge and redemption. Produced by Gul Khan under her banner4 Lions Films, the show is slated to go on air from 27th June at 10 pm on STAR Plus.

    Set in the backdrop of Mumbai, the Oberois are the modern day equivalent of Indian royalty who reek power and glamour but it is the bond between the current generation Oberoi brothers that is at the heart of the story of “Ishqbaaaz”.

    Shivaay Oberoi played by Nakuul Mehta lets his mind rule over his heart. A cut throat businessman for whom business and family lineage means everything, Shivaay strives to be the most powerful man in the world wearing his arrogance and pride on his sleeve. One can come face to face with his humane side only when he is with his siblings.

    Omkara Oberoi played by Kunal Jaisingh is an artist in his entirety and equally charismatic as his elder brother. He is caustic and blunt in his approach, a trait most artists possess but at the same time he is chivalrous and compassionate to people around him. His love for his brothers’ remains unconditional despite some difference of opinion he may have with the older one.

    Rudra Oberoi played by Leenesh Mattoo is the youngest, most handsome and the ultimate modern day metrosexual male who makes his way to a woman’s heart with his charming looks and his penchant for cooking. Vanity, thy name is Rudra, is a line that is written just for him. His wandering ways at times do land him in trouble but then his brothers always come to his rescue.

  • Star Plus and Gul Khan brings to you Ishqbaaaz on 27 June

    Star Plus and Gul Khan brings to you Ishqbaaaz on 27 June

    MUMBAI: They are rich! They are powerful! They are the most talked about eligible bachelors in the country! They are the Oberoi Brothers, Omkara, Rudra and Shivaay. Three handsome heirs of a colossal business Empire, who have been bred with power, wear taste and attitude with innate flair and walk knowing that they simply own the world.

    After years of creating iconic and exceptional stories, STAR Plus is ready to give the audience a larger than life canvas with“Ishqbaaaz” that is a diffusion of vivid emotions like love and hate, revenge and redemption. Produced by Gul Khan under her banner4 Lions Films, the show is slated to go on air from 27th June at 10 pm on STAR Plus.

    Set in the backdrop of Mumbai, the Oberois are the modern day equivalent of Indian royalty who reek power and glamour but it is the bond between the current generation Oberoi brothers that is at the heart of the story of “Ishqbaaaz”.

    Shivaay Oberoi played by Nakuul Mehta lets his mind rule over his heart. A cut throat businessman for whom business and family lineage means everything, Shivaay strives to be the most powerful man in the world wearing his arrogance and pride on his sleeve. One can come face to face with his humane side only when he is with his siblings.

    Omkara Oberoi played by Kunal Jaisingh is an artist in his entirety and equally charismatic as his elder brother. He is caustic and blunt in his approach, a trait most artists possess but at the same time he is chivalrous and compassionate to people around him. His love for his brothers’ remains unconditional despite some difference of opinion he may have with the older one.

    Rudra Oberoi played by Leenesh Mattoo is the youngest, most handsome and the ultimate modern day metrosexual male who makes his way to a woman’s heart with his charming looks and his penchant for cooking. Vanity, thy name is Rudra, is a line that is written just for him. His wandering ways at times do land him in trouble but then his brothers always come to his rescue.

  • Vishal Bhardwaj to shoot Hamlet in Kashmir

    Vishal Bhardwaj to shoot Hamlet in Kashmir

    Though the leading man in Vishal Bhardwaj’s film adaptation of Hamlet is still under wraps, the locations for the film has been finalised. Bhardwaj’ recently revealed that the film will be shot in Kashmir.

     

    Apparently, the director wanted to weave the story of Hamlet with a violent, political backdrop and he believes that the story of Kashmir would perfectly suit the theme. With Maqbool (adaptation of Macbeth) which was based in Mumbai and Omkara (adaptation of Othello) based in a small town in the north, this location for yet another drama seems to be an apt choice.

     

    The film is said for a 2014 release and will coincide with the 450th birth anniversary celebrations of the most popular playwright William Shakespeare. Thus, continues Bhardwaj’s obsession with making movies on his favourite writer’s plays.

  • Kumar Mangat mulls of Omkara sequel

    Kumar Mangat mulls of Omkara sequel

    MUMBAI: Producer Kumar Mangat is mulling with the idea to make a sequel of Omkara.


    “I am thinking of the sequel. I think the film has a huge prospect. This is just an idea but I will speak about it soon,” Mangat was quoted in media reports.


    Co-written by Vishal Bhardwaj, Robin Bhatt and Abhishek Chaubey, Omkara, among the highest grosser of 2006, was the desi version of Shakespeare‘s Othello.


    But before making the Omkara sequel, Mangat will pursue with the sequel of his Pyar Ka Punchnama, the romantic comedy about three bachelors who fall in love with the girls they like.


    Mangat said, “The film‘s cast will be retained while the story will move ahead. There were loads of things that we couldn‘t show in our first outing. We will put it all into the second one. We will start shooting by mid-2012.”

  • Eros Intnl’s music downloads on Apple iTunes, Real Rhapsody

    Eros Intnl’s music downloads on Apple iTunes, Real Rhapsody

    MUMBAI: Eros International, an integrated media and entertainment Company,announced that tracks from its recent Bollywood music albums- Omkara, I See You, Kudiyon Ka Hain Zamana and Namastey London will now be available for download on Apple’s iTunes on a worldwide basis and on Real Network’s Rhapsody for North America.

    Eros International Plc chairman & CEO Kishore Lulla said, “This is a significant milestone as far as our new media distribution is concerned. We remain focused on identifying and securing strategic distribution partners to showcase our Bollywood content to a wider audience.”

    He further added, “The Mauj Telecom deal for mobile content license announced this January and now the iTunes and Real Rhapsody deals make our recent move into music publishing all the more exciting. We remain positive about the opportunities presented by new media in this digital era.”The original sound tracks from Eros’s forthcoming film Eklavya, a Vinod Chopra Films Production, releasing in cinemas on February 16 will also be available for download.

    Eros launched the Bollywood video on demand services with cable giants Comcast and Rogers cable and has online movie download services with Movielink and RTL.
     

  • Eros International signs mobile content license deal with Mauj Telecom

    Eros International signs mobile content license deal with Mauj Telecom

    MUMBAI: Eros International has announced that it has signed a license deal involving minimum guarantee revenues with telecom solutions company Mauj Telecom for distribution of mobile content.

    In the past the two companies have collaborated on films including “Omkara” and “I See You”. The deal includes films such as “Namaste London”, “Eklavya – The Royal Guard”, “No Smoking” and “Friends Forever.”.

    “With mobile and wireless connectivity in India growing at an impressive 80 per cent CAGR, the opportunity to monetise Bollywood content through mobile properties such as ringtones, wallpapers, songs and video clips is becoming increasingly lucrative,” Eros said in a statement.

    Eros’ content will be distributed on Mauj’s international telecom network. “The Mauj deal is a significant landmark in Eros’ commitment to tap into the new media opportunities presented by digital convergence. The deal enhances Eros’s recent expansion into music publishing as most mobile content is derived from Bollywood musicals. Mauj has created a niche in the mobile space within a short span of time and we are pleased to be working with them to unlock further value in our mobile content,” said Eros International chairman and CEO Kishore Lulla.

    Added Mauj chairman and managing director Anupam Mittal, “Eros International is one of the largest content owners in the Bollywood business and has a very strong pipeline of forthcoming films. We were keen to secure the deal to distribute that premium content on mobile platforms in an increasingly competitive environment. Eros’ content combined with Mauj’s technical infrastructure and relationships with mobile networks operators make this an attractive deal for both companies.”

  • Overseas markets fuel growth for Shemaroo

    Overseas markets fuel growth for Shemaroo

    MUMBAI: Home video major Shemaroo is reasonably optimistic about the future. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly is the fact that they have been able to penetrate overseas markets. The second is the emergence of new media platforms.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Shemaroo VP Hiren Gada says that 2006 has been a year of consolidation in existing businesses and expansion into the overseas territory and film production. “We expect revenue growth of 25-30 per cent. A key reason for this is that the overseas market has grown. The US, UK and the Gulf region are our top three markets. Mostly the Hindi blockbusters fare well there. In some territories we distribute films ourselves using our network. For others we have deals with local firms.”

    Talking about the titles that have fared well he mentions Phir Hera Pheri, Omkara, Sardar, 15 Park Avenue in the Hindi genre. Among regional titles those that did well included the Gujarati titles Kanti Tofane Chadyo, Bas Kar Bakula as well as the Punjabi title Jijaji. Gada adds that song compilations are also important in terms of adding variety to Shemaroos offerings.

    Shemaroo about a year and a half back got into the business of distributing English films. The titles Gada says are from independent firms like Pathe, Lakeshore Entertainment and Imageworks Entertainment. That is a business where he sees some potential for growth. In total each month the company releases 15-20 titles which include 10-12 Hindi titles (including New Releases, catalogue and song compilations), 4-5 regional titles (Gujarati/Marathi) and 2-4 English titles.

    Venturing into Television: Shemaroo Gada says us looking at the television arena. “We are soon releasing the most popular comedy serial to ever run on Indian Television Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi next year. We are also looking at releasing other similar products in this genre.”

    Shemaroo he adds has in the past ventured into sports genre with the release of India-Pak Samsung Cup 2004 Series, Really Bend It Like Beckham (Soccer coaching) and Brian Lara 400 Not Out.

    Battling Piracy: One bugbear not just for Shemaroo but for the Indian film industry is piracy. Shemaroo has brough down the gap betwen theatrical release of films and their home video release. ” We release Super Hit Films after 8-10 weeks of them being in cinema halls. Hits are reelased after six weeks, semi hits after four weeks and for filsm that perform averagelly at the box office there is a two week gao.

    ” The shorter release window has helped to fight piracy only marginally as early availability of pirated copies before the original home video release has not stopped. Indian consumers still prefer to watch the film on pirated copy as soon as it is available. Stronger cooperation from the government and the police force will help. There is only so much that we as a company can do to fight the menace.”

    To fight piracy Shemaroo has taken the following measures:

    1) It has formed an in house Vigilance Team which conducts raids across India to seize pirated copies and liaisons with Police and other Government bodies to punish the pirates.

    2) It also looks to offer the consumers more value for their money in terms of superior packaging, additional features in DVD, giving free merchandise like T-shirts and watches, making Value For Money combo packs.
    3) It offers special discounts during festive seasons and special promotional offers.

    4) It has also reduced the prices of select VCD titles from its catalogue and deep catalogue to Rs 66/ 88/99 MRP levels to make home videos affordable for the masses.

    The New Media Opportunity: Gada is well aware of the fact that new platforms like DTH, IPTV offer an opportunity for the firm. He says that Shemaroo is already talking to some players in the market to offer titles. He notes that in a couple of years time these new platforms will be an important revenue source.

    As he points out, “We recognise that new platforms and media are opening up new ways of reaching the consumer. We are one of the largest bollywood content houses and we provide a ready pool of content available for various new and emerging media platforms. We are in talks with all the major players entering this field and should be signing up with a few in due course.”

    At a time when competition for the film viewers attention is growing innovative marketing is key. Gada points to several innovations done in the past. “For Phir Hera Pheri we created a special trade box containing 25 VCDs which also had a free T- Shirt plus Free Gift plus lucky surprise gift. For the home video release of Sardar we organised a launch function in Delhi where Honorable Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Praful Patel launched the film on VCD and DVD. For Omkara we made special standees, counter tops and bookmarks as the film was based on William Shakespeare’s play Othello.”

    Shemaroo has also tried to be innovative in terms of how it packages its products. “Shemaroo has always been the first mover in terms of innovative packaging and special features. Shemaroo has released many titles which are Collector’ Editions with innovative packaging based on the theme of the title with UV, embossing, special booklet on trivia related to the title, etc.

    “Also most of the Shemaroo new release DVDs have special features/bonus DVDs containing have making of the film, interviews with cast and crew, theatrical and TV trailers, etc. For example the Sardar DVD had original speeches of Sardar Patel, footage of Sardar Patel Memorial, interviews of key people involved in the making of the film, a booklet containing Sardar’s Chronology, exclusive photo gallery with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, etc. The Omkara DVD had a 10 page booklet containing trivia and other facts related to the film.”

    As far as producing films for theatrical release is concerned Gada says that the next film tentatively titled Manorama will be out next Summer. Each year it is looking at releasing two to three films. Omkara had been reelased under the Shemaroo banner this year. Gada says that the films will be a mix small, medium and large budget films. The idea is to appeal to different audience segments.

  • Shemaroo releases ‘Omkara’ on DVD, VCD

    Shemaroo releases ‘Omkara’ on DVD, VCD

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Video has released Omkara on DVD and VCD.

    The film is Vishal Bhardwaj’s third interpretation of a literary classic after Maqbool which was based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Chatri Chor which was based on Ruskin Bond’s The Blue Umbrella. Omkara is based on Shakespeare play Othello.

    The VCD has been released with English sub-titles. However since the film has extensive regional dialect from North India, Shemaroo has also released VCD with Hindi subtitles so that the audiences can enjoy the film’s dialogue and performances.

    Shemaroo VP Hiren Gada said “We are extremely proud to release Omkara on home video. Omkara has been acclaimed worldwide for its epic portrayal of Othello in the rugged semi-urban Indian backdrop. It is a movie people would like to add to their collection.”

    The DVD has a 10 page booklet which mentions facts and trivia about the film. It also has many bonus and special features like The Making of Omkara. The director and actors speak about the film and script, the locations, the cast and characters, the look and costumes, the music and songs. The DVD also has deleted scenes.