Tag: Padma Shri

  • Biopic to be released on Vijay Sankeshwar titled “Vijayanand”

    Biopic to be released on Vijay Sankeshwar titled “Vijayanand”

    Mumbai:  A biopic about Padma Shri awardee, Vijay Sankeshwar, the owner of the commercial vehicles fleet VRL Group of companies, is set to be released.

    The film  ‘Vijayanand’, directed by Rishika Sharma, stars Nihal R, Bharath Bopanna, Anant Nag, Ravi Chandran, Prakash Belawadi, Siri Prahalad, Vinaya Prasad, Archana Kottige and Anish Kuruvilla, among others.

    Sharma previously directed the film Trunk,’ which starred Nihal. The film, which was made on a shoestring budget, performed exceptionally well at the box office, making it one of the most beneficial films of 2018.

    ‘Vijayanand’ will also be VRL Film Productions’ debut production venture, and the Kannada film will have a pan-India release with dubbed versions in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.

    Sharma said, “Nihal came up with the idea of making a film on Vijay sir’s life and once we started doing our research, we understood it is a huge responsibility to bring out his story for the world. His journey is truly inspiring and we are truly grateful that Anand sir (Anand Sankeshwar) understood our vision and not only gave permission but also is backing the film as a producer.”

    Vijay Sankeshwar began his entrepreneurial journey in Hubli, Karnataka, and now owns the VRL Group of companies. He co-founded the company with his son, Anand Sankeshwar. He is also the owner of the Kannada newspaper Vijaya Vani and the Dighvijaya 24×7 news channel.

    The government of India awarded Vijay Sankeshwar the Padma Shri in 2020.

    Music composer Gopi Sundar, has composed music for Vijayanand. Keertan Poojary did the cinematography and Hemanth did the editing. Sharma created the artwork and costumes herself.

  • Toonz Media to Recreate the Iconic Indian Comic, Chacha Chaudhary

    Toonz Media to Recreate the Iconic Indian Comic, Chacha Chaudhary

    Trivandrum, September 2018: Forever unforgettable Indian comic book ‘Chacha Chaudhary’ created by the renowned Padma Shri cartoonist Pran Kumar Sharma to be recreated in to an animated series. The series will be produced by the pioneers in the field Toonz Media Group in collaboration with Pran’s Features. Toonz will also be the worldwide distribution company of Chacha Choudhary series with ‘Zamoza Brands’ on board to handle Licensing and Merchandizing rights. The series will be in English with 26 episodes of 22 minutes each which will be broadcasted in national and international platforms.
    Pran’s all-time favorite comic book Chacha Choudhary is rooted in India. The series is about a wise man who solves problems with his exceptional intellect along with his friend ‘Sabu’ an inhabitant of the planet Jupiter. The combination of Intellect and Strength makes everything possible for Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu just like it is said in the comic, ‘Chacha Chaudhary’s brain works faster than a computer’ and ‘when Sabu gets angry a volcano erupts somewhere’. The other interesting characters include Bini; Chacha Chaudhary’s wife, Rocket; the dog and Dag – Dag; an old truck. Unlike present fictional superhero characters Chacha Chaudhary do not have a muscular physique with unrealistic extra ordinary super powers. Unforeseen humor in each episode made the comic favorite among all ages.
    Chacha Chaudhary, the Tintin of India is a name that is very synonym to our country and equally liked by both children and adults. The bestseller comic of Pran’s Features dates back to the 1960’s and Toonz media is ready to take it to the next level via an animated series. Familiarizing the present generation to such an incredible realistic character led to the decision of recreating the comic, says P. Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Media Group.
    Nikhil Pran, CEO of Pran’s Features commented on the recreation, “Our readers who have loved reading Chacha Chaudhary comics since 1960 will now be able to enjoy the animation series. Toonz Animation has taken it to the next level of entertainment for our younger audience who will enjoy the new adventures series of Chacha Chaudhary in animation. Zamoza with its expertise in Merchandising will bring out various products based on Chacha Chaudhary merchandise. Chacha Chaudhary a legendary Indian cartoon character will live the dreams of kids.
    Rohit Sobti, CEO of Zamoza adds ” Chacha Chaudhary is the first common man superhero and one of the most Iconic Brands of India. Every Indian young adult relates to Chacha Chaudhary. We have an opportunity to offer product and experiences to the super fans. We as a team are really excited about the possibilities with Chacha’s Licensing program for Youth and Kids “

  • FICCI elects Harshavardhan Neotia as president

    FICCI elects Harshavardhan Neotia as president

    NEW DELHI: Ambuja Neotia Group chairman Harshavardhan Neotia took over as the president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) at the conclusion of the Chamber’s 88th Annual General Meeting.

     

    Neotia was conferred with the Padma Shri by the President of India in 1999 for his outstanding initiative in social housing.

     

    Additionally, Zydus Cadila – Cadila Healthcare chairman and managing director Pankaj R. Patel has been elected as senior vice president, whereas Edelweiss Group chairman and CEO Rashesh Shah has been elected as vice president.

  • Rajat Sharma gets Padma Bhushan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Tarak Mehta receive Padma Shri

    Rajat Sharma gets Padma Bhushan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Tarak Mehta receive Padma Shri

    NEW DELHI: Senior media person Rajat Sharma today received the Padma Bhushan from Indian president Pranab Mukherjee at a function in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

     

    A former Information and Broadcasting Minister, veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan.

     

    Carnatic composer and vocalist Sudha Raghunathan also received the award at the event attended among others by vice president Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

     

    This is the first part of the presentation of the civilian Republic Day honours, which have been split into two in view of the large number of awardees. The second event is expected to be held around 8 April.

     

    Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali was also presented the Padma Shri, apart from author Tarak Mehta on whose writings the popular television series Tarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma is based.

     

    Cartoonist and Chacha Choudhary creator Pran Kumar Sharma, who died in August last year, was given the Padma Shri award posthumously.

  • I still have a long way to go: SRK

    I still have a long way to go: SRK

    MUMBAI:  You can love him or hate him, but you definitely can’t ignore him. The man with a midas touch, Shah Rukh Khan needs no introduction. Just one year short of 50, the King of Bollywood celebrated his special day with his fans, charming everyone with his persona.

     

    Humility personified, SRK was dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans addressing the media and the sea of people gathered outside his residence to wish him on his birthday.

     

    “There is nothing else I can feel on my birthday except humility. I feel I do not deserve the love I get. I am just an actor and a small person and the kind of love I get, I feel blessed. What more can I ask for myself,” said the Baadshah of Bollywood.

     

    “I wish everyone gets a life like Shah Rukh Khan,” added the superstar.

     

    The actor also apologised for all the trouble to Mumbai police as well as his neighbours during days like these.

     

    Reminiscing about earlier days, when he began his career, he reckoned, “Initially I used to celebrate my birthday with not more than eight or nine people, things have changed, my fans have increased, so has the media but I still feel, I have received more than I could ever ask for.”

     

    About hitting half century next year, the actor said, “I don’t count age and I feel good and energised. I will be shooting for Fan from tomorrow (Monday). Next year it’s going to be more special as I will be turning 50.”

     

    He also disclosed that more than losing his name or fame, he is scared to not live up to his fans’ expectations. “The audiences have a lot of expectations from me and I don’t want to disappoint them and that’s my biggest fear. I hope I work hard and live up to everyone’s expectations.”

     

    Coming from the capital city, SRK is one of the very few actors who, despite of not having a godfather in the industry, made it big on his own. “I am proud of fact that I am outsider. This industry is harsh at times. It loves you at one time and also can show you the door at times. There are lots of people in the industry who are responsible for who I am today.”

     

    He also added that he doesn’t consider his personal life worthy enough to make a biopic and if it is ever made he will not be the one to act in it. “There are a number of great personalities in the industry with better stories than mine. I don’t think I have reached the level yet where a movie should be made on my life. I still have a long way to go.”

     

    The actor also revealed that he wants to start doing two films per year now; “I need to work with directors who want to push boundaries with me,” he added.

     

    Also finally, wishing the new Maharashtra government success, he said that “instead of jumping the gun, we should give them time to achieve the target set by them; it is not about the opening weekend in this case, they should be given a chance and time to perform.”

     

    Born on 2 November 1965, Shah Rukh Khan has acted in over 75 films ranging from romantic dramas to action thrillers. The actor has won the maximum number of Filmfare awards. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2005 and the prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Government of France in 2007 for his contribution to the film industry. The actor is currently working on Fan and Raees

  • Waheeda Rehman to be honoured with cinema Centenary Award at IFFI

    Waheeda Rehman to be honoured with cinema Centenary Award at IFFI

    MUMBAI: Veteran actress Waheeda Rehman will be honoured with the first cinema Centenary Award at International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on 20 November, the opening day of the festival. The award has been introduced this year and the actress will be the first one to receive it.

     

    This news has been confirmed by Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari. He tweeted saying, “Congratulations to Waheeda Rehmanji for being conferred the inaugural Centenary Award for the Indian Film Personality of the year 2013.” Other than this, the actress has already bagged honours like the Padma Shri in 1972 and the Padma Bhushan in 2011.

     

    The 44th edition of IFFI would be held at Panjim Goa from 20 November, 2013 with Susan Sarandon as the chief guest.

  • Actors Chandrashekhar and Manoj Kumar honoured at Jagran Film Festival

    Actors Chandrashekhar and Manoj Kumar honoured at Jagran Film Festival

    Veteran Chandrashekhar whose film career spans from the black and white era to the early part of this century received the Grand Prize for lifetime contribution to the cinematic arts while thespian Manoj Kumar was honoured for his work as the Icon at the Jagran Film Festival which concluded in Mumbai over the weekend.

     

    The 90-year old Chandrashekhar has acted in 186 films commencing in 1947 with Arsi. Beginning as an actor in Fashion in 1957, Manoj Kumar went on to act in or make a large number of films, many of them with patriotic themes which got him the nickname of Bharat Kumar. The government also honoured him with the Padma Shri.

     

    Versatile thespian Sridevi bagged the best actor (female) award for her comeback film English Vinglish, while the best actor award was shared by Ranbir Kapoor for Barfi! and Farhan Akhtar for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Trupti Bhoir got a special mention as actor (female) for the Marathi film Touring Talkies produced by her and directed by Gajendra Ahire.

     

    The best film award went to the film Kai Po Che!; which also bagged the best director award for Abhishek Kapoor and the background score award for Hitesh Sonik.

     

    Among those who gave away the awards were the versatile Kamal Haasan, veteran filmmaker N Chandra, producer-director Sudhir Mishra, Tushaar Kapoor and Divya Dutta. Festival Advisor Manoj Srivastava was also present.

     

    The programme presented by Kunal Kapoor and Huma Quraishi also included performances by the group Mati Baani, a World Music band combining elements of Hindustani Classical with various styles of Folk music and New age sounds

     

    Ship of Theseus received the maximum awards: best debut director award for Anand Gandhi, the Jury award for best actor for Neeraj Kabi, the cinematography award for Pankaj Kumar, and the sound designer award for Gabor ifj. Erdélyi.

     

    The special jury award was presented to Vishwaroopam for raising the bar of mainstream Indian cinema to an international level. The film also received the best editor award for Mahesh Narayanan.

     

    Aditi Singh Sharma received the best female singer award for the title song in the film Heroine while actor-singer Ayushman Khurrana received the male singer award for the film Vicky Donor. The best music award was given to Pritam for the film Barfi! for his brilliant compositions.

     

    Vicky Donor also bagged the best screenplay award for Juhi Chaturvedi.

     

    Kaushal Oza won the best short film award for his film After Glow.

     

    A special highlight of the festival was the presence of Max Lefrancq Lumiere, grandson of Louis Lumiere, who screened the first-ever films made by the Lumiere Brothers in 1895 in Paris. Irrfan Khan and Dilip Tahil were among those present.

     

    A total of fifteen cities were covered by the 4th edition of the Jagran Film Festival, which marked one hundred years of Indian cinema.

     

    The Festival commenced in Delhi in July and culminated in Mumbai from 24-29 September. In between it travelled to Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Agra, Meerut, Dehradun, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Indore, and Bhopal.

     

    The various sections included the Jagran Classics of Indian films to mark a centenary of cinema, international and national shorts, the country focus on Korea, and World Panorama, and Indian showcase.

     

    The centenary celebration included screening of films like Kundan Shah’s Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro,  Satyajit Ray’s  Apu Trilogy , Ramesh Sippy’s  Sholay , Bimal Roy’s Madhumati and Do Bigha Zameen, Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa, Mani Ratnam’s  Nayagan, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Anand, Vijay Anand’s  Guide, K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam among others.

     

    A special feature this year was Cinema for the Sellers – an Indian competition for Advertising Films.
    Other sections include World Panorama, Indian Showcase, Indian Premieres, and Jagran Shorts.