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Tag: Rajkumar Hirani

  • Philips Air Purifier partners with ‘PK’

    Philips Air Purifier partners with ‘PK’

    MUMBAI:   Today, in-branding in television and films has become a must. The visibility given to it through these popular shows and films is humongous.

    The latest to join the bandwagon is Philips India, which has entered into a marketing association with the movie ‘PK’ starring Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma to promote the company’s innovative range of air purifiers.

    On the association, Philips India consumer lifestyle president ADA Ratnam asserted, “Clean and Healthy Air should be everyone’s right. We at Philips have always aimed at serving our patrons in the best possible way and have strived each time to offer solutions that meet the real needs of people. It gives us enormous pleasure to communicate the novelty of this range to the spectators in association with the movie ‘PK’ which is one of the biggest films releasing this year.”

    This campaign highlights the uniqueness in the product range, while displaying different facets of Aamir Khan’s unique character in the movie, thereby supporting the message of, ‘Think Differently. Breathe Differently’.

    Go Fish Entertainment, an entertainment and sports marketing company with more than nine years in the industry, has been instrumental in getting the deal done. The company’s director Sajay Moolankodan said, “Philips has never failed to impress consumers with its wide-ranging products, and yet again, will evince a similar response as in the past. It is important to identify the right movie that would connect with the brand’s identity and communicate the right message to its target audience. What could be better than associating the Philips Air Purifier with PK, the year’s most anticipated movie!”

    Producer and director Rajkumar Hirani shared his thought about this association saying, “We are pleased and excited to be associated with Philips on PK.. This is truly a dynamic association and we are delighted to have Philips Air Purifier as a marketing partner on PK.”

     

  • ‘Peekay (PK)’, the first Hindi film to be shot in Bruges, Belgium

    ‘Peekay (PK)’, the first Hindi film to be shot in Bruges, Belgium

    MUMBAI: Bruges, ‘the Venice of the North’, a splendid medieval art city in Flanders,  Belgium is one of the main locations of the much awaited Bollywood film Peekay (PK), the first Indian feature film to be shot in the city.

     

    The Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma and Sushant Singh Rajput starrer Peekay (PK) directed by  Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Rajkumar Hirani Films and Vidhu VinodChopra Films in association with UTV Motion Pictures, filmed some major landmarks of Bruges. These include  the  Market  Square  and  Belfry,  Howest  Campus  Sint-Jorisstraat,  the  Beguinage (an architectural  complex  that  used  to  housed  a  semi-monastic  community  of  religious women called Beguines), plus several streets andcanals. The sequences shot in Bruges also feature a lilting romantic song “Chaar Kadam” that also beautifully captures some of the great landmarks of the town.

     

    Bruges, surrounded by an almost continuous ring of canals, is the best preserved example of medieval Flanders and is one of the premier tourist destinations of the region attracting more than 4 million visitors each year. The city boasts of numerous medieval buildings, churches, museums and art collections. It can be easily explored on foot, by boat along quiet canals, or by horse-drawn carriages over cobblestone streets. The historic center of Bruges is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and isteeming with picture perfect places of interest.

     

    PK is one of the big budget releases of 2014. The film tells the story about an Indian student living in Bruges, who wants to marry her boyfriend, but faces all kinds of obstacles. This isn’t just another typical romantic Bollywood film and the story goes deeper.

     

    Director Rajkumar Hirani decided on the destination post his visit to Bruges. He was impressed by Bruges’ alleys, picturesque canals and verdant ramparts and her elegant mysteriousness. The duo of Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra have successfully partnered in some of the top Bollywood hits earlier including  ‘MunnaBhai MBBS’, ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ and ‘3 idiots.’ Among these, ‘3 Idiots’ was the highest grosser at the box office in 2009, and the film also featured Aamir Khan among others in the star cast. PK brings this successful team back after a gap of five years.

     

    “I was spellbound by the picturesque architecture, landscapes, the strong historical background and clean refreshing environs. I decided that this is just the right place toshoot a part of the movie as it fitted in beautifully with the storyline,” said Hirani.

     

    Karl Van den Bossche, Consul General of Belgium in Mumbai said, “It has been a great experience associating with Mr. Hirani for his film PK, and we are overjoyed that people in India will get a glimpse of the beautiful city of Bruges through the film. I am sure this will inspire people to visit and experience the city and Belgium, which has so much to offer to Indian travellers. We are there to assist all tourists and travel agents with their visa requests if they want to travel to Bruges and Belgium.”

     

    Visit Flanders India representative Sunil Puri said, “Bruges is one of the four major art cities of Flanders, which is the northern federated state of the Kingdom ofBelgium. The other enchanting cities are Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels. Even though Indians are now travelling to various parts of the globe, Bruges is the brightest gemamongst the medieval cities of Europe. We look forward to welcoming more and more Indian visitors to this remarkable destination.”

     

  • Anushka Sharma to appear in the next PK poster

    Anushka Sharma to appear in the next PK poster

    MUMBAI: Aamir Khan is leaving no stone unturned in promoting his upcoming film PK. The first poster of PK garnered enough buzz in the market with the actor posing almost nude in the first look of the film.

    In order to keep the buzz alive, it was being speculated that Khan will be looking at releasing about seven to eight posters of the film before the trailer. The posters until now have had Khan and the recent one had Sanjay Dutt as a part of it. It is only now that the leading lady of the film, Anushka Sharma revealed that she will be giving us a glimpse of her avatar in the film’s next poster.

    Recently, the actress took to Twitter to talk about the release of the next poster of the film. She tweeted this video saying, “Mujhe tukur tukur dekhna hai? Toh pehle isse dekho” Sharma described that the next poster will be released on WhatsApp and it will only be available if you put up a phone number on a group of ten or more people.

     
    Directed by Rajkumar Hirani and also produced by Hirani in association with Vidhu Vinod Chopra and UTV, PK also stars Sushant Singh Rajput and Boman Irani. The film is slated to release on December 19.

     

  • Mumbai Film Festival raises Rs 1.5 crore in two days

    Mumbai Film Festival raises Rs 1.5 crore in two days

    MUMBAI: Since the launch of a social media campaign to save the Mumbai Film Festival on 28 August, the festival has raised Rs 1.5 crore of the Rs 5 crore budget required. The campaign started after media reported that the festival had been called off due to lack of funds.

     

    The industry at large has pledged their support in ensuring the 16th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival will yet again be marked on the regions cultural and festival calendar.

     

    Well known producer-directors Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, producers Manish Mundra, Vivek Kajaria and Nilesh Navlakha, director Hansal Mehta and noted author and critic Anupama Chopra amongst numerous others have helped in the funding the film festival.

     

    Speaking on these developments, festival director, Srinivasan Narayan said, “I am extremely happy and humbled with the response that we have been getting from the film industry and film lovers in the city at large. We are delighted and grateful to Cinestaan Film Company, Anand Mahindra, Rohit Khattar and Manish Mundra for their generous contribution. Also we are extremely thankful to Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Anupama Chopra, Vivek Kajaria and others for ensuring that the festival rises like a Phoenix. Today for the first time ever it truly feels that the Mumbai Film Festival belongs to the patrons and lovers of the festival. I thank each and every one of those who strive to ensure that the festival continues to present the best of World cinema to our Indian audiences”

     

    Cinestaan Film Company, promoted by Anand Mahindra and Rohit Khattar have also stepped in with their support and has committed Rs 60 lakh for the cause.

     

    Talking about the lack of funding in the festival, Cinestaan Film Company chairman Rohit Khattar said, “Anand (Mahindra) & I believe that a festival as important as this should not belong to one sponsor or studio. As the youngest film studio, we would appeal to the larger studios, production houses and, in fact, to all film lovers in Mumbai to take joint ownership. This is our festival and even the smallest contribution would help fulfill our mission. The Mumbai Film Festival has become an integral part of our cinema heritage and as an industry we need to come together to raise it to new heights and nurture it together.”

     

    The Mumbai Film Festival is organised by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) – a trust comprised of Indian film industry stalwarts and was founded in 1997 by late filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Noted filmmaker Shyam Benegal currently heads the organisation.

     

    To contribute, visit http://www.mumbaifilmfest.org/pledge . To contribute via cheque, write to director@mumbaifilmfest.com. The cheque will be collected by a festival representative.

  • Aamir Khan’s PK to release during Christmas

    Aamir Khan’s PK to release during Christmas

    MUMBAI: Aamir Khan fans have been waiting with bated breath for his next PK directed by Raj Kumar Hirani. When the two of them joined their hands earlier, the outcome was the blockbuster 3 Idiots. But the wait for the fans is going to be longer as an official statement reveals that the film that was supposed to be released in June, will now release during Christmas.

     

    We wonder the cause behind pushing the movie ahead by more than six months as earlier it was supposed to release in June. Is it because Aamir’s Christmas releases usually turn out to be blockbusters? It could be a possible reason.

     

    Interestingly, the Christmas week will also see the release of Anurag Kashyap’s ambitious project, Bombay Velvet starring Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma. With two big releases with similarly big stars, we just hope the industry does a good business. 

  • Anushka Sharma turns producer, joins hands with Phantom for NH-10

    Anushka Sharma turns producer, joins hands with Phantom for NH-10

    MUMBAI: Anushka Sharma is joining hands with Phantom to produce Navdeep Singh’s next film titled, NH 10. Anushka, who plays the lead in the film, liked the script so much that she has decided to co-produce it with Phantom.

     

    The deal makes the 25-year-old actor the youngest actor-producers on the block taking her to a different league altogether vis-?-vis her contemporaries. With two of the biggest films Rajkumar Hirani’s Peekay with Aamir Khan and Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet with Ranbir Kapoor, NH 10 will be her third release next year.

     

    Continuing with their content driven films like Lootera, which released this year, Phantom will back Navdeep Singh to direct his second film post his critically acclaimed debut Manorama 6 Feet Under. The film is full with edge of the seat action and thrills, when a road trip goes wrong. It brings together a very talented crew of technicians including international action directors.

     

    Speaking on her new role, Anushka says, “I’m thrilled to get a chance to do this so early in my career. I couldn’t have found a better project than NH-10 to kick-start this new phase in my film journey. This is my second film after Bombay Velvet with Phantom, and it’s a blast working with them. It’s going to be super-exciting working together again on what promises to be an explosive film.”

     

    Vikramaditya Motwane, who is a part of the Phantom team, is excited to partner with the young actor. He says, “We love to partner with the talent we work with. It’s extremely reassuring for us when the lead actor wants to join hands, to back an outstanding script like NH10. We strongly believe in the script and know that Navdeep is going to make a kickass film out of it”.

     

    The film will be shot this winter across the northern plains around Delhi, NH 10 and will release on 12 September, 2014.

  • Subhash Kapoor to direct third part of Munnabhai

    Subhash Kapoor to direct third part of Munnabhai

    MUMBAI: As Rajkumar Hirani is busy with the Aamir Khan starrer PK, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra has assigned the direction of the third part of Munnabhai series to Subhash Kapoor who made a name after he helmed Phas Gaye Re Obama.

    Kapoor is currently busy with the post production of his film Jolly LLB that stars Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani and Amrita Rao. "I will start working on it once I finish work on Jolly LLB," Kapoor said.

    The first two installments, Munnabhai MBBS‘ (2003) and Lage Raho Munnabhai (2006), are both directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

    Elaborating on the matter, Vidhu Vinod Chopra Films‘ CEO Sameer Rao said, "Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi will continue as Munna and Circuit respectively."

  • Indian director Sarthak Dasgupta wins Sundance-Mahindra filmmaking award

    Indian director Sarthak Dasgupta wins Sundance-Mahindra filmmaking award

    MUMBAI: Indian filmmakers are going places. Sarthak Dasgupta from India and three other directors have won the 2013 Sundance-Mahindra Global filmmaking award that supports the emerging independent talent from around the world.

    Dasgupta, who has previously written and directed award-winning film The Great Indian Butterfly, won the award this time for The Music Teacher. The other winners include Jonas Carpignano from Italy-US for A Chjana, Brazilian director Aly Muritiba for The Man Who Killed My Beloved Dead and Vendela Vida and Eva Weber for Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, a UK-Germany-US co-production.

    Each of the four winning filmmakers will receive a cash award of $10,000, attendance at the Sundance Film Festival and creative and strategic support.

    This is the second year that one of the four award recipients is an Indian. Last year‘s winner was Shonali Bose for her project Margarita, With A Straw.

    The awards were presented at a private ceremony at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah (US) by Rohit Khattar, Chairman, Mumbai Mantra, Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Feature Film Programme, Sundance Institute and Paul Federbush, International Director, Feature Film Programme, Sundance Institute.

    “At a time when there is no dearth of issues around the world that are crying out to be heard, the Global Filmmaking award recognises independent filmmakers who give expression to those voices,” said the Mahindra Group chairman and managing director Anand Mahindra in a statement.

    “The Mahindra Group is proud to assist the Sundance Institute in this endeavour, which, in line with the Group‘s ‘Rise‘ philosophy, aims to drive a positive change in communities across the world,” he added.

    The nomination committee for the Indian Award winner included prominent names from Indian cinema like Sharmila Tagore, Anil Kapoor, Rajkumar Hirani, Ramesh Sippy, Shabana Azmi, Shyam Benegal, Anjum Rajabali, K Hariharan and Ira Bhaskar.

    The Sundance Institute-Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award is part of a multifaceted collaboration that exemplifies a commitment to and support of world cinema by the Mahindra Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in India, and the non-profit Sundance Institute, one of the world‘s leading cultural organisations.

    This is the third and the last of the three-year collaboration between the two organisations.

    The Sundance-Mahindra Group‘s collaboration also includes the Mumbai Mantra Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab in India, which provides an annual opportunity for eight screenwriters from India to develop their works under the guidance of accomplished international screenwriters.

  • Jugal Hansraj to take animation master class at Melbourne fest

    Jugal Hansraj to take animation master class at Melbourne fest

    MUMBAI: Jugal Hansraj, who directed YRF and Disney‘s first collaborative animation film Roadside Romeo in 2008, will address a master class on animation at Indian Film Festival Melbourne, scheduled to go underway from 11 to 22 June.

    Hansraj will be present at the festival along with Rajkumar Hirani, Rituparno Ghosh and Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who will conduct master classes on expertise in their respective fields.

    In a 90-minute presentation, the actor-director will share his first hand experiences of directing Roadside Romeo because it was the first mainstream, non-mythological animation film.

    Hansraj, who last directed Pyaar Impossible in 2010, is ready with several new scripts. He is in talks with several producers and hopes to start work on one of these scripts by the end of this year.

  • Four Indian directors to conduct Master class at IFFM

    Four Indian directors to conduct Master class at IFFM

    MUMBAI: Rituparno Ghosh, Rajkumar Hirani, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Jugal Hansraj will conduct master classes at the forthcoming Indian Film Festival Melbourne (IFFM) 2012.

    The festival will be held from 11 to 22 June.

    Hirani and Abhijat Joshi will talk about successful script writing collaborations (3 Idiots, Lage Raho Munna Bhai) in master class, ‘Thinking through Laughter’, with a special focus on the comedy genre.

    While Ghosh will discuss Art house cinema in India as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Bollywood cinema in his master class ‘Realism in Indian cinema’, Mukherjee will conduct ‘Talking through Fabric’, a master class looking at the role of costume and fabric design in creating a powerful narrative in film.

    On the other hand, Hansraj will conduct ‘Animation: The hotspot for co–production’, a master class discussing India’s booming animation industry and the possibility of Australian/Indian animation co-productions.