Tag: #Resilience

  • “Bastar – The Naxal Story” premieres on &pictures this weekend

    “Bastar – The Naxal Story” premieres on &pictures this weekend

    Mumbai: Prepare to embark on a journey of resilience, bravery, and unwavering patriotism as ‘Bastar – The Naxal Story’ premieres on &pictures on Saturday, 23 November, at 9:30 PM. Directed by Sudipto Sen and featuring Adah Sharma in a compelling lead role, the film sheds light on one of India’s most critical yet underexplored battles against the Naxal insurgency.  

    Set in the Bastar region, the gripping narrative follows a young tribal woman and an IPS officer, portrayed by Adah Sharma, as they combat the growing influence of radical ideologies and external interference. The story highlights the exploitation of local communities and the struggle to preserve India’s sovereignty, making it a tale of national pride and unity.  

    Sen shared his vision behind the film, stating, “This film isn’t just about conflict; it’s about the spirit of India’s people who rise to protect their nation, no matter the odds. Bastar – The Naxal Story is a tribute to every brave soul fighting for the nation’s integrity, and with its premiere on &pictures, I believe it will awaken a deep sense of pride and patriotism in every viewer.”

    Sharma reflected on her role, saying, ‘“Playing a part in this story has been a humbling experience. Bastar – The Naxal Story is a reminder of the sacrifices made by our jawans for the country we call home. I hope the premiere on &pictures inspires the audiences to think about the value of freedom and the lengths our bravehearts go to protect it.”  

     

  • First Footage of Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken released

    First Footage of Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken released

    MUMBAI: Complimenting the current ongoing Sochi Winter Olympics, Universal Pictures has just released the first footage of the upcoming feature film adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand’s bestseller, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.

     

    Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie directs and produces Unbroken, an epic drama that follows the incredible life of Olympian and war hero Louis “Louie” Zamperini, played by Jack O’Connell (Skins) who, along with two other crewmen, survived in a raft for 47 days after a near-fatal plane crash in WWII—only to be caught by the Japanese Navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

     

    Adapted from Laura Hillenbrand’s enormously popular book, Unbroken brings to the big screen Zamperini’s unbelievable and inspiring true story about the resilient power of the human spirit.

     

    Starring alongside O’Connell are Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 & Part 2) and Finn Wittrock (All My Children) as Phil and Mac—the airmen with whom Zamperini endured perilous weeks adrift in the open Pacific—Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) and John Magaro (Not Fade Away) as fellow POWs who find an unexpected camaraderie during their internment, Alex Russell (Carrie) as Zamperini’s brother, Pete, and in his English-language feature debut, Japanese singer turned actor Miyavi as the brutal camp guard known only to the men as “The Bird.”

     

    The film is produced by Jolie, as well as Matthew Baer (City by the Sea), Erwin Stoff (The Day the Earth Stood Still) and Clayton Townsend (This is 40). Leading the accomplished behind-the-scenes crew is 10-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins (Skyfall).

     

    Academy Award winners Joel and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men) rewrote the screenplay from earlier drafts by William Nicholson (Les Misérables) and Richard LaGravenese (HBO’s Behind the Candelabra). 

     

    The following preview of the film that marks Jolie’s sophomore entry into film direction includes new footage from the film along with commentary by the 96 year old Olympian himself, Louis Zampereni and narration by Tom Brokaw, the former NBC Nightly News anchor.

     

    Click here to watch the inspiring footage: Unbroken – Olympics Preview

  • Entertainment &Media sectors to grow steadily: CII-PwC

    Entertainment &Media sectors to grow steadily: CII-PwC

    MUMBAI:  India’s Entertainment & Media sector is expected to grow steadily over the next five years as per Confederation of Indian Industry-Price Waterhouse Cooper (CII-PwC) latest report titled ‘India Entertainment & Media Outlook 2013’.

    The industry is expected to exceed Rs 224,500 crore growing at a CAGR of 18 per cent from 2012 to 2017. The CII-PwC report was released today at the second edition of the CII Big Picture Summit held in New Delhi.

    The Summit which brought together the finest business and creative minds of the E&M industry with `Embracing Innovation in Media’ was themed towards achieving $100 billion by the end of this decade.  Over 70 M&E leaders spoke at the two-day summit organised by the CII.

    Today, the size of the Indian M&E sector has increased from about Rs 805 billion in 2011 to almost Rs 965 billion in 2012 representing a year-on-year growth of 20 per cent. This growth was achieved in spite of a relative slowdown in the broader economy, underlining the resilience of the E&M sector. It is expected to grow at about 18 per cent CAGR over 2012-2017 and reach revenues of about Rs 2,245 billion in 2017.

     “This growth is driven by the introduction of cable TV digitisation, continued growth of regional media, continued strength of the filmed entertainment sector, fast increasing new media businesses and transparency,’’ said CII director general Chandrajit Banerjee. “We believe that innovation – faster, better, more efficient, thinking out of the box (and within the box) – would be one of the game changers in this space,’’ he added.

    An entire chapter on “The Innovation Imperative in the rapidly evolving E&M sector’’ has documented strategies for E&M companies in the CII-PwC report.  Indian E&M businesses, like its peers abroad, needs to raise its game in operational agility and customer insight.

     “To achieve this successfully, every industry participant will need to invest in constant innovation that encompasses products and services, business and operating models and most importantly, customer experience and engagement. Innovation should be seen as an important enabler to get closer to consumers and profitably deliver relevant content and services,” said the report.

     India’s television market grew at 13 per cent with revenues increasing from Rs 340 billion in 2011 to Rs 383 billion in 2012. Filmed entertainment also demonstrated stellar growth in 2012 with sector revenues increasing by about 17 per cent from Rs 96 billion in 2011 to Rs 112 billion in 2012. The print sector revenues are expected to increase at over nine per cent CAGR to reach Rs 331 billion in 2017 from Rs 212 billion in 2012.

    Year-on-year sectors such as internet access (30 per cent), internet advertising (29 per cent), gaming (19 per cent), and music (15 per cent) are expected to continue on their high growth trajectory. The radio sector is also expected to receive a fillip with the successful conclusion of Phase III license auctions and it is expected to grow at a robust CAGR of about 16 per cent.

     The rapid rise of Internet usage, high penetration of smart phones, digital advertising, wireless broadband, digital content consumption, regulatory interventions have had a significant impact on the E&M sector.

    The television and print sectors dominate the industry with about 40 per cent and 22 per cent contribution to industry revenues respectively in 2012. Internet access now commands about 18 per cent share and films 12 per cent of industry revenues.

     Nonetheless, in 2017, television will continue to lead the industry in terms of revenue contribution with 39 per cent share, followed by internet access with 28% share. The share of print and films are likely to decrease 15 per cent and nine per cent in 2017.

    If we take the E&M growth without taking internet access and internet advertising into account the size of the Indian M&E sector increased from about Rs 690 billion in 2011 to almost Rs 795 billion in 2012. It is expected to grow at about 15 per cent CAGR over 2012-2017 and reach revenues of about Rs 1,615 billion in 2017.

     Overall, the Indian E&M industry is on the cusp of a strong phase of growth, backed by rising consumer payments and advertising revenues across all sectors.