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Tag: Shabana Azmi

  • ‘Chalk N Duster:’ Insipid tale

    ‘Chalk N Duster:’ Insipid tale

    MUMBAI: Chalk N Duster is an almost all-women game of politics taking place at a school, bearing a traditional old-fashioned name like Kantaben High School. There is a bunch of teachers, dedicated as they can be until an overly ambitious new principal steps in.

     

    Divya Dutta manipulates her way to the position of the principal of Kantaben High School by ousting Zarina Wahab from the post. From there on, she wants to convert this traditional institution into a much-in-vogue “international school.” The overpriced school would automatically render it unaffordable for poor children making it a school only for the rich. The trustee of the school, Arya Babbar, supports her whims.

     

    Now Dutta needs to get rid of the current lot of teachers. To achieve her goal, she starts harassing the teachers, changing the rules hoping this would force them to resign. While she harasses the teachers she wants to get rid of, she also rewards those who follow her line with better positions.

     

    She starts with sacking teachers she does not want. As she sacks veteran teacher Shabana Azmi, there is a reaction but the others know they can’t do anything about it. However, a fellow teacher, Juhi Chawla, takes up the issue and also gets sacked in the bargain.

     

    Babbar is delighted at the events at his school and also challenges the chairman of a rival school, Jackie Shroff, that his school will become more reputed than his. That boast proves costly for Babbar as Shroff does not take kindly to this dare. He decides to involve the media into the matters of Kantaben High School and soon a reporter, Richa Chadha, exposes the deeds of Babbar and Dutta on national television, no less.

     

    Chalk N Duster has a horde of talented actors but this badly written and directed film fails to exploit their worth. It needed the duster right when the first draft for the film was penned.

     

    Chalk N Duster is an insipid film unlikely to attract audience.

     

    Producer: Amin Surani

     

    Director: Jayant Gilatar

     

    Cast: Shabana Azmi, Juhi Chawla, Divya Dutta, Upasna Singh, Girish Karnad, Zarina Wahab, Aarya Babbar, Samir Soni and Adi Irani with special appearances by Rishi Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Richa Chaddha

  • ‘If you can’t take people to theatre, take theatre to people:’ Shailja Kejriwal

    ‘If you can’t take people to theatre, take theatre to people:’ Shailja Kejriwal

    A pioneer in the Indian media and broadcast industry, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd chairman and Essel Group promoter Dr Subhash Chandra has been a major force to reckon with for more than two decades now. With his exemplary vision and forward thinking, he has always been a step ahead in the game.

     

    While over the years, he has consistently demonstrated his ability to identify new businesses and lead them on the path to success; this time round too, Chandra has deftly raised the curtains on something that no one else has done before in India. In a bid to restore theatre’s glory and culture in India and give it its due, Chandra has launched a new vertical called Zee Theatre, which will not only boost the art form in the country but will also make it available across platforms.

     

    It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that television, films, video, satellite and digital’s gain has been theatre’s loss in more ways than one. It was also the lack of facilities, infrastructure, less revenue and diminishing audience, which led to theatres being converted into movie cinema halls. And therein rose theatre artists like Nasseruddin Shah, Om Puri, Shah Rukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shabana Azmi and their ilk, who then stepped into the film world.

     

    In conversation with Indiantelevision.com, Zeel chief creative – special projects Shailja Kejriwal speaks about the new vertical and the company’s plans ahead.

     

    Excerpts:

     

    Was the idea behind this initiative? Why Zee is showing interest in theatre? 

     

    Zee as a broadcaster has been known for doing new things in cable satellite television. We are constantly trying to create something new for the audience in terms of content. These days the entertainment industry is trying to outsource content from overseas and remake it. We want to change that and look in our own country for content, which has not yet been used and is ignored.

     

    Firstly, we want to invert the cycle of importing content. Our aim is to show the world the rich traditional culture of India. Secondly, while earlier people had to travel to see and enjoy theatre, now they can watch it on the internet, mobile, DTH, television, in-flight as well as at screenings in multiplexes. If they want to watch it live, they have also the option of watching the live shows that we will be doing.

     

    Our idea is to take theatre to the maximum number of people so that everybody can enjoy the content.

     

    What kind of content will Zee Theatre focus on?

     

    We will be starting with India first. We have a very rich culture in theatre with plays in multiple languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali etc. With over 5000 year old traditions of Natya Shashtra, India has numerous plays right from Kalidasa to absolutely modern plays. 

     

    Our focus will be on Indian plays first and then of course later we will open up to the rest of the world. In the beginning, we want to offer all kind of theatre content to our audiences and later we will be looking at some plays, which we can adapt in Hindi. We have classic plays like Hamida Bai Ki Kothi and Sandhya Chhaya, as well as musicals like Piya Behrupiya to modern ones like 30 Days of September.

     

    Will plays be adapted from other languages?

     

    Yes, absolutely! We are doing the production from the ground. We are going to take the script and translate it to Hindi, then we will cast for it, rehearse, do the whole production and then we will film it. That is the reason why we are ready to do live theatre as well as film theatre. We’ve started to make plays in Hindi first and then they can be subtitled and dubbed in all parts of the world.

     

    How is the response from founder sponsors and advertisers?

     

    Everybody is very positive and quite excited about the initiative. It is a new kind of content. We need to see more content, which is based in India. It boils down to the question of how long the audience will see the same kind of song and dance, chat shows and stand-up comedy. It has to change. It’s about time that the audience got something new apart from film and television. 

     

    Theatre has new genre of content; it has new kinds of stories, which have not been told before on films and television. Plays have relevant social messages and genres include comedy, news, musicals, tragedy, psychological thriller, fillers and more. So, advertisers are showing good interest for this project. We will be rolling out in early 2016 and will collaborate with sponsors then but as of now, brands that we have spoken to, have evinced interest.

     

    So far, Indian theatre has been under indexed and under pushed. Are you going to raise the bar for theatre production in India?

     

    Yes, that is exactly the reason why we ventured into this area. With our investment in theatre, we want to make grand sets and beautiful costumes. The biggest names in theatre are working with us and guiding us on how theatre works.

     

    For each play, we have two directors – a filming director and a theatre director. We are following the process involved in a film production so we will have a casting director, costume designer, set designer and every aspect to make it grand and raise the production quality. I believe audience will be happy to see a marked change in visual production quality.

     

    Is Zee Theatre looking at starting any festival of theatre plays?

     

    Yes, we are planning to start festivals for plays. We will be doing these on-ground and on-air too. Gradually we will be doing live theatre festivals as well as on cinema screens. Right now, we just want to make our intention in the space known and in 2016 we want to release it out on digital, cinemas, live and broadcast and take it forward.

     

    International theatre companies provide world class production quality. What are the new innovations you will be investing in for bringing in advanced technology and better quality production?

     

    We have a very skilled set of people who will be ideating on how to raise the bar for theatre in India. We have our crew from the movie business comprising sound recorders, set designers and fashion designers. On the other hand, most of our casting directors and actors have theatre as well as film background.

     

    Names like Uttara Baokar, who will be seen on television after 20 years is associated with us. We have theatre doyennesses like Mahasweta Devi, Dr Vijaya Mehta and Ranjeet Kapoor on board with us. Dr Mehta is a noted Indian film and theatre director, who will be directing a play after 1993.

     

    We sit with these stalwarts along with designers, light designers and everyone else involved while producing the plays. It has been very challenging because it is a new thing that we are trying to do.

     

    How will the production logistics work? Will you be working with other production houses?

     

    For now we are co-producing all the plays. We have people who will produce with us but as producers, we will take it forward.

     

    We are working with people who are from theatre and those who produce theatre, along with a set of expertise from television, for example people like Mukud Upadhayay and Romanchak Arora.

     

    A motley bunch of creative talent from television, theatre and films like cinematographers, editors and music directors have come together to make it possible.

     

    Who will own the play and script rights that are produced under Zee Theatre?

     

    We are going to take scripts from the biggest names in theatre from all parts of India and translate them it in Hindi for the production. We have acquired play rights from the likes of Vijay Tendulkar, Jaywant Dalvi, and Mahasweta Devi amongst others.

     

    Disney recently brought Broadway to India with superior quality production. Are there any plans to bring production from abroad?

     

    We want to take our culture abroad. Personally I don’t understand why we have to constantly look abroad to bring content here. Why can’t we take our content overseas? Our prime focus is on how we can take our content abroad. We do have a huge audience for theatre abroad, so why shouldn’t we take classics like Abhigyan Shakuntalam abroad? Our culture and theatre should go abroad rather than getting their content here.

     

    Are there any deals in place with any of the platforms – online, flights, cable etc?

     

    The advantage for us is that we are available across all the platforms in any case. That’s the advantage of being a multi-media broadcaster. So whether it’s cinema, online or broadcast, we can do it on our own platform.

     

    Additionally, to syndicate and distribute the content, we have offices around the world. The plays will be subtitled, dubbed and then showcased.

     

    As of now we have not struck any deals because we have just announced our intention. The process will start soon and by next year, we will have a list.

     

    Zee Theatre plans to have 100 productions over a span of three years. How will the releases span out? When we see the first production going live?

     

    We will be rolling it out next year. Since our intention is to make the plays available across all platforms namely digital, cinema, television and theatre, we are looking at early 2016. 

     

    We have stories on varied topics like internet romance, old parent left alone by their children and girl child abuse. These are very relevant plays that are about subjects in society, which is not usually discussed in cinema or on television. These subjects need to be discussed in an entertaining way and with good story telling. We want to have social relevance through entertainment.

     

    Will you also be looking at promoting street plays and outdoor plays with Zee Theatre? Will it include college theatre? 

     

    We have 15 plays right now, which are under various stages of production. We are very proud that we were able to manage 15 productions; it’s like having 15 films with two hour content each. Working with such scale is quite challenging. Our plan is to do 100 productions over three years and we will be experimenting all sorts of things but one after the other. Then we will focus on the outdoors. Yes, we are planning to take it to schools and colleges too; the youth needs to see it. We are tying up with schools and universities to keep screenings for them.

     

    Will there be programming on theatre plays? For example; talk shows and behind the scenes programs.

     

    We want to make people see the process in terms of what happens behind the scenes. We have interviewed directors, actors, set designers and will do programs capturing the process. We have also shot the rehearsals, where directors are talking about the play and how it works in the theatre production. The material is being prepared, which will definitely  be shared with the audience through programs.

     

    What kind of audience are you targeting in India? Will you be looking at the South market too?

     

    The content we have created is for everyone as the issues are very social and people can relate to them. We have selected topics, which are universal in nature. I believe this will be new form of entertainment; people are a bit tired of seeing the same kind of shows on all channels. As there is less variety in terms of content, it will give them a choice.

     

    I think people will welcome this change and it will give entertainment an alternative. Theatre needs to become a viable option. It should come out as refreshing change like we did with Zindagi. People are ready to accept fresh content and that too which is from their own country. While it won’t be very easy for the audience to accept it but theatre will grow on them and the audience will become habitual to it as they did to daily soaps and comedy shows.

     

    Is Zee Theatre a cultural move or a commercial move? Are you planning to monetise it aggressively?

     

    These cannot be separated from each other. There’s no cost for revising our tradition and culture. We have to take it to our future generation. We invested in whatever was required.

     

    Firstly, we want to create good content for our viewers, but then great content can get commercialised. The audience should enjoy the content first. We are trying to reach out to more people. We are not in a hurry. Our aim is to let the culture flourish and it will become great archival material sometime in the near future.

     

    There are limited quality theatre halls in Mumbai like NCPA and Prithvi. Will Zee be investing in building infrastructure for theatre halls and auditoriums too?

     

    Bombay still has infrastructure for theatre but to do live theatre, it needs certain amount of investment for good quality. For more investment, people need to get the investment back to make more plays. Because of the legacy of theatre in Maharashtra, we have theatres in Pune also. But as cinema came in, all the theatres were converted into movie theatres.

     

    The vision and aim behind starting this initiative was that if we can’t take people to the theatre, then let’s take theatre to people. We will give people an option of watching quality plays from the comfort of their homes as well as theatres. 

     

    We do plan to invest in the infrastructure but that will depend on the reaction and reach this initiative gets.

     

    Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre has a legacy like no other and is one of the most recognized players in the space. Are there any plans to collaborate?

     

    We are ready to collaborate with anyone who is ready to collaborate with us. We want to reach to the audience in all parts of the country. Our main focus was to finish the productions first. After that, we will get out in the market and collaborate with whoever is interested.

  • ‘Jazbaa’: Lacks passion

    ‘Jazbaa’: Lacks passion

    Urdu film titles, one thought, had served their utility and vanished along with the Urdu script in film scrolls. Jazbaa may need to be explained to many though they may figure out the meaning roughly, especially today’s generation. A remake of a Korean film, Seven Days, this one is a whodunit that hurriedly goes around its purpose, introducing new characters randomly, till it is time to spring the who of whodunit. That will come as a surprise to many if one is patient enough till that stage.

    Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, returning to films after a five year hiatus, is a lawyer who is reputed for never having lost a case. She can work miracles with her logic and save the accused from certain death sentences. She does not care how big a criminal is as long as she wins and as long as the criminal can afford her charges. So the poor soul is fated to save only high-profile criminals.

    Aishwarya has got a criminal acquitted of a ghastly murder but her glee is short-lived. Her daughter, Sara Arjun, has been kidnapped from under her eyes. There is no ransom demand. Instead, the deal is that she defend a criminal, Chandan Roy  Sanyal, certain to be sentenced to death for rape and murder of a girl just out of her teens, Priya Banerjee, who is the daughter of Shabana Azmi, a professor.

    Aishwarya has to accept the deal. She has just four days until the convict’s next hearing is due. When she accepts the case, it surprises a lot of people.

    Irrfan Khan is a friend of Aishwarya since college days. He secretly loved her but never managed to get it through to her. He is a super cop; all movies have them. He is charged with corruption and is awaiting suspension. His seniors would let him off the hook for Rs 1.5 crore. But, suspended cops are preferred in film stories. They have the freedom to pursue personal adventures, especially at a time when the cop’s damsel in distress needs him.

    While Aishwarya does not initially confide in Irrfan about her daughter, he catches on eventually. Both join forces as Irrfan makes it a habit to spring up wherever and whenever Aishwarya is in trouble. The film keeps serving up some red herrings in Jackie Shroff, who is a politician (they make easy negative stereotypes in films), his drug addict son, and his henchman until, after about 100 minutes of runtime, the dots start joining themselves. Voices from nowhere start talking into Irrfan’s cell phone giving him clues and directions leading him to the culprits as well as the kidnapped girl.

    The jigsaw pieces have started self-assembling. So much for an ace lawyer’s logic and a super cop’s detection skills. The case solves itself. While the climax justifies the appointment of the ace lawyer Aishwarya to save a rape-murder convict, nothing justifies all that meandering about for almost two hours with content that is not relevant.

    The writer-director team have not bothered to build any sort of bond between Aishwarya and her daughter, a mandatory requirement for the Indian audience. The situation is just thrown at you that here is this great lawyer whose daughter has been kidnapped. Bringing in new characters on the scene without introduction or ties hardly helps.

    Director Sanjay Gupta loves to fill his screens with scenic visual and towards this end, cinematographer Sameer Arya lives up to his expectation. But, it is the adaptation of the Korean film to Hindi and efforts made to make it palatable for the local audience that spoils the show. Songs, three in all, are immaterial to the film.

    Irrfan has some good lines but, otherwise, the dialogue is mundane. For a lawyer of high standing, even Aishwarya’s court arguments don’t carry an impact as they should. Editing could have avoided repeat scenes. Background score is over the tolerable decibel level.

    Irrfan has created a fan following of his own because of which there is a market for him. But, three films between May and October,Piku, Talvar and now Jazbaa, shows his limitations. In all his films, he is Irrfan, not the character he plays. Aishwarya overacts all the way. Shabana is a veteran but has little scope here; Jackie has none at all.

    Jazbaa has failed to rouse much curiosity in the moviegoer due to which the opening response is below par. The word of mouth not being in favour, the film’s box office prospects are poor.

    Producers: Sanjay Gupta, Nitin Keni

    Director: Sanjay Gupta

    Cast: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Irrfan Khan, Shabana Azmi, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Jackie Shroff, Atul Kulkarni, Siddhanth Kapoor, Priya Banerjee, Sara Arjun

  • Manorama News to telecast Newsmaker Awards on 24 September

    Manorama News to telecast Newsmaker Awards on 24 September

    MUMBAI: Manorama News will telecast Newsmaker 2014 award ceremony on 24 September, 2015 at 9 pm. 

    Newsmaker of the year award is a title awarded by Manorama News annually, to a person who has made the headlines, most frequently and brings in a positive change to Kerala society. The Newsmaker of the year is chosen by the viewer’s through SMS and online voting. The aim is to honour a personality, who by the merit of his or her work, made it to the headlines frequently and influenced public opinion.
     

    This year the channel’s viewers have chosen Manju Warrier as the Newsmaker of the year. Warrier is an ace dancer and an actress of eminence, who came back to Malayalam cinema after a gap of 14 years. Her comeback was through a socially relevant film, which discussed the issues and dilemmas of a middle class housewife. Through this film she not only proved that she is a great actress but also a personality who can influence public opinion and channelize it to a positive course. The award was handed over to Warrier by Shabana Azmi

  • BCCC meets to discuss action against complaints received

    BCCC meets to discuss action against complaints received

    MUMBAI: In its 41st meeting, it was business as usual for the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC). The executives met to discuss complaints received against the various channels. A couple of these complaints did include the latest season of Bigg Boss and an action against all the complaints received will be taken in the coming week.

    However, what is noteworthy is the interactive session held after the meeting. The council along with former BCCC member and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) member Dipa Dixit, broadcasters even from the south and a special guest, Neela TeleFilms producer Asit Modi discussed the portrayal of children on the small screen.

    The reason behind getting Modi as the special guest was his successful running show, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, informs a BCCC official. “The show has been on for seven years and we haven’t received a single complaint against it. Also, the show features a lot of children so we thought who else would be better than him to discuss on the topic,” he adds.

    The interactive session, after last year’s session on women portrayal, focused on three main issues. One, taking care of children behind the screen as a number of children act as well as participate in shows. The channels need to make sure that they are not only well fed but also shouldn’t miss schools.

    Second, depiction of children, as some need to perform dangerous acts, dance on item songs etc which can hurt as well as impact their psyche. And lastly, as TV is the biggest medium of communication, channels need to think of what they should see and shouldn’t see on TV.

    “Kids are hooked on to TV these days and some of the animation especially foreign one on kids’ channels receive a lot of complaints from parents. They feel that dubbing in Hindi is not done well for cartoons like Doraemon and it can negatively impact children,” explains the official.

    The interactive session gave a room for the channels to put forth their point of view in front of the BCCC as they all agreed upon the fact that since the Council’s formation in 2011, there has been a drastic change in the content on television which is a very positive move.

    “The broadcasters said that they are aware of dos and don’ts as they want to work in children’s best interest,” says the official.

    With the session done, the focus of the BCCC will go back to the complaints received and to pen down the action needed to be taken to make television more suitable for all age groups.

     

  • Essel Vision enters into a multi-film deal with White Feather Films

    Essel Vision enters into a multi-film deal with White Feather Films

    MUMBAI: Essel Vision Productions Ltd (EVPL), the creative and production studio of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), has announced a multi-film deal to make its foray into mainstream commercial Hindi films with writer, director and producer, Sanjay Gupta’s White Feather Films.

    The first film to go on floors in January 2015 is directed by Sanjay Gupta. Titled Jazbaa, it is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s comeback film as the dynamic lead protagonist and also stars Irrfan Khan, Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher. Jazbaa will be Aishwarya’s first film after a gap of 5 years.

     Essel Vision has, in a short span of three years, emerged as a full-fledged state-of-the-art-studio that is a one-stop destination for all in film making, promotions, advertising, distribution and revenue generating streams. It has built a dynamic portfolio of regional cinema in Marathi and Bengali, top rated television shows and is now venturing into Hindi cinema. Wholly owned by ZEE, Essel Vision is backed by the conglomerate’s vast network of channels including its music company Zee Music.

     After being a trendsetter in Marathi and Bangla cinema and associations with the biggest names in regional language cinema, this announcement is a first from amongst a slate of films being made by Essel Vision.
     
    Acclaimed filmmaker Nittin Keni is Essel Vision’s CEO and has produced commercial and critical blockbusters like Gadar: Ek Prem Katha and half a dozen other successful films. On this multi-film deal, Nittin Keni says, “We are delighted to associate with Sanjay Gupta. The first offering Jazbaa is a brilliant script that is full of emotional texture and develops beautifully into a human story for global audiences. The partnership is a perfect fit for both companies and I am confident that together we will be in a better position to deliver compelling, profitable entertaining content to global audiences. Besides the films which we have already locked, we are in talks with several prolific content makers and will soon announce other projects in the pipeline.”
     
    Sanjay Gupta is known for his fast-paced action thrillers which include Kaante, Musafir, Zinda, Shootout at Lokhandwala and the recent blockbuster Shootout At Wadala amongst others. Commenting on their association, Sanjay Gupta, Chairman & MD, White Feather Films says, “It’s a pleasure to associate with Essel Vision on their foray into mainstream Hindi film production after the successes they have had in regional cinema. Having the largest Indian television conglomerate ZEEL backing us is a dream come true for any production house. We, at White Feather Films, could not be happier. Also, for me from doing fast paced action, I’m looking forward to Jazbaa as it’s a gripping, touching and terrifying drama. We have a stellar team, and a great dramatic conundrum that audiences should enjoy.”
     
    After creating an unprecedented record at the recently held 45th International Film Fesival of India (IFFI) in Goa, with four films produced by EVPL selected officially to be screened at the festival, the studio identifies and acquires powerful fresh and intellectual property based ideas and matches them with strong filmmakers to turn them into blockbusters. Essel Vision – Business Head, Akash Chawla says, “This is our first announcement and many more announcements can be expected from Essel Vision in the Hindi film space. Zee is here to make quality & commercially viable films and Essel Vision, as the creative and production arm of Zee, will lead the foray. We will be involved in all aspects right from film production, processing, distribution, exhibition and revenue streams of these films.”  

     

  • Zee TV Europe’s LIVE show Zee Companion climbing the success ladder

    Zee TV Europe’s LIVE show Zee Companion climbing the success ladder

    MUMBAI: Zee Companion, the only South Asian TV show that brings its viewers exclusive local content shot at Zee London Studio, LIVE for the first time in the UK is climbing the success ladder on all fronts. Nearing its 200th episode on December 11, the show has grown to be really popular and a favourite amongst South Asians. This is clearly seen by the increasing number of phone calls and emails the show has been getting over the last few months. So much so that the phone lines have got jammed a few times. An episode on Zee Companion gets around 100+ calls, and frequently the calls have gone up to 400+. The number of calls received grew by an overwhelming 90% in October, and the November number looks even more promising!

     

    Zee Companion, which helps people find solutions to problems faced on a daily basis, has brought popular and celebrated personalities from various fields on the show to discuss these issues. Each day a new topic is taken up and the guests who are well-versed in that day’s topic answer the people’s queries with sound facts and authority. Zee Companion has provided people with a link to experts they felt unable to connect with before. Some prominent guests who have appeared and interacted Live with viewers include Jay Sean, Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal, Kumar Sanu, Shabana Azmi, Jimmy Shergill, Sukhwinder Singh, Kabir Bedi, Nina Manuel, Madhoo, Preeya Kalidas, Pritam Chakraborty, Satinder Sartaj, Anandji (Kalyanji-Anandji fame), Celebrity Chef Cyrus Todiwala, Centenarian Marathon Runner Fauja Singh and many more. Esteemed Business tycoons Hussein Lalani, Shahnaz Husain, Lord G K Noon, Rami Ranger have interacted with viewers and given expert advice. The show covers a variety of topics in the fields of health, law, finance, wellness, business, education and entertainment.

     

    Another feather in its cap is the number of testimonials that viewers constantly send in. A viewer, Mr. Dinesh said, “I regularly watch your show and it is really very informative. I am glad that you have come up with such a brilliant programme. It is one reason why I subscribe to Zee TV”. Another viewer, Mr. P Singh said, “Just watching the show now and although it’s not a glamorous subject, the host has made it so informative and entertaining. You can count me in as a lifetime viewer”. Being able to speak with Kumar Sanu on Zee Companion, a fan on Twitter recently tweeted “Thank you sooo much #ZeeTv for the opportunity of a lifetime to speak to the #King Of #Melody.”

     

    Owing to its immense and growing popularity, Zee Companion has now taken toll free telephone numbers for viewers in Belgium, France, Germany, Holland and Italy. 

     

    A space to look out for on the Zee Companion website is the blog page where the hosts post their personalised diaries for each topic including advice and experiences. This section on the website has gained immense popularity and has been getting a high number of visits each month. Zee Companion’s digital presence across multiple portals helps it reach out to a more diverse audience and also connect to the youth of the society. And there is greater excitement coming up, as Zee is preparing to launch the Zee Companion app soon.

     

    Zee Companion has set a benchmark with this show and every episode is only going to get better from here on.

  • ‘24’ to premiere on Rishtey

    ‘24’ to premiere on Rishtey

    MUMBAI: It’s been a little over a year since COLORS changed the face of Indian television with its path-breaking show, 24. And now, the riveting 24 hours in the life of Jai Singh Rathod which set the country pulsating in its first season is all set to make a comeback on popular demand on Viacom18’s second general entertainment channel Rishtey. The viewers will once again be a  part of ATU Chief Jai Singh aka Anil Kapoor’s  journey  as he  races against time to save Prime Ministerial candidate Aditya Singhania (Neil Bhoopalam) from assassination in this enthralling espionage drama, that redefined  Indian television through its slick narrative. The show will air every Monday to Saturday at 9.00 PM on Rishtey.

     

    Speaking about bringing back 24 on Rishtey, Raj Nayak, CEO – COLORS and Rishtey, said, “Ever since the first season of 24 drew to a close in December 2013, audiences have been reaching out to us via different mediums requesting for a re-run of the show. We are now happy to announce that the show will air on Rishtey during the week and give viewers an opportunity to relive the action-packed moments that made the show truly exceptional.”

     

    Adding to this ATU Chief Jai Singh Rathod aka Anil Kapoor said, “24 is very special to me. As an actor and a producer very rarely have I experienced such immense creative satisfaction as I have from this show. We were very fortunate that some of the nicest people in show business came together on this show and made the entire journey truly memorable. Everyone, right from the actors to the technicians put in 200% and that shows on screen. The feedback I have received, from viewers across all strata of society and across all age groups, has been very heartening and truly encouraging.”

    He further added, “I am very happy to know that the team at COLORS is now premiering the show on Rishtey, which will give more audiences across the country the chance to experience the show. I hope that the new audiences enjoy watching the show and appreciate our efforts at presenting something different. Also, all fans of 24 who missed out on some episodes earlier or want to relive the entire journey will now get enjoy the thrill not just on weekends but on 6 days in a week on Rishtey. I am also ever excited to share that while viewers once again relish Season 1 of the show, we are already working towards season 2 which will be as thrilling and edge-of-the-seat as the first season.”

     

    24 features the finest from the world of entertainment including Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Shabana Azmi, Tisca Chopra, Anita Raj, Mandira Bedi and Neil Bhoopalam amongst others. The show is co-produced by Anil Kapoor Film Co. and Ramesh Deo Productions, directed by Abhinay Deo and adapted by Rensil D’Silva.

     

    Join ATU Chief Jai Singh Rathod in the race against time as 24 unfolds again Starting 25th August, 2014, every Monday to Saturday at 9.00 PM on Rishtey!

  • Shabana Azmi to participate in FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum

    Shabana Azmi to participate in FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum

    NEW DELHI: Veteran actor and activist Shabana Azmi is one of the speakers at the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum taking place during the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards weekend in Tampa later this month.

     

    The weekend is scheduled to take place at the Tampa Convention Center on 24 and 25 April during the 15th Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend and is aimed at promotion of businesses opportunities, trade relations and cinema opportunities between India and the IIFA’s host nation. The event is a joint initiative of IIFA and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

     

    With the trade relationship between India and America at its acme, the theme for the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum will see business delegates discuss “Indo-U.S. Partnership: A Catalyst for Economic Growth”.  

     

    The effort is being led by the FICCI, University of South Florida College of Business, Wizcraft International Entertainment, and the Tampa Bay Trade and Protocol Council. Other notable partners include Enterprise Florida, Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, Visit Tampa BayVisit Florida, USIBC and TIE. 

     

    The forum will witness the coming together of some of the biggest change drivers, opinion and business leaders from top brands and business houses to engage in dialogue and explore new and promising commercial possibilities.

     

    Some of the visionaries include Dr RK Pachauri who spearheads the Nobel prize winning UN Intergovernmental panel on climate change; Infosys executive chairman and founder NR Narayanmurthy, USIBC president Ron Somers, FICCI secretary general Dr Didar Singh, consul general of India Ajit Kumar, and Congressman Gus Bilirakis.

     

    Some of the prominent women leaders addressing the business forum include Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, US assistant secretary of state for south and central Asian affairs Nisha Desai Biswal, University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft and University of Houston president Renu Khator.

     

    Business icons leading discussions include Syntel chairman Bharat Desai, Ambuja-Neotia group chairman Harshvardhan Neotia, Tata Motors president Ranjit Yadav, Reliance Industries president & CEO Vivek Lall and L&T Infotech CEO Mukesh Aghi.

     

    Among the renowned guests who will grace the forum are over 100 business leaders and policy makers. These eminent personalities will share their precious insights on and examine the copious benefits of a partnership between the two economies.

     

    The Indian-American community has been at the forefront of innovation, knowledge-based services, and entrepreneurship, creating jobs and contributing to the U.S. economy. Two-way trade in goods between India and the U.S. crossed the $60 billion mark in 2012, but there is potential for reaching the $100 billion mark. The Indian economy has grown to be the10th largest in the world, and experts project India will become one of the top five economic powers by 2050.

     

    The two-day long forum will convene a galaxy of prominent personalities representing industry, government, academia and intelligentsia. Sectors that power Trade, Commerce & Investment, along with promising areas of cooperation between India and America such as Media & Entertainment, Education, Tourism and Environment & Clean Technology will come under the scanner.

     

    Some of the key partners of the IIFA US celebrations are: Videocon d2h, Tata Motors, Freedom Health Insurance, Lava Mobiles, Visit Tampa Bay Visitors and Convention Bureau, Visit Florida, Hillsborough County Commission, Jammu & Kashmir Tourism, Vishal Fashions, UST Global and Intuit.

     

    Other support partners include Mosaic Company, Tampa Steel Erecting Company, and Patina Solutions.

  • Imtiaz Ali launches Tisca Chopra’s debut book ‘Acting Smart’

    Imtiaz Ali launches Tisca Chopra’s debut book ‘Acting Smart’

    MUMBAI: With few character roles on TV and films, actor Tisca Chopra has proved her worth to the entertainment fraternity of the country.  It was time for her to tell the world that she is much more than that and thus Tisca took to writing. The pre-launch of the actor’s book, Acting Smart was held at the Indian Non-Friction Literature festival with director Imtiaz Ali.

     

    Tisca has always been a book lover and voracious reader with her favourites including the likes of PG Wodehouse, Oscar Wilde and Stephen King. However, her book, Acting Smart is more of a guide for all the newbies in the industry, cinegoers and movie buffs. The actor took over a few months to come up with ideas that are fresh and unique.

     

    Imtiaz Ali, who is a very dear friend of Tisca not only unveiled the book but has also contributed a few episodes and anecdotes in the book along with Raju Hirani, Shabana Azmi, Boman Irani and many more. 

     

    The event saw Tisca Chopra and Imtiaz Ali talking to the audiences and sharing few of their personal and interesting experiences which they have come across in the course of their careers.

     

    Also present at the event was Tisca Chopra’s husband Sanjay Chopra who is also a writer and cheered and supported Tisca throughout the event.