ITV

Tag: Tezz

  • TV Today telecasts 16 per cent net profit rise in FY 2013

    TV Today telecasts 16 per cent net profit rise in FY 2013

    MUMBAI: Its FM radio broadcasting business is on the turnaround trail. And that – apart from its mainstay its news TV channels Aaj Tak, Headlines Today, Dilli Aaj Tak and Tezz- has helped Living Media India Ltd’s (The India Today group’s) television & FM radio broadcasting arm, TV Today Network, post a pleasing 16 per cent rise in its net profit in the year ended 31 March 2013. However, its Q4 2013 net profit has fallen 13.3 per cent against the corresponding previous year’s Q4-2012.

    TV Today Network has been one of the more efficiently run news organisations in the Indian news broadcasting sector and has been reporting profits for some time now. Other listed news TV organisations have been bleeding and have just about starting showing profits. Hence, its Q4-2013 results appear to be just an aberration.

    Let us look at the standalone Q4-2013 financials as against Q4-2012

    Q4-2013 total revenues stand at Rs 84.27 crore, a drop of over 4.7 per cent as against last corresponding Q4-2012’s Rs 88.46 crore. Its TV broadcasting business contributes nearly 97 per cent at Rs 81.63 crore to its revenues while its FM radio broadcasting operations through its channel ‘Oye 104.8’ generated Rs 2.64 crore.

    The broadcaster has managed to pare some of its expenses at Rs 77.89 crore in Q4-2013 as against last corresponding Q4-2012’s Rs 78.33 crore. The marginal difference is on account of its production costs being reduced to Rs 10.36 crore (Rs 11.24 crore).

    Even though the company has seen a 13 per cent reduction in its net profit for Q4-2013 to Rs 6.36 crore (as against Q4-2012’s Rs 7.33 crore), what is heartening is the narrowing of its losses from its FM radio division in Q4-2013 to Rs 2.74 crore from Rs 4.46 crore in Q4-2012.

    Let us take a look at the consolidated financials for the year ending 31 March 2013

    As mentioned earlier, efficient management of its FM radio operations has helped TV Today Network in FY-2013. Its net profit for FY-2013 had a handsome increase of 16 per cent to Rs 12.21 crore (Rs 10.52 crore in FY-2012). A large part of this increase can be attributed to the decrease in losses at its FM radio division to Rs 13.24 crore from Rs 18.59 crore in FY-2012.

    Total revenue for FY 2013 rose to Rs 312.66 crore as against FY-2012’s Rs 308.43 crore with TV broadcasting revenues contributing Rs 302.69 crore as against Rs 300 crore in FY-2012. Its FM radio division chipped in with Rs 9.98 crore as against Rs 8.09 crore last fiscal.

    The company claims that its profits have been squeezed further on account of its payments to BSNL and Prasar Bharti amounting to Rs 80 lakh and monitoring charges for foreign satellite amounting to Rs 76.91 lakh.

    From the short term perspective, its current liabilities including trade payables have significantly increased to Rs 128.39 crore in FY-2013 as against Rs 94.16 crore in FY-2012, a worrying 36 per cent rise, especially when its current assets have shot by only 24 per cent during the same period.

    TV Today Network has made a strategic investment of Rs 45.52 crore in Mail Today Newspapers which is bringing out a daily newspaper in the north. Though Mail Today is in the initial stages of operations and presently incurring losses, the company holds a confident outlook of its future profitability.

    The company has announced a 15 per cent dividend, even as the share closed at Rs 84.85 by the time trading ended on BSE.

  • How Bollywood braved the IPL storm

    How Bollywood braved the IPL storm

    MUMBAI: For the last four years, Bollywood had kept its release windows shut during the Indian Premier League (IPL) period on the fear that their revenue opportunities would be badly mauled by cricket‘s overwhelming mass popularity across India. Even big studios kept their release pipeline choked and preferred to wait for box office exploitation after the theatrical drama of the T20 matches faded away.

    Now the freezing period is over. Bollywood is breathing free once again and the 45 days of summer are returning to the box office map. That means less clutter and a wider room space for the 200-odd Hindi films a year to comfortably compete and tap the market.

    “We have fought back and the IPL storm is waning. This has been an important year for us. Even the big-ticket movies have released and performed well. We will be more confident next year,” says noted independent filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt.

    The turning point for Bollywood has been this year. Eros, India‘s biggest pure movie company, has released two of its valuable products during the IPL window, while Reliance Big Entertainment, UTV, Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Yash Raj Films, Nadiadwala Grandsons and Ram Gopal Varma‘s RGV Films have swung into action.

    “It is a landmark year in that sense. I have always been a strong believer that the IPL can, in fact, be a lucrative window. We were the first ones to brave the IPL storm successfully in 2011 with Tanu weds Manu. The industry has reacted positively this year. The trend is here to stay,” says Viacom18 Motion Pictures COO Vikram Malhotra.

    Bollywood has learnt from the ‘Tanu weds Manu‘ experiment. Braving the IPL storm successfully this year have been four films – Housefull 2, Vicky Donor, Ishaqzaade and Jannat 2.

    “Vicky Donor and Ishaqzaade, in fact, have been smart releases benefitting more because of their release during the IPL. They have earned far disproportionately to their size and expectations. It only reinforces my belief that you can win in the vacant windows if your content and marketing is right,” avers Malhotra.

    Housefull 2, a co-production between Eros and Sajid Nadiadwala, has destroyed another myth: that urban audiences stay away from cinema theatres to watch the IPL. Housefull 2, which released in the same week when IPL kicked off, mopped up Rs 455 million in its opening weekend run.

    Bollywood is, indeed, having a fantastic outing. “The traditional lean patches are falling by the wayside. Bollywood is becoming a year-long activity,” says Malhotra.

    Take, for example, the myth of January being a soft spot for Bollywood releases. Karan Johar‘s Agneepath had a successful run that month and netted Rs 1.2 billion in five weeks.

    Holi (festival of colours), another weak window, became a successful playtime for Bollywood with Viacom18 Motion Pictures‘ Kahaani. The suspense thriller collected Rs 600 million at the box office.

    Bollywood has two lean release windows left to conquer: the Shraddh period (dedicated to rituals for dead ancestors) and monsoons.

    “Intelligent studios are challenging these weak release zones. They can win this battle if they find the right content and back it up with smart marketing. Holi, for instance, can be a good release opportunity now as more people stay at home these days. The afternoons are also left open for entertainment viewing,” says a trade analyst who tracks the box office revenues of Indian films.

    Viacom18 Motion Pictures is going to take the plunge this year by releasing Oh My God during the Shraddh period. The satirical comedy has Akshay Kumar playing Lord Krishna.

    “The film challenges the way Indians believe in God. We are releasing it on the start of Shraddh,” says Malhotra.

    Bollywood‘s new-found bravery saw the release of 24 films during the IPL this year, with Housefull 2 having the most successful ride. The film netted Rs 1.19 billion in eight weeks, while Jannat 2 collected Rs 459 million (4 weeks), YRF‘s Ishaqzaade Rs 458 million (3 weeks) and Vicky Donor Rs 404.5 million (6 weeks).

    “Our continued investment in content has yielded what we believe is a strong movie slate for FY‘13 supported by the box office performance of Housefull 2 and Vicky Donor,” says Eros International Media Ltd. managing director Sunil Lulla.

    Tezz, Department and Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi are three of the top films that released during the IPL and failed miserably at the box office.

    Says PVR Cinemas CEO Pramod Arora, “The IPL had no impact on the Bollywood releases this year. We witnessed 23 to 27 per cent growth in viewership compared to last year. Business was much better than the last four IPL seasons.”

    Bollywood, going through radical changes over the last few years led by the emergence of big studios under corporate control, is learning to have a year-round calendar for commercial exploitation at the box office.

    (With inputs from Ashish Mitra)

  • Tezz opens weak to net Rs 118 mn in first weekend

    Tezz opens weak to net Rs 118 mn in first weekend

    Mumbai: Tezz, a much touted slick action thriller, turned out to be a damp squib facing rejection at the box office. The film opened to poor response, dropping almost 40 per cent on Saturday and failed to better the opening Friday figures to end the opening weekend with Rs 118 million. Monday trade reports predict further doom for the film.

    Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi found no audience.

    Vicky Donour has enjoyed good patronage and has become sort of a cult film in its own right, especially with gentry audience. After a healthy opening weekend, the film continued to do well over the week to collect Rs 142 million. The Delhi-NCR and Punjab figures are like that of a major star cast film.

    Hate Story carried its ‘sex appeal’ for a few days with single screen audience and went on to end its opening week with Rs 111 million. The shows have been curtailed in the second week to one or two per screen.

    Housefull2 has sustained very well in its third week to collect Rs 149 million, taking its total to Rs 1.10 billion.

    Kahaani kept adding to its tally. At the end of the seventh week, with the addition of Rs 30 million, the film’s total collections are Rs 593.9 million.

  • Tezz is a poor film with disaster written all over it

    Tezz is a poor film with disaster written all over it

    MUMBAI: As the title suggests, Tezz is inspired by the Hollywood film Speed, which in turn was inspired by Hollywood film Runaway Train and the Japanese film, The Bullet Train. Some inspiration is also taken from popular American TV series 24, but that is where the comparison ends.

     

    Producer: Ratan Jain.
    Director: Priyadarshan. 
    Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Kangna Ranaut, Boman Irani, Zayed Khan, Sameera Reddy, Mohan Lal

    The theme was picked up by BR Films to make The Burning Train which, though being a novel idea for the Indian audience at that time and boasting of a mammoth star cast, bombed badly.

    Tezz comes at a time when English movies are dubbed in various Indian languages and the subject offers no novelty. What is more, the story is based on a faulty premise.

    Ajay Devgn is an illegal immigrant in London but having married a UK citizen, Kangna Ranaut, he is expecting legal status soon. He is also a crusader for other illegal immigrants who he feels have come to UK seeking a brighter future and should not be sent back as the local authorities have been doing after raiding their hideouts.

    In one such raid, Ajay Devgn manages to help Sameera Reddy and Zayed Khan escape but he is taken away and despite his explanation that he was married to a citizen and was awaiting his papers, he is packed off to India. With a feeling that he has been denied an opportunity to make a life for himself, he decides to plant bombs on a passenger train and extort a huge ransom from the UK authorities! Now this is not the kind of story heroes are made of – or films.

    It is not only the East India Company that an Indian has taken over; they also are the main thrust behind its police and railways. Once Devgn plants the bombs on the train with 500 passengers on board, London police needs to recall a just-retired cop, Anil Kapoor, to handle the case. The head of signal system on the railway is also an Indian, Boman Irani, and his pre-teen daughter is on the same train too (that is the emotion quotient in the film).

    As the ransom demand is being complied with, Kapoor is busy chasing Devgn and his accomplices- Khan and Reddy- and Boman Irani negotiates with Ajay Devgn. When Kapoor is asked to come alone and deliver the ransom amount, he goes with a fleet of police cars with sirens blaring and cops in fluorescent jackets. Is he the best London police have? As the alternative ways to save the passengers are used, there is nothing that you have not seen in a number of films. As Zayed Khan and Sameera Reddy have been martyred in the cause of illegal Indian immigrants in UK and having got his ransom amount, Devgn decides to call off his threat and get back to his wife and the child she gave birth to in his absence. But Anil Kapoor has still to fulfil his obligation, which is to apprehend Ajay Devgn and send the message that crime may get you 10 million Euros but won‘t let you live to enjoy it!

    The script is full of loop holes, lacks logic and is treated equally shoddily by Priyadarshan. Initially, exchanges between Indians and their British counterparts are in English which later turn to Hindi and those uncomfortable with English miss the very purpose behind the events to follow.

    Music is out of sync and a Mallika Sherawat item number has been forced in as if censors wouldn‘t pass a film without one. If at all the film offers anything worth watching, it is two chase scenes, one with Sameera Reddy and the other with Zayed Khan. The cinematography is good. Boman Irani, Sameera Reddy and Zayed Khan are passable; Anil Kapoor and Ajay Devgn disappoint. Kangana Ranaut has nothing much to do. Mohanlal playing a cameo as a cop escorting a criminal on the targeted train is wasted.

    Tezz is a poor film with disaster written all over it.

     
    Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi is one boring charade

     

    Producers: VM Final Vut Entertainments, K Sera Sera.
    Director: Rakesh Mehta.
    Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Ranvir Shorey, Pradhuman Singh, Manu Rishi, Neha Bhasin.

    Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi is an attempted comedy bringing together four characters, Kay Kay Menon, Ranvir Shorey, Pradhuman Singh and Manu Rishi with Neha Bhasin adding the glamour angle.

    These four characters converge in Mumbai on their own agenda. Kay Kay Menon wants to avenge the murders of his parents. Manu Rishi is here to apprehend some Nigerian drug peddlers. Ranvir Shorey, a chef in UK, has returned to be with his lady love. Ajoy Ghosh is a wannabe rock star.

    The four are expected to create laughter and regale the viewer; they do nothing of the sort and come up with one boring charade. Mumbai background is not exploited well.

    The film has opened to a ‘no audience no show‘ welcome.

  • Akshay Kumar to remake Malayalam film

    Akshay Kumar to remake Malayalam film

    MUMBAI: Akshay Kumar has approached Priyadarshan to remake in Hindi The Arab, The Camel and P Madhavan Nair that the director had helmed in Malayalam.

    Confirming the same, Priyadarshan said, “I am remaking this Malayalam film of mine The Arab, The Camel and P Madhavan Nair in Hindi. That is the last film I did with Mohanlal. Akshay Kumar would feature in the Hindi remake and will also produce it.”

    The Arab, The Camel, and P Madhavan Nair is a 2011 Malayalam romantic comedy that stars Mohanlal, Mukesh, Lakshmi Rai and Bhavana.

    Meanwhile, Priyadarshan is awaiting the release of his latest Hindi film Tezz on 27 April. The film features Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Zayed Khan and Kangana Ranaut and Mohanlal in a cameo.

    Kumar’s move follows Salman Khan and Ajay Devgn who have been engaged in remaking films from South India.

  • Eros acquires domestic rights of Tezz

    Eros acquires domestic rights of Tezz

    MUMBAI: Eros International Media Ltd has acquired the India distribution rights of Venus Records and Tapes’ forthcoming venture Tezz.

    Eros had earlier acquired the international rights of the film.

    “With its stylish look, great action and catchy music there is a positive buzz and anticipation around Tezz,” said Eros International president of marketing and sales Pranab Kapadia.

    The film, revolving around the hijacking of a bullet train, features Mohanlal who plays a dutiful cop of the Scotland Yard Police. The film also has Ajay Devgn and Anil Kapoor in the pivotal roles.

  • Players and Agneepath to release in January

    Players and Agneepath to release in January

    MUMBAI: Breaking away from the practice of keeping away from big ticket films in the opening month of the year till yet, filmmakers are gearing up to release the films in January net year.

    Slated for January are two mega-budget films, Abbas-Mustan‘s Players that releases on 6 January and Karan Johar‘s Agneepath that releases on Republic Day. Meanwhile, the Vidya Balan-starrer Kahaani and Ratan Jain‘s Tezz have been pushed ahead.

    “Though the year would have started on a cracking note if Agneepath would have clashed with Tezz, but unfortunately that has been averted. But there‘s enough buzz about Players to keep the anticipation high,” observed trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

    Apart from these two, there are almost eight to 10 mid to small-budget films that would release in the opening month. They are 3 Bachelors, Chaalis Chauraasi, Chaar Din Ki Chandni, Ghost, It‘s My Life, Sadda Adda, Tutiya Dil and Ghantey Mein 5 Crore.

    Filmmakers have for long been wary of releasing their films in the month of January, but now they have realised that a well-marketed, good product will work no matter the time of the release while a bad product will flop no matter how auspicious the date of release.

    But all that finally changed this year, after four of the seven films released were declared hits thus breaking the January jinx.

  • Karan Johar’s Agneepath to release on 26 January

    Karan Johar’s Agneepath to release on 26 January

    Mumbai : Karan Johar has decided to release his ambitious film Agneepath on 26 January. The producer took the decision going by reports that Reema Kagti’s Aamir Khan yet-to-be titled film will not release as originally planned on Repubic Day.

    Both Kagti‘s film and Venus‘ multi-starrer Tezz were scheduled to release on 26 January 2012, but Kagti felt that post-production could take some time and, hence, postponed the release of the film to a later date.

    With one slot open on the Republic Day weekend, Johar thought it best to release his film on Republic Day. This because the producer thought that he would be able to take advantage of the long weekend, with the film releasing on Thursday.

    Meanwhile, the makers of Priyadarshan-directed film Tezz have confirmed that they are in no mood to change the release date of the film. Also to release on the same day is Dibakar Banerjee‘s Shanghai that stars Abhay Deol and Emraan Hashmi.