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Tag: Uday Chopra

  • YRF Entertainment forays into television with comic book series

    YRF Entertainment forays into television with comic book series

    MUMBAI: YRF Entertainment has ventured into television. The company will be turning the 2008 comic book miniseries The Nye Incidents into an episodic drama.

     

    The comic book series is created by Whitley Strieber and written by Craig Spector.

     

    YRF Entertainment CEO Uday Chopra will produce the series with YRF Entertainment president of production Jonathan Reiman.

     

    The Nye Incidents is about an obsessive but balanced medical examiner who is investigating a deceptive serial killer, set in the world of alien abductions and centres on a medical examiner hunting down the serial killer who is committing crimes in the alien abductee community.

  • Activities galore at India Pavilion of the Cannes Film Festival

    Activities galore at India Pavilion of the Cannes Film Festival

    NEW DELHI: The India Pavilion at the 67th Cannes Film Festival saw an unprecedented presence this year.

     

    Organised by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the packed pavilion was inaugurated on 15 May by Indian Ambassador to France Arun K. Singh, I&B secretary Bimal Julka and Indian cinema legend Kamal Haasan.

     

    Others present were veteran filmmaker and producer Ramesh Sippy; renowned filmmaker Sudhir Mishra; YRF Entertainment CEO, actor and producer Uday Chopra; screenwriter Arash Amel; Cannes Film Market executive director Jerome Paillard,; FICCI secretary general A. Didar Singh and filmmaker and producer Bobby Bedi.

     

    The Indian presence at the India Pavilion also included film industry stalwarts such as Film Federation of India president Ravi Kottarakara, T.P. Aggarwal who is the first Indian vice president of FIAPF – the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, and Film and TV Producers Guild of India CEO Kulmeet Makkar.

     

    The pavilion saw a lot of interesting activity with hoards of people jostling for space as they watched the interactive sessions. The first day saw a session on ‘The Making of Grace of Monaco’ – featuring Uday Chopra and Jonathan Reiman from YRF Entertainment – one of the producers of the opening film at the festival – and Arash Amel, the writer of the film. Anchored by Patrick Frater, Asia Bureau Chief of Variety, the discussion hinted at interesting growth and expansion for Indian cinema in the international space by means of collaboration and co-production.

    A very special session, ‘The Journey to Cannes’, was organised at the pavilion for ‘Titli’, India’s official entry in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival. (The festival’s Critics Week section had also selected another Indian film, Gitanjali Rao’s ‘TrueLoveStory’.)

     

    The cast and crew of ‘Titli’ – director Kanu Behl; actors Ranvir Shorey and Shashank Arora; writer Sharat Katariya; editor Namrata Rao; Yash Raj Films VP international operations Avtar Panesar; Sikhya Entertainment founder Guneet Monga and CEO Anurag Kashyap Films were felicitated by the Ministry of I&B, and also spoke about their experience of making the film and being selected to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

    A feature of the activities at this year’s India Pavilion at the Cannes Film Market was exclusive networking receptions co-hosted by the Ministry and film bodies, producers and filmmakers from three countries: New Zealand, Australia and Germany.

     

    The New Zealand event was organised in coordination with the New Zealand Film Commission; the delegation was led by NZFC CEO Dave Gibson, and comprised filmmakers and producers from the country; Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason led the Australia contingent; and German Films organised the third event.

     

    The Indian guest list saw representation from filmmakers, producers and industry body members at Cannes this year. This new initiative is aimed at promoting and forging ties for co-production and partnerships between India and these countries.

     

    On the sidelines of these events were structured B2B meetings between Indian delegates and international stakeholders in order to facilitate business promotion and explore opportunities for partnership between the Indian film community and the global one.

    Sessions were also held on co-production with representatives from India and six other countries, and a discussion on Single Window Clearance for promoting hassle-free film shooting for the global film community in India.

     

    Kamal Haasan was interviewed by critic and anchor Anupama Chopra; filmmakers Ramesh Sippy, Sudhir Mishra and Bobby Bedi were seen in conversation about Indian cinema today and going forward, and Indian films at Cannes over the years.

  • Uday Chopra’s Grace of Monaco starring Nicole Kidman to open the 67th Cannes

    Uday Chopra’s Grace of Monaco starring Nicole Kidman to open the 67th Cannes

    MUMBAI: French director Olivier Dahan’s Grace of Monaco is to open the next Festival de Cannes. The world preview will take place on Wednesday 14 May, 2014, in the Grand Théâtre Lumi?re of the Palais des Festivals, in the Official Selection category, Out of Competition. Grace of Monaco follows on from The Great Gatsby by Baz Luhrmann.

     
    The film portrays a period in the life of American Actress Grace Kelly (played by Nicole Kidman) who became Princess Grace of Monaco when she married Prince Rainier III (Tim Roth) in 1956, in what was dubbed “the marriage of the century”. An Oscar winner, she was already a huge film star, having worked with the very greatest (John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, Fred Zinnemann) and acclaimed the world over. Six years later, amid occasional difficulties in fulfilling her role, she was invited back to Hollywood by Alfred Hitchcock, to play in his new film Marnie. At the time, France was threatening to tax and even annex Monaco, the tiny Principality whose monarch Kelly had become. Was she still an actress? Was she really Princess of Monaco?
     

    Produced by Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, Uday Chopra and Arash Amel, who also wrote the screenplay, Grace de Monaco sees Nicole Kidman play the role of Grace, with Tim Roth as Prince Rainier. Their co-stars include Frank Langella, Parker Posey, Jeanne Balibar, Sir Derek Jacobi and Paz Vega, who plays Maria Callas. The film was shot in Scope 2.35 using Kodak 35mm film. The Director of Photography was France’s Eric Gautier and the 16-weeks shoot took place in Monaco, South of France, Paris, Vintimille, Gand and Bruxelles.

     
    Born in 1967 in La Ciotat, Olivier Dahan previously directed La Vie en Rose (2007) which garnered Marion Cotillard the Oscar for Best Actress in 2008. Grace of Monaco will be released on the opening day of the Festival, Wednesday 14 May, in France and in several cities around the world. The opening ceremony will be broadcast to participating cinemas, with the kind cooperation of Canal+.

     
    Grace of Monaco is A Stone Angels and YRF Entertainment production. The film is co-produced by TF1 Films Productions, Gaumont, Lucky Red, OD Shots, Ufilm, and in association with Silver Reel – Ufund. Distributor in France is Gaumont and International Sales is with Lotus Entertainment.

     

  • Aamir vs Aamir

    Aamir vs Aamir

    MUMBAI: Dhoom 3 proves to be a good sequel, for once. Unlike many films that simply use the name and brand, it actually carries on the characters from previous movies. Once again, Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra, two Mumbai cops are chasing after a villain, this time as a team sent to Chicago Police to solve a case of bank robberies. The reason being that the thief leaves a message in Hindi and it is assumed that he has to be an Indian.

    Dhoom 3 starts off by setting a tempo for the fast-paced thriller that it promises to be with Uday and Abhishek demonstrating their fighting instincts and coordination as they take on a local basti don in Mumbai. As the action moves to Chicago, it is Aamir’s turn to show his mastery with his bike. In fact, Aamir’s arsenal of gears and gadgets would give James Bond a complex!

    Aamir’s story dates back 25 years to when his father, Jackie Shroff, ran The Great Indian Circus in Chicago. The circus had not been doing too well and the local bank owner threatened to attach the circus if Shroff didn’t not manage to pay off his dues within five days; Shroff devised a new circus act which he was sure would revive his circus and pleads for a little more time. When refused, Shroff kills himself. Aamir is now grown up and ready to take revenge for his father’s death, which he calls murder. His plan is to ruin the bank, force its closure. He robs the bank’s branches one after the other. His style is that when he robs a bank, he throws a part of his loot on streets outside the bank and watches people pounce on this rain of dollars. The bank is losing reputation as well as standing in the stock market.

    What makes these heists exciting is their aftermath as Aamir charts his escape in a long chase by the police with his multipurpose bike. In fact, he is techno savvy and all his robberies and escapes are executed with the help of many gadgets. It is time to get Abhishek and Uday in on the scene. It is also the time for Aamir to revive The Great Indian Circus and to get the glamour quotient on the scene. Katrina Kaif is trying to get a break into the circus but dressed like a geek, she does not impress Aamir’s assistant who keeps rejecting her. Aamir agrees to give her five minutes to prove her talent and sees a geek turn out to be a glamour doll.

    Producer: Aditya Chopra.
    Director: Vijay Krishna Acharya.
    Cast: : Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra, Jackie Shroff.

    Having opened up the other side of the story, that of the circus and its background, it is time to spring a surprise on the viewer; there are two Aamirs. The other one is always in the background because he suffers from autism, due to which faces communication problems and has strange mannerisms. That is the circus’s secret behind their most famous trick where Aamir enters a wooden box on stage but emerges from some other corner of the hall. (This seems lifted straight from The Prestige, which tells a similar story about a magician.)

    As Abhishek and Uday try to solve the jigsaw puzzle, they spy on Aamir and follow the closet Aamir on his once a week Sunday outing. Abhishek makes sure he drives a rift between the brothers. Sadly, these plots make Abhishek look more like a villain than a supporting actor! These manoeuvres also make the proceedings very slow and insipid especially after the racy first half had set the pace. As the Aamir brothers embark on the last leg of their ‘destroy the bank’ operation, there is one more chase before the film ends by springing another surprise.

    Being third in the Dhoom trilogy, some may make comparisons and feel that story/script wise D2 was better; however, this film is much more ambitious, lavishly shot and full of special effects. It has good music that is very well choreographed and the film is a visual delight. With other characters being insignificant, the film is Aamir vs Aamir talent showcase as he gets to juxtapose two totally different characters in the same frame most of the time. He is simply amazing. Katrina Kaif is the other character who gets some importance in this film and she does very well while also excelling in dance numbers. Abhishek gets no scope while Uday is the joker in the pack. Direction is competent and handling of double roles is apt. Technically the film is very good.

    Dhoom 3 is set to shatter collection records and create some of its own new records. Expectations were high from the trade and especially the exhibitors and it will live up to them.

  • Weinstein Company acquires US distribution rights of YRF’s Grace of Monaco

    Weinstein Company acquires US distribution rights of YRF’s Grace of Monaco

    MUMBAI: The Weinstein Company (TWC) has acquired the US distribution rights of YRF Entertainment‘s upcoming international fare Grace Of Monaco produced by Uday Chopra.


    The film is directed by Olivier Dahan from a screenplay by Arash Amel. Pierre-Ange le Pogam of Stone Angels and Arash Amel are the co-producers.


    Commenting on the deal, Dahan said: “It has been a wonderful experience to be working with Nicole, Tim, Frank, and the whole group. I am very happy now to share the experience with Monsieur Weinstein and the whole team at TWC. This is exciting.”
     
    Grace Of Monaco is set to release on 27 December. Its release has been based on the model the company used for the Academy Award winning Iron Lady.


    “More than thirty years after her death, Grace Kelly‘s story continues to be one of insurmountable allure and we are so happy Olivier Dahan has brought it new life,” said TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein. “As always, Nicole Kidman‘s commanding performance is the perfect portrait of a woman who was not only royalty, but who also remains a legend of the silver screen and fashion icon,” he added.


    Grace Of Monaco tells the story of efforts by the late Princess Grace of Monaco to make peace between her adopted country and France. The 33-year old Grace, having just given up an acting career to become Monaco‘s First Lady, maneuvered through a political minefield to resolve the situation.


    The film stars Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman in the lead role as Grace Kelly and Tim Roth as her husband Prince Rainier III. The film also features Frank Langella, Paz Vega, Parker Posey, Milo Ventimiglia and Derek Jacobi in supporting roles.


    Soumitra Chatterjee is ready; no for any shot of Sandip Roy. He is ready to face Abbey Lustgarten who is behind the camera. Do you know Abbey? This lady is in the charge of making special collections of Sayajit Ray‘s special 18 films. Soumitra is before Abbey to answer her questions about Apur Sanssar , Charulata and Kapurush O Mahapurush.


    Abbey is associated with Criterion Collection the role of which is to restore the classic films of Chap lion, Bergman, Kurosawa and others. If you are interested to view all these movies you can have the chance to visit them a new. Sandip Ray son of Satyajit Ray is overwhelmed while speaking about the American company. According to him the film would be digitally restored by the organisation.As a result the film will be morre dazzling and some shots that have not been viewed beforehand are to be viewed with the aid of their expertise.


    Besides these there are the dialogues of the persons who are associated with those films. It can be known from the page of the script what idea was tormenting the director at the very time.You can have the idea of costume, posters too. The added thing you are to get is the opinions of the specialists that will help you to make the film more comprehensible. Abbey Lustgarten informs.


    According to Sandip Ray the team of Abbey Lustgarten have come to India with perfect homework so it is not easy to dupe them by any means. Already the interview of Sharmila Tagore has been taken. In Kolkata Madhabi Mukhopadhyay, Ramesh Sen and Soumendu Roy have been contacted too from the part of the team.

  • YRF launches production & financing outfit

    YRF launches production & financing outfit

    MUMBAI: Yash Raj Films has launched a Hollywood-based production and financing company ‘YRF Entertainment‘ that will focus on developing and producing feature films for the US and international marketplace.

    The new venture will be headed by Uday Chopra, who will serve as CEO. Chopra has hired Jonathan Reiman to head the development and production team.

    Chopra said, "My family has a deep commitment to making and distributing quality films that entertain and enlighten audiences. I share that passion, as well as a love for American films that I have had since childhood. It is that enthusiasm and my love of the creative process of filmmaking that drove me to start this new venture."

    YRF Entertainment is currently producing and financing The Longest Week, the shooting of which commenced last week in New York City. Written and directed by Peter Glanz, the film, produced jointly by Uday Chopra and Neda Armian, stars Jason Bateman, Olivia Wilde and Billy Crudup.

    The film tells the story of a bratty man-child (Bateman) who still lives with his parents in a chic Manhattan hotel but suddenly finds himself evicted, disinherited and hopelessly in love with his best friend‘s heartthrob.

    After the original financier abandoned the film, Chopra tracked down the project and immediately fell in love with the material. He arranged a creative and physical production meeting with Glanz and Armian in Mumbai and after a lengthy meeting, he committed to making the film, with his business and legal team closing the deal in less than two weeks.

    YRF Entertainment is also building a slew of projects that it will actively develop and produce, he said. The first project that the company will develop is an untitled action/comedy by Dan Ewen about two twenty-something‘s who run away from their podunk towns to pursue big dreams and become an unlikely but seemingly unstoppable duo after meeting serendipitously.