ITV

Tag: Vikrant Massey

  • Colors Tamil brings WTP of Vijay Sethupathi’s thriller drama ‘Mumbaikar’ on 5 Nov

    Colors Tamil brings WTP of Vijay Sethupathi’s thriller drama ‘Mumbaikar’ on 5 Nov

    Mumbai: Colors Tamil is all set to premier a captivating and unconventional tale ‘Mumbaikar’ that puts the focus on the city of Mumbai and its many layers this Sunday, November 5 at 2pm.  Mumbaikar, Powered by ‘Ramraj Cotton Shirts’ with Special Partner ‘Pothysin Deepawali Fashion Rockets’, is part of the channel’s ‘Movie of the Month’ series. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Santosh Sivan, the thriller drama, which is the official remake of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s ‘Maanagaram’, stars an ensemble cast, including Vijay Sethupathi, Vikrant Massey, Hridhu Haroon, Ranvir Shorey, Tanya Maniktala, and Sanjay Mishra.

    Set against the backdrop of Mumbai’s bustling streets, Mumbaikar follows a hyper-linked plot structure, intertwining the lives of various unrelated characters. The film chronicles the journey of the key characters whose lives suddenly converge across multiple events that take place during a 24-hour period. This, in turn, changes the characters’ perspectives towards the city and life itself. With its compelling narrative, the movie promises to take audiences on an exciting journey and showcase the lesser-known sides of India’s city of dreams. Produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Riya Shibu.

    Vikrant Massey, who portrays a pivotal character, shares his thoughts on the movie’s WTP, “It has been an absolute pleasure sharing screen space with Vijay Sethupathi Sir. I have grown up watching Santosh Sivan Sir’s films. I have always admired his work and now to be directed by him was an experience I will cherish forever. I am sure people of Tamil Nadu will enjoy our super combo”.

    Talking about Mumbaikar, Sethupathi said, “It is an exciting time for Indian actors. We are getting opportunities to work on films across languages. After the love and appreciation, I have received for my web series, this movie marks my first Hindi film debut, I am looking forward to Tamil audiences’ reaction for its Tamil television premiere film. I am sure they will love & appreciate it.”

    Ace director Santosh Sivan further shared his excitement on the trailer release, “It was a great feeling to direct a Hindi film once again. Mumbaikar is a film that gives a perspective of the city through the lives of interwoven characters. Mumbai has its own unique spirit and I have tried to encapsulate it through the film. It was amazing working with such talented actors in one film! I am thrilled for its Tamil TV Premiere on Nov 5th.”

    A special promo has been conceptualised with Channa Patna Toys that tells the story of Mumbaikar from Vijay Sedhupathi’s POV. It has gone viral, creating a huge interest for the movie. Watch this amazing film with your family on Colors Tamil, being aired for the first time on 5 Nov, at 2 PM!

     

     

  • OTT has democratised storytelling and consumption: MX Player’s Gautam Talwar at Goafest’22

    OTT has democratised storytelling and consumption: MX Player’s Gautam Talwar at Goafest’22

    Mumbai: The OTT ecosystem in India has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years, with new players coming into the fray every day and novel, edgy content being churned out. The way we look at online streaming is also changing with it emerging as an exciting prospect for an increasing number of marketers and advertisers keen to promote their brands and ads on these upcoming platforms.

    The day two of Goafest saw actors Vikrant Massey and Ali Fazal along with MX Player chief content officer Gautam Talwar taking centre stage to talk about the topic ‘OTT Superpower – Freedom and Nuances of Creativity.’ The panelists spoke about how OTT has changed consumer behaviour in regards to content and democratised content, in the session moderated by anchor and creative director Atika Farooqui.

    “While still a nascent industry in India, OTT has given a platform for creators and writers to explore their skills, and the exposure to international content made them pull their socks up,” said Vikrant Massey, adding that in the last two years of pandemic the platform presented a tremendous opportunity to explore newer avenues.

    Ali Fazal said that with the amount of diverse OTT content available today on the varied players, the competition is spiking, with each show at the risk of being just one button away from rejection. “The relatable and realistic content on these streaming platforms showed that writers are the real stars today. With films still trying to get out of formula-based structure, that’s where OTT gets a little freedom. By pushing the bar and breaking the rhythm. Tell stories as fearlessly as we can within the framework,” said Fazal.

    Upon being asked if there is a sense of competition among the two media, Fazal stated, “Cinema must not die. Film watching is community watching. Every person in the industry comes with the dream to be a part of movies and this dream always remains. Idea of OTT is just to be able to tell more stories, follow newer narratives.”

    On whether OTT can cater to family audiences like cinema and TV, Gautam Talwar said, “OTT content is for personal watching. 95 per cent of people watch on their personal phones. Only the elite or urban audiences perhaps will have access to chromecast and connected television sets supporting the platforms, adding that these are not necessarily the target audience of players such as MX always. Family viewing is far away for OTT or may never happen as there are less percentage of people who would want to sit with family and watch the online streaming content.”

    He further summed it up by saying, “India or Bharat is a time rich and money poor country and that is what we consider while targeting.”

    “Freedom cannot be absolute and like in other mediums, with Freedom comes responsibility,” the panelists agreed. “What OTT has managed to do is democratise storytelling. It’s a genre of storytelling that’s not been available to audiences ever.”

    The panelists also weighed in upon the changed prototype of the ‘likeable hero/heroine’ brought on by the OTTs. “Every content is essentially an extension of the world and times we are living in,” said Fazal. “We want people who are relatable and accessible on screen, characters whom viewers can relate with- not a demi-god to worship or characters in black and white.”

    On the concern that less than 10 per cent of the viewers on the Online streaming sites have subscribed for consumption, Talwar admitted it’s going to be a tough battle towards monetising the content, as Indians inherently don’t believe in paying for content.  That’s also the reason why piracy remains a big issue in the country.

    “The reach to mass India is one of the greatest advantages for OTT players like MX player,” said Talvar. “There is no appointment viewing, and most viewers on OTT watch as per individual convenience. The OTT ecosystem is a melting pot of all the three platforms of films, advertising and television with both short and long form content,” he added.

  • Zee5 announces its next thriller ‘Forensic’

    Zee5 announces its next thriller ‘Forensic’

    Mumbai: Building on its success with thrillers, Zee5 has announced its next project “Forensic” featuring Vikrant Massey and Radhika Apte. The psychological thriller also stars Prachi Desai, Vindu Dara Singh, and Rohit Roy in pivotal roles.

    Directed by Vishal Furia, “Forensic” is the Hindi remake of a Malayalam film of the same name and is set to premiere on Zee5 this year. It is produced by Mini Films and Soham Rockstar Entertainment.

    2022 saw a slew of thrillers including “Mithya,” “Love Hostel,” “Bloody Brothers,” and a glimpse of “Abhay 3” premiering on the platform.

    “Thrillers have been one of our best performing genres. In fact, starting 2022 we have introduced successful titles like Mithya, Love Hostel, Bloody Brothers, along with the upcoming Abhay 3,” said Zee5 India CBO Manish Kalra. “With this particular genre witnessing an overwhelming response from audiences, we’ve taken a concerted effort to diversify our content slate further with respect to thrillers as a category. In line with this strategy, we are happy to bring yet another intriguing title Forensic, with a prominent star-cast for our viewers.”

    “Forensic is one of those projects where we just knew that we had to make it. The film is a complete edge-of-the-seat thriller that will keep you hooked. ZEE5 has given a platform to many unique and important stories, and it has a wide reach globally so we are excited to be presenting ‘Forensic’ on this platform,” added producer Deepak Mukut.

    “A milligram of DNA can reveal the identity of a person. Forensic is a taut thriller with twists that will surprise and facts that will shock the viewers,” remarked director Vishal Furia.

  • mCaffeine says get ‘Addicted to Good’ in latest campaign

    mCaffeine says get ‘Addicted to Good’ in latest campaign

    Mumbai: Caffeinated personal care brand mCaffeine has collaborated with actors Radhika Apte, Shruti Hassan, and Vikrant Massey for its upcoming campaign to help establish an ‘addiction’ to all the good caffeine can do. The brand film is targeted towards the Gen Z audience while communicating the D2C brand’s ‘Addicted To Good’ proposition.

    “Given the rising awareness about personal care, with our ‘Addicted To Good’ campaign, we aim to emphasise the benefits of our hero ingredient and solidify mCaffeine’s position as India’s most favourite caffeinated personal care brand,” said mCaffeine CEO & co-founder Tarun Sharma. “The proposition comes from the human insight that we are essentially creatures of habit that favour repetition. A single good habit can often lead to another, starting a chain of goodness. Representing the young and energetic go-getters who the brand’s products are made for, the three ambassadors will share the goodness of caffeine with everyone – along with the good that the brand does at large.”

    Aside from opposing animal testing, the colour, the gender-neutral brand promotes clean, sustainable living. With the ‘Addicted To Good’ message, mCaffeine aims to inspire the audience to unearth their full potential and be the best version of themselves – because feeling good is everyone’s right, said the brand.

    “For me, personal care is not just limited to outer appearance but a feeling of goodness from within. I have personally been a mCaffeine user, and I stand by the ideology of the brand. mCaffeine – 100% natural, vegan, cruelty-free, and with zero plastic footprint – has consistently made a meaningful impact in today’s world by supporting addiction to the goodness of caffeinated personal care products,” said Shruti Hassan.

    “Looking at the growing consciousness of today’s millennials, I believe that we all must pledge to products that make us addicted to not just a good regime but also a good environment,” said Radhika Apte.

    Vikrant Massey added, “The pandemic has brought me closer to myself and my personal care routine, and I think that’s the scenario with everyone. Consumers are looking for an impactful factor in every choice they make, and a brand like mCaffeine, in today’s time, is making it easily possible for them with their consistent efforts.”