ITV

Tag: Yash Raj Films

  • Gaana.com pumps up music content via YRF, Magnasound and Unisys

    Gaana.com pumps up music content via YRF, Magnasound and Unisys

    MUMBAI: Gaana.com, Times Internet Limited‘s (TIL) digital music platform, has partnered Yash Raj Films, Magnasound, and Unisys Infosolutions to bolster its music library.

    The three partnerships will together add over 50,000 songs across categories, from major blockbuster movies like Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Ek Tha Tiger, to a variety of Punjabi hits like Aak Chak, Gal Sun and Tusi Bewafa, to the best of 1990s Indipop like Daler Mehndi and Baba Sehgal.

    Gaana.com head Avinash Mudaliar claimed that Gaana.com app has seen 200,000 downloads two weeks since it was launched on iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Nokia/Samsung phones.

    “On iPhone, we had 58,153 downloads. On Android, 69,456 downloads. On Nokia and Samsung phones, we had 69,674 downloads. On Blackberry devices, we had 5,115 downloads,” he disclosed.

    Mudaliar said that the company is working towards improving the stability of apps and adding new features.

    “On iPhone, the latest version (awaiting approval) will have AirPlay enabled, so you can stream music from your phone to your home devices. And on Android, the latest release adds a lot of stability, and some other incremental features,” he added.

  • Karan Johar titles next film as Hasee Toh Phasee

    Karan Johar titles next film as Hasee Toh Phasee

    MUMBAI: Film-maker Karan Johar has announced that his next production venture will be titled Hasee Toh Phasee.

    Dharma Productions will co-produce the film with Phantom Production while Vinil Matthew will direct Hasee Toh Phasee.

    The film stars Siddharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra as the lead pair.

    This will be Malhotra‘s second film with Dharma Productions after his debut movie Student OfThe Year.

    Chopra, on the other hand made an impressive debut with Ladies VS Ricky Bahl and was later seen in Yash Raj Films‘ Ishaqzaade.

  • Yash Raj Films signs three film deal with Dibakar Banerjee

    Yash Raj Films signs three film deal with Dibakar Banerjee

    MUMBAI: In a tie that promises to be its long time strategy, Yash Raj Films has announced a three film co-production deal with Dibakar Banerjee Productions.

     

    Banerjee said, “This is new, promising and exciting. Adi and I have different and individualistic creative visions while sharing a tremendous synergy in our ambition to take Indian cinema to new milestones at home and abroad. We decided to embark on this venture almost immediately after our very first meeting.”

     

    “I respect quality, consistency and true professionalism. YRF stands for that. Given my style of film making and YRF‘s tremendous presence, reach and experience, this association will merge our respective expertise to create really trendsetting yet entertaining content for a really wide audience. I see tremendous potential in Adi‘s concerted plans for getting into co-production agreements with diverse, like-minded filmmakers,” he adds.

     

    While specifics of the slate are still being decided, the arrangement entails that two of the films will be directed by Dibakar and the third by his long-time associate and the writer of the path-breaking Love Sex Aur Dhokha, Kanu Behl.

  • Mere Dad Ki Maruti to release on 15 March

    Mere Dad Ki Maruti to release on 15 March

    MUMBAI: Yash Raj Films‘ (YRF) next venture Mere Dad Ki Maruti (MDKM) under the Y-Films banner, has finally got a release date. It will release universally on 15 March.

     

    For some time now, it has been seen that YRF is becoming the perfect platform for budding talent. After having successfully launched Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma in Band Baaja Baaraat , it followed up by casting Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra in Ishaqzaade.

     

    Through Mere Dad Ki Maruti, the production house is all set to launch Saqib Saleem and Rhea Chakraborty. Incidentally, Saqib had earlier made his debut with Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge under the same banner.

     

    MDKM is an outrageous comedy set against the backdrop of a loud Punjabi wedding in Chandigarh. The film tells the story of a boy who sneaks his dad‘s fancy new car out to impress the college hottie and how all hell breaks loose when he loses it.

     

    MDKM also stars Ram Kapoor as the khadoos dad in his first full-fledged comedy role.

     

    MDKM also marks the directorial debut of Ashima Chibber who has been associated with some of the most talented directors of our times like Shimit Amin‘s first Assistant Director (AD) on Ab Tak Chappan and Chak De India‘ among others, The director‘s last project was as first assistant director to Imtiaz Ali in Rockstar.

  • Discovery integrates brand in YRF film ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’

    MUMBAI: Infotainment channel Discovery Channel and Yash Raj Films have entered into a brand association for the forthcoming film ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’.

    Releasing this Diwali on 13 November, the film will have one of its lead female characters, Akira, played by Anushka Sharma, portrayed as an employee of Discovery who wants to make a documentary on the male lead of the film – Shah Rukh Khan.

    In the film, Akira’s goal is to work for Discovery. She chances upon the opportunity, in the form of Shah Rukh Khan, employed with a special unit of the forces. She goes on to convince the Discovery team to produce a documentary on him – ‘The Man Who Cannot Die’. The audience will discover the entire story of the film through Akira’s eyes.

    Discovery senior VP, GM South Asia Rahul Johri said, “We are honoured to have associated with one of India’s foremost film stalwarts – the late Shri Yash Chopra.”

    “This association reflects the immense popularity and credibility that Discovery Channel enjoys in India and around the world where this film will be released”.

    Yash Raj Films VP Ashish Patil said, “We wanted to associate with the leading non-fiction channel and we are happy to partner with the world renowned Discovery Channel. We are certain that viewers will enjoy Anushka’s refreshing character as a Discovery Channel employee.”

    Besides shooting in various locales, Sharma also shot at the Discovery’s office to make the experience as real as possible for the viewers.

    In real life Discovery in the past had made ‘Living with a Superstar’, a special series that featured Shah Rukh Khan which was aired on the lifestyle channel TLC.

  • YRF’s Y-Films launches third film

    YRF’s Y-Films launches third film

    MUMBAI: Yash Raj Films‘ youth films studio, Y-Films, has launched its third production entitled Mere Dad Ki Maruti (MDKM).

    The film is supposed to be an outrageous comedy set against the backdrop of a loud Punjabi wedding in Chandigarh. It tells the story of a boy who sneaks his dad‘s fancy new car out to impress the college hottie and how all hell breaks loose when he loses it.

    Mere Dad Ki Maruti stars Saqib Saleem who made his debut in last year‘s Y-Films‘ sleeper hit Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge. The film also marks the directorial debut of Ashima Chibber who has been associated with Shimit Amin as first assistant director of Ab Tak Chappan and Chak De India. The last film she did was with Imtiaz Ali as first assistant director in Rockstar.

    The first two films coming out from the Y-Films banner were Luv Ka The End and Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge.

  • Yash Raj Films launches app of Ishaqzaade

    Yash Raj Films launches app of Ishaqzaade

    MUMBAI: In order to promote their upcoming film Ishaqzaade, Yash Raj Films has launched a new application (app).

    “Kahan Hai Ishaqzaade? Become an Ishaqzaade: Shout out your love,” is the app‘s Facebook status. Users of the app are given the opportunity to share their own love stories on a digital platform.

    The game is set against the backdrop of small-town clan wars and is based upon the format of a shooting alley.

    “Play the game and decide who you are, Haraamzaade or Ishaqzaade,” reads an introduction to the app. Players are given one minute to maximise their score. Points are awarded for hitting cans and points lost for targeting bombs and petrol cans

    The film, starring Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra, is scheduled to release on 11 May.

  • VFX keeps filmmakers away from shoot at railway stations

    VFX keeps filmmakers away from shoot at railway stations

    MUMBAI: Only a handful of films like Ra.One, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Mausam feature railway stations, according to a Central Railway report.

    Revenue from that particular window has dipped by 60 per cent compared to that of 2009-10. The reason being cited is that filmmakers tend to make use of latest technologies like visual effects (VFX).

    With the technology around, filmmakers have been desisting to go out to shoot on location for sometime now. What they primarily need are the basic shots that are later interspersed with objects, people and effects. Through this, film units save on time as well as money.

    For the shooting of Ra.One, the makers used the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus for a day, though it had an elaborate sequence of a train ramming into the station forcefully, cutting through the platform and the station boundary walls and toppling on to the road only to be stopped by Shah Rukh Khan’s character with one hand in the exteriors of the station. It is said that the producers paid the CR Rs 125,000 for the shoot.

    “The shot looked so elaborate on screen, making the film audience wonder as to how many days it must have taken to shoot the entire sequence. But, with the help of VFX, a few shots of the train and the station sufficed the wants of the makers. The rest was done by our visual effects team,” said Red Chillies VFX CEO Keitan Yadav.

    Only 13 production houses including Red Chillies Entertainment, Excel Entertainment and Yash Raj Films shot at Central Railway locations in 2011-’12 compared to 28 in 2009-’10 and 19 in 2010-’11.

  • Bollywood takes IPL head on

    Bollywood takes IPL head on

    MUMBAI: Bollywood is refusing to take evasive action from the mighty attack of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Having learnt the hard way with films falling right, left and centre in the last four seasons of the IPL, Bollywood has decided to take the most popular and extensive annual cricketing event head on by releasing 24 films.

    Of the 24, ten are big-ticket films from banners like Viacom 18, Reliance Motion Pictures, Yash Raj Films, UTV Spot Boy, Nadiadwala Grandsons and Ram Gopal Varma’s RGV Films.

    The first film released on 5 April is Sajid Nadiadwala’s Housefull 2. This is to be followed by Kumar Mangat and Viacom 18’s Bittoo Boss (13 April), Life Ki Toh Lag Gayi and John Abraham’s Vicky Donor (20 April), Venus Records and Tapes’ Priyadarshan-directed Tezz (27 April), Mukesh Bhatt’s Jannat 2 (4 May), BVG Films, DAR Motion Pictures and Reliance Entertainment’s Karisma Kapur-starrer Dangerous Ishq (11 May) and Ram Gopal Varma’s Department, YRF’s Ishaqzaade and UTV Spotboy and Anurag Kashyap’s Love Suv Te Chicken Khurana (all on 18 May).


    Opines UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapoor, “The IPL has now become a regular part of the annual calendar and producers and distributors have realised that movie releases and cricket can co-exist since audiences watching cricket don’t stop going to cinema. Hence, we are seeing many big-ticket releases during the IPL. The general opinion is that if a film is good, it will run despite the IPL happening concurrently.”

    Last year the only big-ticket films to release during the IPL were Dum Maro Dum and Thank You. Incidentally, both proved duds at the box office while a string of smaller productions like Shor In The City, Chalo Dilli, I Am, Love Ka The End, Ragini MMS, Stanley Ka Dabba and Pyar Ka Punchnama managed to find a release window during the IPL.

    Industry officials expect the first quarter of this fiscal to be better in terms of revenue than the previous year due to a stronger lineup of films.

    Explains producer Mukesh Bhatt, “The IPL has lost its shine. Now we are confident to take it head on. After lying low for four years in
    a row, Bollywood has decided to release many ‘A’ ticket films. Both cricket and films are a religion in India. People who are aficionados of cricket will see the IPL while those who love films will definitely go to see a film. All said and done, our revenue during the IPL tournament is poised for a big jump.”

    Will not the IPL harm his upcoming film Jannat 2? “When IPL came for the first time, we were not afraid to release our film Jannat, then why should we be afraid this time? We are sure that our film will captivate the audience. We will storm the theatres, whatever be the match. Jannat 2 will prove to be a match-winning venture,” he says.


    Exhibitors are also unanimous with the view that the IPL can‘t scare away big movies from releasing. Says Cinemax India CEO Sunil Punjabi, “April to June has traditionally been the best movie months till IPL hit us. This is the period that is large on entertainment time since kids and teens have holidays. Last year we saw a shift in cinema consumption trends. This year too, it is going to be the same. This shift in consumption is showing signs of the movie market maturing to take on any challenge.”

    So will IPL matches be screened in multiplexes? “The screening rights of IPL are being held back by the BCCI. Hence, like last year, there won‘t be screenings in multiplexes unless the rights are released,” avers Punjabi.

    It is not just Bollywood but also foreign films like James Cameron‘s Titanic (3D), Men in Black-3 and The Avengers that are opening up their release pipeline during the IPL.

    “Bollywood has realised that it can‘t stay shut for 45 days in a year without the release of big movies. They will have to bat along with the IPL and prove that they can score even in a tough wicket. That is why we are seeing more number of big releases this year,” says a media analyst.

    Film producers, however, are weary of releasing their big-ticket movies during crunch matches. Which is why Yash Raj Films has decided to release Ishaqzaade, a story about love brewing in a small town burning with hatred, on 11 May and not a week later as was originally planned.

    “With Ferrari ki Sawaari moving to a later date and the IPL crunch matches kicking in from 18 May, this shift will give Ishaqzaade a better window for release,” YRF says. Vidhu Vinod Chopra‘s Ferrari Ki Sawaari was to release on 11 May but has been delayed.

    “These kind of shuffles and strategies will take place, but the bigger truth is that Bollywood has woken up to the challenge,” says the head of a film production company who did not want his name to be revealed.

    Also Read:

    Weak IPL5 ratings cause for concern

  • YRF going South to remake Band Baaja Baarat and Bunty aur Bubly

    YRF going South to remake Band Baaja Baarat and Bunty aur Bubly

    MUMBAI: Yash Raj Films (YRF), which had floated a South Indian division to remake its own hits into South Indian languages, is toying with the idea of remaking Band Baaja Baarat in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada with fresh faces in the lead.

    This will be followed by the Abhishek Bachchan-Rani Mukherjee starrer Bunty aur Babli.

    Confirming this, a YRF spokesperson said “We are seriously looking at remaking Band Baaja Baaraat in the South.” Band Baaja Baaraat starred Ranveer Singh and Anoushka Sharma and was well received, especially among younger audiences.”

    Since this film had made a mark at the box office, many filmmakers from the south had approached the production house to buy the rights of the film. However, YRF has never sold the making rights of any of their films.

    Ever since Bodyguard, Ready and Singham came on the scene, trade is abuzz with talk that films from South India being remade in Hindi is the order of the day. But few know that several South Indian films are based on Hindi films.

    When Aditya Chopra realised the huge potential of the South Indian market, he set up YRF Deccan and appointed Padam Kumar as the head since he is a known producer in the south and understands the market well.