Zee Telefilms, Karma Network to launch Hindi film
India's largest listed media company, Zee Telefilms, and its joint venture
partner, Karma Network Ltd, on Wednesday announced the launch of their first
project together, a romantic Hindi film to be released next year.
The movie, "Haasil", is the story of a young boy's "lonely crusade to
achieve his dreams and beliefs and the conflicts he encounters to win his
love", director Tigmanshu Dhulia told Reuters.
The medium-budget 50-million-rupee film starring newcomers Jimmy Shergill
and Hrishita Bhatt has been shot in Bombay and Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
The young director, who has helped Bollywood's Ketan Mehta in "Sardar Patel"
and Shekhar Kapur in "Bandit Queen", shot the climax chase scene of "Haasil"
at Allahabad's famous Maha Kumbh Mela in January this year.
The climax was shot at the Maha Kumbh or the Grand Pitcher Festival, which
is held every 12 years and is billed as the world's largest gathering of
human beings, to get Karma Network Chairman Vijay Jindal's approval for the
film.
"We are looking at young talented directors who can work on a small budget
and finish the film's work in one year," said Jindal who worked with Zee TV
for close to five years before he started Karma Network four months ago.
"Right now we are economising on the budget," said Jindal adding that cash
would start flowing after selling the film's music and overseas rights.
The director said he felt encouraged to make his debut film after the recent
success of period films, "Gadar-Ek Prem Katha" and "Lagaan".
Karma and Zee Telefilms plan to make 12 films over the next three years.
Karma Network also plans to provide content to television channels in the
form of news and feature stories, besides making films.
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Lucky Ali: Set For Debut
Soulful singer Lucky Ali, son of legendary Bollywood comedian Mehmood, will make his acting debut in a musical film likely to be released early next year.
The New Zealand singer, who scored a huge musical hit last year with blockbuster Kaho Na Pyar Hai, will make his debut in a comic love story starring opposite popular actress Raveena Tandon and model Lisa Ray.
Ali's foray in acting, after six years of composing music and releasing solo albums, will be in Bombay-based Lighthouse Entertainment's Kya Main Ab Bhi Tumse Pyaar Karta Hoon.
The dreamy-eyed Ali will provide the complete musical score, soundtrack and is the main playback singer for his debut film to be directed Bobby Khan.
"I don't know how to dance. Ahmed Khan (choreographer) is going to make me dance. Maybe with my two left feet," joked Ali whose 1995 release O'Sanam from the album, Sunoh, was a musical chartbuster.
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India Inc warms up to in-film advertising - ET
IN Subhash Ghai's latest offering Yaadein, Hrithik Roshan shares a
mouth-freshner Pass Pass with Kareena Kapoor -- who is often seen riding a
Hero cycle -- with Coke in the backdrop.
Indian corporates are increasingly warming up to the idea of in-film
advertising and sponsorship deals. Ghai, for instance, has raked in record
corporate sponsorship deals for Yaadein, worth around Rs 3.35 crore.
This covers nearly 20 per cent of production cost of the film, pegged at
around Rs 17 crore. "This is the highest amount raked in by any Bollywood
movie," gushes Parveez Farouqui, executive director of Subhash Ghai-promoted
software production outfit, Mukta Arts.
Ghai's earlier venture Taal had earned around Rs 2 crore worth of corporate
sponsorships.
Actively scouting for the opportunities to be visible on Bollywood flicks
are several leading brands including Coke, Pepsi, Intel, Hindustan Lever,
Phillips, National Panasonic, Sansui, Hero Honda, Hyundai, Airtel, Atlas,
Action, Tata Tea and Kitply.
Big banner producers of the likes of Yash Chopra, Rakesh Roshan, David
Dhawan and R K Films are increasingly eyeing this fledgling revenue stream.
Even conservative film makers of the likes of Barjatiyas of Rajashri Films,
makers of blockbusters such as Hum Apke Hain Kaun and Maine Pyar Kiya -- who
earlier shunned the idea of cutting deals with corporates -- are now
scouting for prospective sponsors for their latest offering, a
Hrithik-Kareena starrer.
According to P K Gupta, general manager, Rajashri Films, in-film advertising
and sponsorships are expected to be a major revenue source for producers in
the coming years.
At present, corporate sponsorships and merchandising are a fledgling revenue
stream for Bollywood flicks -- a small patch compared to that in Hollywood.
For instance, Hollywood blockbuster "Jurassic Park" grossed around $250
million through corporate sponsorship deals. According to the industry
estimates, some big banner Bollywood movies have in recent years managed to
garner in-film advertising in the range of Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore.
However, domestic and international theatrical releases continue to be the
biggest revenue stream for Bollywood flicks, accounting for around 60 per
cent of the revenue. The remaining accrue from satellite and music rights.
"Way back in 70's and 80's, questions concerning ethics kept most producers
away from use of in-flim advertising," recalls Supran Sen, secretary, Film
Federation of India.
But 90' saw in-film advertising being blend into storylines. "However, it is
big production banners which attract the best deals," Sen observes.
Buoyed by the response, some advertising agencies are out to test the water.
Percept, for instance, has set up an in-film product placement cell looking
specifically at such opportunities.
According to Anu Ranjan, vice-president, product placement, Percept, "Both
corporates and producers are opening up to the idea of in-film
advertisements.
Many producers suitably weave such placements into the storylines." For
instance, Hyundai offered its just launched mid-segment car, Accent, to Shah
Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla for their home production, Phir Bhi Dil Hai
Hindustani.
Innovative advertisement placements are order of the day. Some, such as Tata
Tea, recently came out with a 60-second commercial just before a movie
started. Scrolling advertisements are slated to be next in line, feel some
ad industry professionals.
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Gujarati film on quake shakes people, with mirth
AHMEDABAD, JULY 22: It tried to portray a tragedy but turned out to be more
like a comedy of errors. The Gujarati film Bhukamp (Earthquake) that was
released in the state on Friday had the audience in the city's Shalimar
cinema rolling in the aisles instead of terrorising them like it was
supposed to.
Men, women and children were buried under obviously fake bricks and walls,
with red paint generously dabbed all over their faces. Pot-bellied police
constables were shown trying to rescue those hanging from multi-storied
buildings. The audience couldn't be blamed, however, for finding it funny,
for director Pankaj Patel had made a farce of the tragedy that shook the
state on January 26.
The film began by introducing almost 25 families - from a widowed mother to
a US-returned boy searching for a suitable bride - with Hrithik- and
Amisha-like characters. And yes, like any other masala film, there was
enough dance, romance, action and villainy.
But in the first half, the bhukamp was nowhere in sight. Instead, the film
focused on clowning around and lots of cootchie-cooing. Two garba dance
sequences followed, with the hero dressed in a gold dress and the heroine
changing her clothes in every sequence, an emotional scene between father
and daughter about her marriage, two rowdies who pass off as the villains, a
builder in ''all-white'' and carrying a mobile in his gold-ringed fingers,
the rich man-poor man saga and a host of other ingredients which make it a
typical Gujarati masala film and not what the posters or the name of the
film suggest. The loudspeakers publicising the film had announced that one
would get to see the real-life drama on the 35 mm screen as against what one
had seen on TV.
In the second half, the screen begins to vibrate and one understands this is
the ''desi special effect'' that shows the earthquake has occurred. A few
very fake-looking buildings collapse and lots of pillars and bricks - made
of thermocol - fall on people. The Swaminarayan school collapse, the Anjar
tragedy, etc are included along with powerful rumbling and shrieking on the
soundtrack. The audience mimicked the shrieks, laughed and clapped.
''What has he made?'' said a smiling Shamsherbhai Meenabhai, of Shah-Alam
area. He had come expecting to see an ''emotional and tragic'' film,
reminding him of the horror. ''Poora mazak bana diya hai bhukamp ka (They
have made fun of the earthquake),'' he added.
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Kaho Na Pyar Hai — Going For Guiness
Hrithik-Aishwarya Finally Get Together
Their Coca Cola advertisement gave a lot of filmmakers the idea of casting today's hottest heartthrobs Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai together. But it was one of those difficult-to-achieve star pairs that just didn't happen. Also they had a history. The first Coke ad which they were to star together in fell through and it was Aditi Gowatrikar who finally did the ad.
Now, however, filmmaker Ramesh Sippy seems to have worked his charm and managed to net the two elusive stars together for his next film. Incidentally, Aishwraya is also the heroine of Sippy's son Rohan's directorial debut, Kuch Na Kaho.
Ramesh Sippy may have been keeping a low profile since his Shah Rukh starrer Zamana Deewana, but with a dream star cast like this, he is definitely back in the reckoning.
Juhi: Back To Signing Films
Now that Juhi's baby girl Jhaanvi is more than three months old, Juhi is ready to go back to work. And the industry is welcoming the prodigal back with open arms. Juhi has just bagged Padmalaya's new film, the quaintly-titled Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya opposite Govinda and is all set to start shooting by the end of the month.
Juhi, who has been religiously working out to lose weight, says, "I am all excited about going back to the studios which I love. But now I will have to be very careful about the number of films I do as I have a daughter to take care of."
Incidentally, Govinda is Juhi's hero in yet another film on the floors, Sanjay Chhel's Yahoo.
Sushmita's Shakalaka Groove
Jitendra Kothari
Sushmita Sen, after raising temperatures with the Mast mahaul number from Fiza, has done another special appearance item. In the ready-for-release Anil Kapoor-Rani Mukherji starrer, Nayak, Sushmita's inspired grooving to the Shakalaka number is currently enjoying heavy rotation on TV and proving to be a buzz magnet.
Though Sushmita is not too keen on being considered a special appearance specialist, she agreed to do this one because she had done the dance for Nayak's South Indian original, Mudalvan, too. The Tamil original had also been directed by Nayak's director, Shankar, and the number had gone on to become an all-out smash.
Find out more about Nayak
Fardeen: Two Much
Fardeen Khan is still bagging the plums. His father Feroz had once given Anil Kapoor's career a fillip by signing him for his Jaanbaaz; now Fardeen is being considered by Anil's brother Boney Kapoor for his next film where the heroine may just be hottie Kareena Kapoor.
Incidentally, after the controversial drug bust, Fardeen Khan faces yet another acid test. Two of his films are releasing back to back. E Niwas' young, frothy comedy Love Ke Liye Kucch Bhi Karega has hit the marquees this week while Venus' Hum Ho Gaye Hai Aap Ke will be released on August 3. Incidentally, both the movies were originally slated to hit theatres on the same day till better sense prevailed and Hum Ho Gaye Hai Aap Ke was postponed. Now it remains to be seen whether Fardeen is able to hit a one-two punch with these two films.
Kaho Na Pyar Hai — Going For Guiness
Dinesh Raheja
At the recently concluded IIFA awards in South Africa, last year's blockbuster Kaho Na Pyar Hai won another clutch of awards. This brings the total tally of awards won by the film to a mind-boggling 92! Not only are Rakesh Roshan and Hrithik Roshan pleased as punch, but there's a chance that the film may figure in the prestigeous Guiness' Book Of World Records, too!
Insiders say that certain formalities are underway and if all goes well, KNPH may just figure in the books as the most-awarded film ever. Now if there is an Award for the Most Awarded film, look for KNPH to win that one too!
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Sushmita's Shakalaka Groove
Sushmita Sen, after raising temperatures with the Mast mahaul number from Fiza, has done another special appearance item. In the ready-for-release Anil Kapoor-Rani Mukherji starrer, Nayak, Sushmita's inspired grooving to the Shakalaka number is currently enjoying heavy rotation on TV and proving to be a buzz magnet.
Though Sushmita is not too keen on being considered a special appearance specialist, she agreed to do this one because she had done the dance for Nayak's South Indian original, Mudalvan, too. The Tamil original had also been directed by Nayak's director, Shankar, and the number had gone on to become an all-out smash.
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A Date With The PM
Gracy Singh is walking on sunshine these days. Ever since Lagaan was completed, the graceful newcomer was on tenterhooks and understandably anxious to see her first cinematic effort in its entirety. Since all she had seen were her scenes in the film while dubbing for the movie.
So when a special screening of Aamir Khan's Lagaan was recently held for Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Gracy was delighted as it afforded her a chance to see the movie, too. "I was so enamoured by the film that I didn't even want to blink." So overwhelmed was Gracy by the heady experience — having Sushma Swaraj hug her after the end and signing autographs — that she has still to get over it. "You know what I did at the interval?" she laughs. "I didn't get up and go out because I didn't want to risk missing a single frame."
Kiron Kher: No Mainstream Mentality
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Hrithik Roshan wins Best Actor at IIFA awards June 18
Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan won Best Actor award for his debut film Kaho Naa Pyar Hai at the International Indian Film Academy awards ceremony at South Africa's Sun City on Saturday night.
The film won Best Picture award and Roshan's father Rakesh took the award for Best Director.
Best Actress was Karisma Kapoor for her role in Fiza. Jaya Bachchan won Best Supporting Actress, also for Fiza. Best Supporting Actor was Amitabh Bachchan in Mohabbatein.
The ceremony celebrated the achievements notched up in the 800-film-a-year Bollywood industry over the past year and film fans from South Africa and abroad packed the Sun City resort near Johannesburg to catch a glimpse of their favourite actors.
The celebrities included Hrithik Roshan, famous for his pulsating dance movements, Sunil Shetty, Urmila Matondkar, Jackie Shroff, musician A R Rahman, Kabir Bedi and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra.
Last year the ceremony was held at the Millennium Dome in London.
The Indian film industry has a global annual turnover of $200 million, according to the awards organisers.
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